Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-01-10

APPALLING ACCIDENT.
Fourteen Men Lose Their Lives in the
Ohio River.

LOUISVILLE, January 9th.-The most ap-
palling accident known here in many
years occurred this evening about o'clock
Caisson No l, about 100 yards from the
Kentucky shore, used in the construction
of the new bridge between Louisville and
Jacksonville, suddenly gave way, and the
workmen employed in it were either
drowned or crushed to death by the stone
and timbers.
As the workmen at the pumping station
were looking for the men in the oaisson to
put off in their boats, leaving for the
night they suddenly saw the low, dark
structure disappear in the dashing white
waves.
The life-saviDg station was Immediately
notified of the accident, and three skiffs
were manned and pulled to the scene of
the wreck. Word was also sent 10 the
police station, and squad was at once or
dered to the ground TO aid in the work of
recovery.
The site of the bridge is at the upper end
of the city Just below Tow Head island.
Within an hour from the disappearance of
the caisson three thousand people were on
the shore and strained their eyes, trying to
see something of the wreckage. Boats
were plying about over the sheet of water
where the caisson has stood, and their
IlpHtS udUCeu W anu JIO Win tHeIu, Dul
there was no trace of the massive structure
of stone and timber.
It was soon known that only four of the
eighteen men who were at work at the
time of the accident had escaped.
The negroes who escaped say that John
Knox, the gang boss had them dig too
deep before letting the caisson settle, and
the digging was too close to the shore of
the caisson. Just before the accident
Knox gave some order to the keeper OF the
upper door to the exit. He opened this
door and the compressed sir which kept
out the river rushed out letting in a stream.
The men ssy they were working in an
ugly quicksand at the time. The caIsson
was ebout 20 by 20 feet, and built of tim
bers - inches square. The killed are:
William Haynes, 40 years; John Knox. 2S;
- McAdams. 2G, OF Hyde Park, Pa;
Frank Mahar, %, a naive of New jersey;
Patrick Maylor, 27, Philadelphia, Pa;
Thomas Ash (colored), 30, Henderson, Ky
Monroe Bowling (colored), ST. Henderson,;
Charles Chies (colored). So Henderson,;
Thomas Johnson (colored), 30 Henderson;
Joseph Gordon (eolored) %. Henderson;
Hamilton Morris, 20, Henderson; Thomas
Smith, 27. Henderson; Frank Soaper
(colored) %, Henderson; Robert Tyler, 16,
Henderson.
The last man out of the caisson was
Frank Haddix. He was barely saved by
Murray, who dragged him from where he
was caught by the waist in the deep quick
sand.
Abe Taylor, one of the saved, says he
stood nearest the iron ladder by which
they get in and out. He heard the rum
bling, and there was rush of cir almost at
the same instant. He jumped up on the
rungs Of the ladder, followed by the other
men.
They had hardly got clear of the caisson
when the water burst through the man
hole, knocking them all into the river,
where they were picked up by Haddix.
He says he saw Morris. who was Climb
ing next below himself, swiftly drawn un-
der by the sand, and heard his cries for
help, but could do nothing.
The caisson is not wrecked, ss first sup
posed, but has settled down in the bed of
the stream, and is completely filled with
sand and water.
The pumping station is hard at work
clearing the way to the bodies, but none
have been reached tonight, and there
seems absolutely no hope for any OF those
caught with the caisson.