New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-01-10
FOTRTEEN MEN KILLED.
DASHED DOWN TO DEATH WITH A FALL
ING BRIDGE CAISSON AT LOUISVILLE.
NO TRACE LEFT OF THE MASSIVE STRUCTURE
OF STONE AND TIMBER WHICH HAD BEEN
STANDING IN THE RIVER 100 YARDS
FROM THE KENTUCKY SHORE


louisville Jan. 9.-The most appalling accident
here I'm many years occurred this evening about 8
o'clock 1t was nearly time for work TO stop all over
the city, and workingmen were expected home by
their families, when the report spread rapidly that
there was wreck crash of some kind at the new
bridge under construction between Louisville ana
Jchersonve. 1t was first reported that span Of
the bridge had fallen and that gang of men had
been thrown into the river, but this was at once
denied there span in existence
Then came the truth that a caissOn had given way.
and the workmen employed IN 1t had been crushed to
death by stone and timbers.
The caisson, known No. l, about 100 yards
from the Kentucky shore As the workmen Of the
pumping station looking for the in the
caisson put of in their boats. leaving work for the
night they suddenly the low. dark structure dis
appear in daShing white waves, and heard, before they
could realize what had happened, the roar OF the
maestrom. runner was dispatched to the life
saving station and three skifs manned and pulled
TO the of the wreck. Word sent 10 the
police station, and squad at ordered TO
the ground, to aid in the work OF recovery. The
coroner was called, and went to the scene with a
corps Of physicians.
The site Of the bridge is ut the upper end OF the
city. just below Towhead Island. Within an hour
from the disappearance Of the cassOn 5000 people
were on the shore and straining their eyes to see
something OF the Wrcckage. Dozens Of boats were
pNlHS about over the spot where the cdssOn had
stood, and lights danced To and fro with them; but
there of the massive structure of stone
and timber which had kept OFF the hungry river. The
water rolled sullenly, but smoothly down from the
coherdan above the pumping barge, below where
the ca1ssOn had stood. 1t was soon known that
only four Of the eighteen men who were at work at
that time had escaped. The bridge officials ordered
the reporters of the pumping barge, and made 10
difficult possible TO get information
Corrected reports from the scene of the accident
list Of
Haynes William T., age forty, No. CID Clay-st.,
Louisville; Knox, John, twenty eight Mchdams
James twenty six, Hyde Park, Penn; Mahar,
Frank. twenty three, native of New Jersey :;
Naylor, Patrick, twenty seven, Philadelphia and the
following llVn9 in Henderson, Ky. Ash. Thomas
eoored thirty eight bowling, Monroe coored thirty
four, Chc,, Charles icoIorcdl, thirty johnson.
Thomas coored thirty; Gordon Joseph col
orcdy twenty nve; Morris, Hamilton, twenty ;
smith, Thomas, twenty seven Soaper, Frank coored)
twenty-five Tyler, Robert, sixteen.
The men saved follows Abraham Taylor
Lewis Coch and Frank HaddoX, all of Henderson. Ky
The last man out of the cai,Son Frank
Haddox He barely saved by Murray, Who
dragged him from where he caught waist
deep in the quicksand. Taylor says he
stood nearest the iron ladder BY which they got in
and of the ca,son He Heard a rumbling and
there a Iu>l of air almost at the same instant
lle jumped mp the rungs OF the ladder followed by
other