The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1877-07-27
THAT BRIDGE HORROR.
Inquest Held on the Victims To-
day.

One Of the most dreadful accidents
which has occurred in this Locality for
years happened last Tuesday, the 9th,
in the neighborhood of California,
but which was not given
that prominence which should have
been accorded TO it because the atten-
tion of the public was absorbed by the
strike, which was then at its height in
this city. The bridge on the Cincinna tt
6 Portsmouth Narrow-gague Railroad
across the Miami River near Cali
tornia broke In two and fourteen
men were precipitated the distance
OF fifty feet, SIX of whom were either
killed outright or have since died Of
their injuries, and the balance more or
less wounded.
This morning an inquest was held on
the dead bodies of the following
victims: Thomas FL. Willard; Berry
Young, John Mellon, Jacob II. Hess,
Daniel OConnell and Daniel Gibbons.
The jury sworn in consisted of the
following: George Ii. Menke, VIM. Neel,
o. Z. Scott, Thomas Bird, John Mellow
and Jonn IscNer.
The testimony given below is all that
Is regarded OF Importance ia fixing the
responsibility Tor the sad catastrophe:
Daniel kearsey, of Columbia, sworn
l was working on the bridge when it
broke, last Tuesday, between and 3
o'clock il the afternoon. The middle
trestle OF the middle span broke on the
upper side, about five feet from the top OF
the bridge. Tne men were engaged in
tightening the bolts. Fourteen men
were working at the time. Tne upright
Of the trestl work below were about six
inches thick and eight inches wide, the
cross-Dars two by eight. MIR. Williams
and two other WOrkmen were bringing
iron on the bridge when it fell. l doRI
know whether the same kind Of trestles
were used in the span that broke as
were used on the others. 1neVer heard
anybody say that the trestles work
was too light to support the
weight. l was standing on the outside
OF the bridge holding on to al iron rod
noticed tpat it was falling, ana saved
my life by jumping to the water about
torty-tiye ieet below. l called for as
sistance as soon as got up, and Samuel
Merrill came soon alter. l don't know
who built the trestle work. Our
foreman was MIR. Willard. who was
killed. In my opinion the accident is
was too light for the weight which it
was required to bear. l have been
working on bridges more or less for the
last two years. l never saw trestle-
work MADE so weak as this was.
Cal. Wagner, Of Erie, Penn, who is
stopping temporarily at No. "a Main
street, Columbia, sworn: rvu,.
was working on this bridge about
three weeks, but left an hour before the
accident occurred on account of a head
ache. I said several times before the
bridge fell that the trestle-wor was too
weak. The lower part OF it was eight
by eight inches square and the upper
part seven by seven inches. This same
trestle was used in the construction of
the other span, which, l think, was one
hundred and fifty feet long. The one
which gave way was two hundred and
two feet long; four more trusses
was used in the span which
fell. Thomas ii. Willard was
the Superintendent OF the work. never
heard min express any opinion as to the
trusses. 1 did not see the accident.
Heard Of it an hour later.
W. A. Watkins. an undertaken doing
business at No. 1879 Eastern avenue
When l got there, one OF the dead. MIR,
Hess, had already been removed. The
balance Of the dead and wounded were
still there. Young and Gibbons were
taken to my stable.
Dr.. W. IL. Hopkins, Of No. LAC East
ern aVenue-l was called in To treat
Gibbons and UConneH; Gibbons lived
an hour and a half AFTER reached him,
He had both legs broken and his skull
was fractured. VCounell died at ten
before 10 O'Clock, Wednesday
moi Mug. He died Of internal hemor-
rhage.
DR.. II. L. Donham, OF Mt. Washing
ton, sworn. 1 walLed on Mellon; L
found a compound fracture Of the left
arm; the breast bone and three Of the
upper ribs were brOken.
Fred. Morgan, of Totten avenue, Co.
lumbia, testified that he examined the
trusses the morniag after the accident,
and that in his opinion they were not
str ong enough to support the weight.
OLher parties were examined, but as
they confessed that they were not pres
ent when the accident occurred, did not
know anything about bridge-Duildlng,
and had never examined the structure
in question it would take a "Philadel.
pnla LAWYER to evolve from his inner
Consciousness a plausible pretext for
them as Witnesses at all.
For instance, Jeremiah Deem, a team
,ter who hauled iron Tor the bridge, but
" h0 was not Within several miles. OF it
" hen it fell, and who knows no more
About the trusses, as hes,says himself,
,han q hog does aboutIh inside OF "A
watch, was questioned, but as matter
)l course ialIed to throw any new light
IN The subject. Constable A. Grove, OF
Ae First Ward, ought to know beLter