The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1890-01-17
A RIVER DISASTER.
A Louisville cas.ion Goes Down with
Fatal leesults.


The most appalling accident Louisville
has known in many years occurred on
Thursday. Caisson No. l, about one hun.
dred yards from the Kentucky shore, used
in the construction of the new bridge be-
tween Louisville and Jeffersonyillc, sud-
denly gave way and the workmen employed
In it were either drowcl or crushedto death
by the stone and timbers. AZ the work
men at the pumping station were looking
Tor the men in the caisson to put off in
their boats on leaving for the night, they
suddenly saw the low, dark structure dis
appear in the waves. The life saving sta.
tion was Immediately notified Of the acci-
dent and three skiffs were manned and
pulled to the scene of the wreck. The site
OF the bridge is ut the upper end of the
city, just below Tow Head island. Doz-
OF boats were plying about over the
spot where the caisson had stood and
lights danced to aud fro with them, but
there was no trace of the massive structure
OF stone and timber. 1t was soon known
that only four of the cigteen men who were
ut work at the time of the accident had es.
capped.
The killed are:
WILLIAM II. HAYNES, aged 40 wears. Hyds
Park, Pu.
JOHN KNON, aged %, Hyde Park, Pa.
MADAMS, aged 90, Hyde Park, Pa.
MAHAls, aged %, q native of New
jersey.
PAT NAYLoR. agod 81, Phtladelphia.
THOMAS ASH, colored. aged 30, Henderson,
Ky.
MONROE BOWLING, colorcd, aged 81. Hen
derson, Ky.
CHAs. CHILEs, colored, aged 80, Henderson,
ny.
THOMAS JOHNSON. colorod. aged 30, Hen
derson. KY.
JOSEPH GORDON, colored, aged q. Hendsr-
son, Ky.
HAMILTON MORRIS, aged 90. Henderson.
Ky.
THOMAS sMIlH, aged 81, Henderson,. Ky.
FRANK sOAPER, colored, aged 81, Heuder-
BOZ, Ky.
ROBERT TYLER, uscd l6, Henderson,, Ky.
The last man out of the caisson was
Frank Haddix. He was barely saved by
Murray, who dragged him from where he
was caught waist deep in the quicksand.
Abe Taylor, one of the saved, says he
stood nearest tho ladder by which they got
out. He heard q rumbling and there was
a rush of air almost at the same instant.
He jumped up the rungs of the ladder, fol-
lowed by the other men. They had hardly
got clear of the caisson when the water
burst through the manhole, knocking them
all into the river, whore they were picked
up.
Haddix says he saw Morris, who was
climbing next below himself, swiftly drawn
under by the sand aud heard his cries for
help. but could do nothing. The caisson
is not wrecked, as at first supposed, but
has settled down i'll the bed of the stream,
completely filled with sand and water.
There seems absolutely no hope for any of
those caught within the calsson. The ne
groes who escaped say John Knox, the
gang boss, had them dig too deep before
letting the caisson settle and the digging
just before The accident Knox gave some
order to the keeper in charge of the upper
door to the exit. He opened the door. and
tho compressed mir which kept out the
river rushed out, letting in tho stream.
The men say they We're working in ugly
quicksand Mt the time. The caisson was
about 40 feet by 20 and built of timbers IL
inches square.