Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-06-01
THE GREAT CALAMITY
At tho New York and Brooklyn
Bridge. srsT u
A PLAIN STATEMENT OF FACTS.
The Accideat Liable to RecT at Any
Time-Precautions to Be Taken
The Fatal Stairway-Missing
People-The Inquest.

NEW YORK. May 3l.-The universal COM
ment, this morning, respecting the bridge
horror is that the same accident is liable
to happen at any time, no matter what the
police regulations may be, unless the steps
are abolished, Or at least divided for the
two streams of pedestrians. The Superin-
tendent of the bridge, Martin, makes the
following
Frank Statement.
THE foot-path is certainly no safe place
for such crowds as pass over the bridge. Ii
was not intended to accommodate any
such travel as we are having. As 10 the
steps, it had been decided TO put q railing
up and down the middle, to divide the
people going one way from those going
the other. The railing would have 70 be
carried up some way beyond the top OF the
steps, OF course. We should carry 1t prob.
ably hundred feet long. This was one
alteration,we had already determined upon,
and is to be
Made at Once.
Then we are going TO place side railings on
the steps, little further back. Some
space is now lost by them. Then further
back, between the cables, we can widen
the passage by placing the railings further
apart and against the cables and this is to
be DONE"
Gould not the steps be dispensed with?'
was asked.
well, we could build what is called q
ramp, an inclined plane from the top of
the steps to point further down the
bridge, but there would be some danger in
making the grade any sleeper, especially
in wet or icy weather"
To the Superintendents statement may
be added that the fact is now obvious that
during those hours of the day when transit
is most lively and on holidays and sun.
days, there will
Always he Great Danger
OF heavy crush similar to that Of yester-
day, unless means of relieving it be devised.
Not even the bridge cable track for cars
now nearly completed, will prevent the
crush at those times.
A number of persons enquired at police
headquarters this morning for children or
friends, supposed to have been on the
bridge at the time Of the accident. Only in
one or two cases had they reason to sup
pose the missing person might have been
on the bridge.
The Oak street police report that they
havea
Cart Load OF Property
taken from the anchorage. Most Of the
clothing is torn beyond recognition. Very
few of the articles have been claimed.
The Coroner will subpoena the bridge
trustees, Superintendent Martin, and all
others who can give any information in
reference to the accident yesterday. He
intends the investigation to be thorough.
Superintendent Martin has been PERSONAL
ly investigating the causes OF The disaster,
and the best authen ticated information he
can gather leads him to believe the panic
was
Caused by PiokpOckets.
No action has yet been taken by the
bridge trustees. The superintendent &C.
knoWledges that the space allotted to foot
passengers is at present insufficient, but
thinks that when trains begin running
and time lessons curiosity, it will be found
to be ample.
The bodies Of the dead were carried to
ing removed to-day to the homes OF their
friends, and the preparations for burial be-
gun. All the injured in the Chamber
Street Hospital are improving. A number
of inquiries were made there to-day for
missing persons, but no information cor
corning them could be given, as all the
dead and injured have been identified. 1t
is believed a full list OF the dead and
seriously injured has been given.
New YORK, May 3l.-Inspector Byrne
denies that the panic was caused by pick
pockets. uIt was due, he claims, to the in
suficiency of the bridge management. BY
paying salaries to regular policemen the
trustees could secure them, and thus Sc
cure the safety Of passengers.