Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-07-20
TIE BRIDGE HORROR.
The Great Calamity at Main and Sixteenth
Streets.

II Inc uECht SoAdAAnhy ~ A..eN~- S~-
/ Streets.
KNOWN TO BE SAVED.
The following is list Of those who hav'
been rescued, so far rs known up to
q. m:
W. s. Mcdonald, Eddie BAL,
/ Charles Pierce, G. F. Stein,
/ G. Dillon, AL. Klingler,
W. A. Wilson, Mr.. Madlll,
Myron Hubbard, George Paul..
Immediately after the terrific and dis
astrous rainfall last evening, immens'
crowds of people coDgregated upon th'
bridge and along the banks Of Wheeling
creek, watching the rapidly swelling
stream as it tore madly by, bearing on it'
bosom drift and debris Of every character
The Market street stone bridge was
favorite spot with the sightseers, and al
though the bridge trembled and shook
from the great pressure Of water and
debris striking its piers. and the crowd
had been warned Of its unsafe condition.
yery few deserted their post, but remained
to watch the wild scene before them.
At8:5S the middle pier Of the B. 4 0. rail-
road bridge, spandipg the creek from Maine
street to the B. q o. yards gave way, and
was carried ont. otwithstsnding this
fact, and also the fact that this bridge was
not considered safe before the pier went
out. quite number of persons-perhsps
twenty -fve-congregate upon it, and
were intently watching the scene pre-
sentsd to their view, little thinking Of the
terrible disaster lowering so close about
them, although it would seem that Ordi-
nary intelligence should have caused the
crowd to desert their dangerous position.
At almost exactly $50 o'clock, with
terrific crash aud grinding of timbers, the
structure gave way, carrying down WIFE
it to the angry flood beneath some fifteen
or twenty persons. The reports, however,
as TO the number of persons, and who
they were, on the bridge at the
time it went down are conflict
ing, and owing to the intense excitement
prevailing at the time, the reporter was
unable TO ascertain sill the facts connected
with the terrible occurrence.
As already stated, some fifteen or six
teen persons went down with the bridge.
Among the number reported to have been
on the bridge, are: Myron Hubbard, Of
Paul & Hubbard; 1. G. Dillon, jeweler;
Euoch Balls little son Ed. ;W.S. Mcdonald,
of the REGISTER office; Charles Stein, to-
bacconist; Charley Price, of Twenty-hrs'
street: NJ. A. Wilson, OF Dun's Agency;
W. E. Stein, two railroad men, one o.
whom is reported to be Al. Klengler, and
tailor who works in Franks tailoring
establishment, this city.
Among those reported saved, at twelve
o'clock last night, were:
Stein, the tobacconist, and stranger
whose name the reporter did not learn, who
were carried out into the river with the
debris of the bridge, and floated down the
stream to the mouth Of Csldwelrs run, al
which point they were rescued.
DR.. Madill, another Of the unfortunate
persons on the bridge st the time it wen
down, was carried out into the river, but
succeeded in reaching the shore at point
near the Belmont mill, and sustained ne
injuries of consequence. OF the injuries o
the msn who was rescued with Stein, moth
ing could be learned.
Will S. Mcdonald, an attache Of the
REGISTER Office, had q very thrilling ex
perieDcs. After going down with the
bridge. he was buffitted about in the angry
waters, and struck several times by tim
bers and debris, which forced him beneath
the surface of the water, threatening in
slant straugulstion; at lsst he succeeded IL
grasping a floating timber, and holding On
to it, was finally rescued by parties at the
mouth of Whisky run, on the Ohio side o
the river, about two miles below the city
Mr.. Mcdonald was brought over the river
and taken to the Niagara engine house on
Twenty fourth street, from which poin
his family were notified of the scciden
and he was removed to his home
A physician, DIR. Hupp, was called, ant
examined bis injuries, which are reported
at this writing to be of pretty serious
character. DR.. Hupp called at the REGIS
TER office last night about II O'Clock ant
reported his patient as getting along q
we'll as could be expected, and thinks b
will soon be entirely recovered. In hi
perilous trip down the wild stream, Nc
Donald says he saw and conversed witt
Mr.. Myron Hubbard, who was clinging +
q piece of timber and drifting down tn
stream, and who was finally rescued by tn
towboat Charles Fisher. The same..steam
er also picked up the young lad Ball.
The tailor mentioned above as goiDi
down with the bridge, did not fall in tn
water, but landed on the bank, and wa
badly cut and bruised.
MR. DILLoN's EXPERIENCE.
Mr.. l. G. Dillon, who was among tn
number rescued, was seen by a reporter
and says he was standing on
about elk feet from the Main street ent
lookout there, she is going" and at tina
instant he felt the timbers giving way i'm
mediately under him, and before he wa
able to move q step he was thrown
headforemost over the bridge amidst TIT
general crashing and broken timbers o
the whole structure. Mr.. d. struck head
foremost in the mud several feet above TIT
waters brink, with piles of broken timber
and debris over and around him, the tim
bers striking him on the sides and arms
but miraculously injurirg him but slight
Il ~. MI. ~. uCNSi iOSI hio PiShoOhSS
of mind, but just s. soon a:
he could remove some of the mud from hi,
face he seized what seemed to be an iron rod,
and chung to it with great tenscity, while
the torrent dragged the timbers into the
stream. Just as soon as all was still around
him Mr.. ID. scrambled up the bank as best
he could, and astonished his friends By his
unkempt condition.
Mr.. Will II. Mcdonald was aboat two
feet outside of him and they were both re,
turning from near the center of the span.
There were from ten to twelve outside Of
them when the bridge gave way, all Of
whom went down and were carried ou'
into the river By the med torrent
and some of them no doubt have met q
wstery grave. Mr.. ID. says the warning
was as quick as flash, and all was over.
He says the frantic cries for help were
simply heartrending and his appeal fol-
some one to lend him helping hand to
climb up the bank vas lost in the excite
ment.
MR. c. F. STEMS STORY.
VISA standing twenty-five feet from the
north abatment. Willie Riley and Charlie
Pierce were together near me. We were
watching intently the water and ice
breaker giving way. All at once Pierce
startled us by yelling "the bridge is
gone" Riley jumped from the bridge onto
~ nhonk txualya faak In,vw x-h,Ia