Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1854-06-01

DEsfRUcTIoE OF THE WHEELrsG Sos
PENSION BKDez.-During the forenoon
of yesterday high storm Of wind pre-
vailed, which, towards noon, increased
to almost a hurricane along the valley
of the river, breaking vessels at their
moorings, and causing great devssta-
ton. About 8 O'Clock we walked up
towards the suspension bridge, and went
upon it, intending to walk across it for
Measure, as we have frequently done,
enioying the cool breeze and the undu-
lating motion of the bridge. We dis
covered that one of the guys, or small
iron cables, extending from the flooring
to the wall near the base of the east
abutment, was broken from its fasten-
ings, and several of its stones wrenched
apart. About hundred yards further
on, we saw that one, and only one of
the suspenders to which the floor is
swung. was broken. These were but
slight damages, but as we had never be-
fore seen the bridge affected even to
this extent by gales. and as it began to
sway violently, we thoughtit prudent to
retrace our steps. We had been of
the flooring only two minutes, and was
on the Main street when we saw persons
running towards the river bank; we fol-
lowed Just in time to see the whole
structure of cables and flooring. heaving
and dashing with tremendous force.
For a few minutes we watched it
with breathless anxiety, lunging like a
ship in the storm; at one time it rose to
nearly the height of the towers, then
fell and twisted and writhed, and was
dashed almost bottom upwards. At
last there seemed to be a determined
twist along the entire span, about one
half of the flooring being nearly re-
versed, and down went the immense
structure from its dizzy heighth to the
stream below, with an appalling crash
and roar. Nearly the entire structure
struck the water at the same instant,
dashing up an unbroken column of
foam across the river, in the heighth of
at least forty feet!
Amid the confusion of the wreck, we
cannot accurately estimate the extent of
the damage. All the cables, except
two on the north side, are torn from the
tower. On the south side, all the cables
except one small one, are torn from
their anchorage in the heavy masonry
on Main street, and with such violence
were they jerked from this piece of
masonry, that one stone weighing about
1900 pounds, was thrown a distance of
some feet. The large iron gate at the
end of the bridge was shivered to
atoms, and the dollhouse completely
demolished, Mr.. James Bell, the toll
keeper, making very narrow escape
with his life. On the island at the west
end of the bridge, we learn that but one
cable broke from the anchorage. The
entire wood work lies in the river and
on the shores. The cables also stretch
across the river, sunk to the bottom
So far as we can discover, only two of
the cables snapped asunder, and that on
the outside of the towers, the rest of
the breakage being at their connections
with the anchors.
We witnessed the terrific scene. and
saw that it was brought about by the
tremendous violence of the gale. The
great body of the flooring and the sus-
penders, forming something like
basket swung between the towers, was
swayed to and fro like the motion of
pendulum. The cables on the south
side were finally thrown off the apex of
the eastern tower, retaining their posi-
ton on the tower of the opposite side of
the river. This destroyed the equilib-
rum of the swinging body; and each
vibration giving it increased momem-
tum, the cables which sustained the
whole structure were unable to resist a
force operating on them in so many diff
ferent directions, and were literally
twisted and wrenched from their fasten-
ings.
The SUBMITS of the towers on each
side are several feet above the arch
which unites them. Upon the SUBMITS
the cables rested on iron rollers, and it
is supposed by some that the jar pro-
duced by the sudden falling of the
cables on one side from the roller to the
connecting alch below, was the cause of
the disaster. Whether this is philoso-
phical conclusion, or whether the result
would have been different if the towers
had not been separated, is a question
which we leave to future investigations.
The flooring as it struck the water
was broken into three sections, and ex-
tended across the river, entirely block
aiding the channel for while. Last
evening that portion across the channel
was cut away, and removed by the
steamer Thos. Swami, so that the chan
mel is now free for the passage of boats.
We cannot estimate the inconvenience
which will be caused to trade and
travel, and the mail transit by the loss
of this bridge. 1t is one of the heav-
lest calamities which has ever fallen on
our city, but we believe the enterprise
and public spirit of our citizens will re-
pair the loss as speedily as any commu-
nifty could possibly do.
1t is source of graduation that no !
lives were lost by this disaster. We
were among the last persons who left !
the bridge from this side, and although |
many on both sides were inst waiting