The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1890-01-17
CAUGHT LIKE RATS.
An Appalling Accident on a
New Bridge Being Built
at Louisville.

Eighteen Men are Caught in
the Caisson, only Four Es-
Gaping.
LOUISVILLE, Spccial.-Thc most appalling
accident known here in many years oc-
Cured to-day. 1t was nearly time for work
i to stop oil over the city and workingmen
were expected home by their families, when
the report spread rapidly that there was q
wreck or crash ofsomc kind at the new
bridge now under construction between
Louisville and Jacksonville. 1t was first
reported that span of the bridge
had fallen and gang of men had
been thrown into the river, but this
was at once discrcdited as there was no
span in existence. Then came the truth
that caisson had given way and the work
men employed in it had been drowned or
crushed to death by stone and timbers.
The caisson known as No. l was about one
hundred yards from the Kentucky shore.
As the workmen of the pumping station
were looking for the men in the caisson to
put off in their boats leaving work
for the night, they suddenly saw the
low dark structure disappear in dashing
white waves, and heard, before they could
realize what had happened. the roar of the
furious maclstrom. A runner was dis
patched to the life saving station and three
skiffs were manned and pulled to the scene
of the wreck Word was sent to the police
station, and squad was at once ordered to
the ground to aid in the work of recovery.
The corner was notified and went with a
corps of physicians. The site of the bridge
is at the nppcr end of the city just below
Tow Head island. Within All hour from
the disappearance of the caisson three
thousand people were OH the shore and
strained their eyes trying 10 see something
of the wrcckagc. Dozens of boats were
plying about oyer the spot where the
caisson had stood and lights danced to and
fro with them, but there was 10 trace of the
massive structure of stone and timber which
had kept off the hungry river to promise
| any hone to the anguisll-strickcn mothers
and wives who stood in the throng on the
shore. The water rolled sullcniy but
smoothly down from the cotfcr.iam above
the pumping barge below where the caisson
had stood. 1t was soon known that only
four ofthc eighteen men who were ut work
at that time had escaped.
The bridge officials ordered the reporters
off the pumping barge and made it difficult
us possible to get information. Reports
| from the scene OF the accident show the fol-
lowing list of killed:
William L. Haynes, forty years, 2l4 Clay
street, Louisville.
| John Knox, twcnty-cight years.
James McAdams, twcnty-six years, Hyde
Park, Pa.
Frank Mahar, twenty-years Old native of
Patrick Saylor, twenty-scvcn years, Phil
adclphia.
Thomas Ash (colorcd), thirty. eight years.
| Henderson, Ky.
Monroe Bowling (colorcd), fifty-four
years. Henderson, NY:
Charles Chiles (colored), thirty years,
Thomas Johnson (colorcd), thirty years,
| Henderson, Ny.
! Joseph Gordon (colorcd), twenty-five
years, Henderson, Ky.
I Hamilton Morris, twenty years, Hcnder-
son. NY.
Thomas Smith, twcnty-sevcn years, Hen
Frank soaper (colored), twenty-five years,
Henderson. Ky.
Robert Tyler, sixteen years, Henderson,
ny.
| THE MEN SAVED
are all colorcd, us follows: Abe Taylor,
Lewis Coch and Frank II. HaddOx, all
Henderson. NY. The last man out of the
caisson was Frank Haddox. Hewas barely
saved by Murray, who dragged him from
where he was caught waist deep in the
quicksand. Taylor says he stood nearest
the iron ladder by which they got in and
out of the caisson. He heard rumbling,
and there was q rush of air at
the same instant. lie jumped up the
rungs of the ladder, followed by other men.
They had hardly got clear ofthe caisson
when the water burst through the man.
hole in a surge, knocking them all into the
river, where they were picked up. Haddox
SAYS hcsaw Ham Morris, who was climbing
next below himself, swiftly drawn under
by the sand and heard his cries for help
but could do nothing. The caisson is not
wrecked ny at first supposed, but
has settled down in the bed of the stream
completely filled with sand and water. The
pumping station is hard at work clearing
the way to the bodies, but none will be
reached tonight. There seems absolutely
no hoye for any of those caught within the
caisson. John Knox, the gang boss, took
charge of the work Monday. The negroes
who escaped said he had them
dig too deep before letting the
caisson settle and the digging
was too close to the shoe of the caissOn.
Just before the accident Knox gave some
order to Robert Baldwin, the keeper in
charge of the upper door to the exit. Bald
win then opened tins door and the conf
pressed air that kept out the river rushed
out, letting in the stream. These men say
they were working in an ugly quicksand at
| the time. The caisson was about 40x20 feet
and built of tilnbers twelve inches square.
| 1t was protected by q cofierdam, but the
river is very high and the pressure of the
water very great.
| FOUGHT FOR LIFE.
| Abe Taylor, one of the survivors, tells the
following story of the accident and the hor-
riblc fight for life Of the panic-stricken
workmcn imprisoned in the air chamber
I beneath the bed of the river: The men
were at work in the soft bottom of the
river. The made such rapid progress to-
day in the muddy surfacg that the cxcava-
! ton went down faster than the caisson
whose great weight was expected to carry
it gradually down, keeping pace with the
work of excavating to q rock foundation.
/ This afternoon ON unsual quantity of water
began to tricklc from under the caisson's
edges, but the pumps were at work taking
it out and no apprehension was felt. Grad
ually tho incoming tide increased until
suddenly from under the edge
of the caisson on every side
a food gushcd in. The men. too latc.
realized their deadly peril, and all rushed
for the exit into the escape pipe. 1mnledi-
ately around this little trap door which adj
mittcd to liberty and life, the frantic un-
fortunates fought like demons, all knowing
that but few Of them could pass through
the inner trap before the air chamber was
completely filed by the in-rushing tide.
Only one could go through at a time, and
as one man gained u prominence lie was
( snatched by his frcnzicd companions and
drawn back into the struggling crowd.
Meanwhile the food rose swiftly and
relentlessly. The caisson roof was scarcely
higher than the mems heads. and to be left
behind was thought to be certain death.
Taylor says he the last of the survivors to
escape into the outer lock. AS he escaped
from the clutches of dozen hands and
leaped through the trap into the outer lock
| he heard Knox the foreman shout "FOr