Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-05-19
THROUGH A BRIDGE.
ACCIDENT Ar The B. & 0. DEPOT
BRIDGE.
An Engine and Two Cars Plunge Through
the Bridge Into. the Creek-Nanow
Escape Of the Engineer
Loss, Etc.

Yesterday afternoon about $50
o'clock a REGISTER representative was
crossing the Market street street bridge,
when a terrific crash was heard, and
looking toward the Baltimore and Ohio
depot those in sight Of the building saw
an
IMMENSE CLOUD OF SPRAY
rising from the creek, and Immediately
realized that something in the nature OF
an accident had happened. Quickly
Fastening across the dempiield bridge
it was seen that part OF train had gone
down through the west bridge.
In an almost incredible space Of time
several hundred persons had gathered
about an opening in the bridge west OF
the depot, and were gazing with horri-
fed looks at the wreck beneath. In an
open place in the water was seen a
mans head; aud he was working his
hands as though endeavoring 10 get out.
A skiff was quickly procured and the
injured man taken out and removed to
place OF safety. inquiries were
rlie as 10 what had hap
pened, and how. With that OBJ
ject in view the following facts were
| cleaned:
| Tur ppIDGY
Some NAV not be acquainted with the
locality and for that reason a description
is given. The bridge is across the mouth
OF Wheeling creek and is very wide
one. The east hall is covered over aud
used as a passenger depot while the
west half is crossed by these tracks and
is used to enter the freight depot. This
west hall consists OF two iron spans
three in each set, one for each track. In
the centre OF the bridge is a stone pier.
1t is what is calleda
BOWMAN USDERGRADE TRUSS,
and was built about Is or 26 years ago,
at the time Of the completion OF the
road, or soon after. 1t was examined
about year ago. The entire structure
was supposed TO be perfectly sound and
what caused the disaster may never be
ascertsined.
HOW IT HAPPENED.
Engine No. 1876, in charge of Engineer
Tom Clark, was engaged in making up a
train and was pulling two box freight
cars from the freight depot.
1t started on the bridge from the north
end, and by the middle track. The en-
CINE and tender had fairly gotten on the
north span, when crack and crash was
| heard, and the men in the depots and
working about the track were paralyzed
by seeing the
TRUSS DROP INTO THE CREEK,
with the engine, like solid shot, the
tender turning over onto the cab OF the
engine, and the two freight cars follow
ing on top OF all. The noise was awful,
aud the sight was still worse. The en-
zine had sunk almost entirely out OF
sight in the mud and quicksand at that
point. The end OF the tender was barely
sticking out OF water, and the freight
cars were nothing but complete wrecks,
being OF ne use except for kindling
wood, while their contents, wheat aud
| flour, were scattered broadcast.
The entire truss was gone, leaving a
hole in the bridge about 60 feet long by
II wide. The timbers were torn bodily
from the piers, and lay below all mixed
up with the other debris. The question
uppermost in everyone's mouth was,
how did it happen2 In an interview
with an official OF the road, he gave the
following as his opinion:
now IT CAME.
"You know that these piers are in
fact almost built on quicksand. You
will also recolect the flood and ice of
last winter when the pier under the
passenger bridge sank so as to twist 1t
badly. Well, | think at that time, that
the passenger bridge must have strained
against this bridge and in some way
twisted it. The passenger bridge might
have dropped little lately, and that
heavy engine passing over it slowly
brought big strain to bear; chain
rod cracked and down the whole bust
ness went. The bridge was considered
one OF the best on the road"
The lockers on all had their opinions
OF course. Some said the bridge was
old and had been cracked for a long
time: others that the stones in the piers
were rotten, and in one place it did look
as though the rock had commenced to
scale of. The truss in going down
struck the one on the east side of it and
broke it in one or two places, leaving it
in such condition that it would not
hold an engine, though cars could be
drawn over it, The truss on the west
side OF the middle one was all right.
Immediately after the disaster Arthur
Sinsel, Superintendent Of Bridges, was
telegraphed at Grafton, and he will ar
rive so as to commence the work OF re-
pairing and rebuilding this morning.
j. W. Floyd, mas ter OF the track al this
end, was also notified and soon had n
riggers' car on the spot, ropes were
stretched, a police force detailed and the
bridge cleared, as it was feared the
crowd wonld become so great that some
one would be pushed through the open
ing. A car earring derrick was run on
to the west track and force OF men sent
below. In this manner the barrels Fl
-four that were not blurred were raised.
The engine was rather old one and
| has been rebuilt on several OCCASIONS,
having been in other smash ups, and it
is said to have gone through bridge
some years ago near Littleton. 1t, with
the tender weighs about thirty-seven
ton. II is OF the pattern known as
Mogul or "camel backs" One of the
cars was loaded with wheat in the bulk
from West Alexander consigned to
Mitzell & Co, OF Baltimore; it now lies
on the bottom of the creek.
The other car was loaded with 100
barrels of -four from the Buffalo mills
of Claysville, and consigned to New
conner & Co., of Baltimore.
Fortunately no one was on the train
at the time but Engineer Clark. and his
escape from death may be considered
SIMPLY WONDERFUL!
He was in the cab at the time he felt
the bridge going, and as the bridge
went down he jumped into the creek.
He had barely struck the water before
he was covered over by the root OF one
of the freight cars, one corner OF which,
however, rested on the end OF the