, 1881-10-02

The Bridge Considerably Damaged.
but Fortunately No Lires We're
Lost,
) What Is Mayor Harrison Going to
Do with These Reckless
Sailors?

ice iii consequence Of collision with =.
steamboat, and yesterday the Cla. k stree
bridge came in for u dose Of the same kind
In this second case, however, there is stront
evidence that tho damage was the result q
pure cusscdness. and the damage, too, moi
only includes that done to the bride, but alst
includes wrecked buggy and an injured
horse, while 4 loss Of life was only narrowly
avoided.
As every marine man well knows or ought
to know, there is an ordinance Which re.
Quires that the bridges shall be kept closed
10 river traffic between the hours of q and
O'Clock in the morning i'll order that the srea,
tide Of humanity which daily puurs down
town to labor about this time need not be in.
terruptcd by ''open bridges" At ten min.
uteS past O'Clock yesterday morning the
steanl-barge Maine appeared at the north
draw Of the Clark street BRIDGE headed west,
and blew her whistle for the bridge to ope,,
The regular bridsetender, Louis Ba-
der, WAS not there ut the time,
but his assistant, Chris Dreuc!lton, was on
duty, and he called out to Capt. Wi1des. Of
the Maine, that II was too late to open, and
that the steamer would have to wait until 7
o'clock. 10 this, as the bridgetendcr tells
the story, Capt Wildes responded, '.Open
her up anyway" and, after a refusal had
aagaln t;sf 6een !, given him, If you won't open
II can't do it," persisted Drcuchto,l: "mv
orders are plain, and YOU will have to wait y
TIE CONTROVERSY
was all the time attracting crowd of inter-
ested spectators, many of whom were on the
bridge,
Finally the Captain OF the Maine stopped
argumc the matter, and E;eve some signal to
t1rfo
been the boat started ahead, and the next
moment-tor she was already quite near-
her nose crashed Up against the bridge.
which eroancd and trembIed a second, and
then SWING gracefully open, allowing the
Maine to pass through, and steam on toward
the next bridge
In the meantime, the greatest excitement
was going Oh about the bridge. When the
Maine started ahead to OPEN the bridge,
there was, a grand stampede Of the
pre- Dse'f to "a rsac "efy and rhay e rsSsd StsSs
pell-mell in both directions, SOME @ laughing
and others CRYING, evidently not little
frightened Fortunately all the pedestrians
managed to get of the bridge before the
crash came
:. But it SO happened that just as the bow of
the barge struck the bridge there was horse
and buggy crossing from the North to the
South Side, the occupants ol the vehicle be-
ing the two sons--Edward and Stephen-of
31r. John E. McNahon, the contractor. The
young ll1en found themselves at the critical
moment almost directly in front OF the barge,
and they had no other course than to whip
the horse up and try to reach the other side
oc1o1e II was 100 late; liey could not turn
main on the bridge.
The horse made dash for the Soutl: Side
land and managed to get a footing on tile
pavement on the east side Of the approach
sI[ ana up against the railing which overlooks
tne water; out Just at TINS moment, and While
lne buggy was sui on the swinging brldRe.
one Of the IRON arches crushed the whole
0ulnt np against the railing OF the approach
ine railing @aTe way, the shafts OF the buggy
oloAe, ana 1he horst
WENT DOWN INTO THE RIVER
The NcMahon bows had seen their danger in
time and Jumped for the land, which they
reached Without injury. The buggy, totally
wrecked. rot faste,itd into the iron tt,rl1 0f
the arch ii the bridge and hung there.
AH this of cnurse craa1ed RE orreatost az.
element among the people Who Witnessed
it, ana there was some snrieking and Yelling |
when the Young men in the buggy We're ia |
the greatest danger The horse, strange to |
sav. SEEMED tn hs very little in iI1rpd hy the |
and subsequent fall. As soon rs !
it reappea1ed after the forced submersion, it |
Struck out Justify tor terra TRINA 4 man IN
the crowd managed to get hold OF tile bride
strap, by means OF which he pltoted the
swimming animal down to Wells street.,
" nS1e n;1 IL could pu!! ltsell Out o1 tle wafer.
1ue DfluEe was n0r very seriously ln)t[ed, |
and VAS III running order again last night.
lhe locks at both cutlS were broken, and
some Of the wooden braces and beams were
cracked, The railing where the accident uc-