The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-07-20
A BRIDGE GIVES WAY
Aud au Unknown Number of Lives n
LOst-The Saved,


LOst-The Saved.
One OF the most thrilling and terrible
results of the flood was the sweeping
away at half past nine o'clock last night
Of the Baltimore & Ohio wooden railroad
bridge over Wheeling creek at Main
street. There were n number Of people
on the structure when it fell, but how
many is not known. OF the number
many are known to have been saved,
but there is no room to hope that all
were rescued, at the lowest calculation
fully score Of persons, men and boys,
were drowned. This number may be in
creased when the truth is known To
ten or twelve.
Wheeling creek was running out
through the stone bridge with sullen
roar, which could be heard square
away. AS the seething waters swept
beneath it and the wooden trestle bridge
of the Baltimore & OHIO Company adj
Joining, crowds OF people gathered to
watch tho novel sight. OF these some
stood on the stone bridge, others on the
banks, and many, in spite Of repeated
warnings, got out on the wooden trestle
About half-past 8 the bridge began to
creak and sway. Some people left it in
terror, but newcomers took their places
The number OF men and boys on the
bridge when the fatal crash came is va
riously estimated at from fifteen tc
twenty-five. There were probably
twenty, ut least.
THE BRIDGE GOES.
There was an upheaval of the timbers
swapping MS they broke, an awful
crash, mingled with cries of distress and
alarm, and the bridge aud its human
freight was in the awful waters.
OF those carried down with it, Messrs
!. 6. Dillon, George PAUL, Mr.. Wilson
representative here of the Dun Com
mcrcial Agency, and boy whose name
was not learned, escaped at once, more
or less hurt. A brakeman was Oh the
bridge examining it with o lantern
There was great distress among those
saved over the supposed fate OF friends
who had been with them. Rev. Mon.
signor Sullivan narrowly escaped going
down with the trestie.
The scene OF excitement which en-,
sued was awful. The news spread rap,
idly, and hundreds Of people gathered
in few minutes. The stone bridge
itself seemed to be in danger from the
rising waters and the crowd Of people on
it. It was therefore closed by rope
drawn across it.
SAVED.
The good news thata number OF those
carried off had been saved at points be,
low soon came. The first to be taken
out were Mr.. win Mcdonald, book
keeper at the Register Office, who was
standing when the trestle went down
with Mr.. Dillon, aud cigar maker
named Charles Stein, living on the South
Side. Mr.. Stein was pretty badly bruised
up, and MIR. Mcdonald WIS so badly
hurt as to be unable to speak.
They we're recovered at the Bel
mont mill landing by men in a
skiff. Mr.. Mcdonald was taken
to the Niagara engine house, and from
there taken home in a Guernsy. The
exact character Of his injuries could not
be told last night.
The towboat John Fisher picked up
four men Just below the Belmont mill
landing, and attempted to come up to the
wharf with them, but the strong current
swung her tow around and she had to
put back to the Belmont mill, where
they were landed.
Mr.. Myron B. Hubbard and grand
son Of John Ball, the Market street lock-
smith, were picked up by man in a
skif below the West Wheeling ferry
landing. They had chung to a timber.
The Ball boy thinks three or four others
on the timber a little before were
drowned.
The wreck OF the bridge lodged on the
bar at the mouth OF Caldwells run.
AN AWFUL EXPERIENCE,
DR.. ]. n. Medill, veterinary surgeon,
said: az started out intending to walk
across the bridge. 1 had gone about
forty feet when the bridge fell, and while
it was being swept out determined to
make leap IRON it and try to swim
ashore, from which the distance was
only about fifteen feet. But just rs l
was about to make the leap some heavy
timbers fell into the water and made the
swell so great that could not carry out
my intention. There was man with
me whom do not know. From what !
have since heard he may have been Mr..
Mcdonald. We went down the river
together clinging to the timbers. Others
were trying to hold on, bnt lost
their grip and were swept down. | think
nt least four who we're near me were
but l am not sufficiently &C.
quaiuted with the people here to know
who they were. was picked up by a
man in q skif at the mouth OF CaldwelPs