The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1890-01-24
DRONNBD IN 4 5Ff5issvsF
Fourteen Men Meet Death in
the Falls Of the Ohio.
A Terrible Accident at the New
Bridge at LOUisvilie-Withou
Warming the WOrkmen arc
Manglcd to Death or
Drowned.

The most appalling accident known to-
Kentucky in many years occurred at Louis
vile. It was nearly time for work to stop
all over the city, and workingmen were ex-
pected home by their families, when the re-
port spread rapidly that there was n wreck
or crash OF some kind at the new bridge
under construction between Louisville and
Jefrersonville.
It was first reported that n span Of the
bridge had fallen and n gang Of men had
sssnr rruJ eiRssorf rfnt that WAS ~
and the workmen employed in it had been
crushed to death by stone and timbers.
The caisson, known as No. I, was about 100
yards from tn, Kentucky shore. AS the
workmen Of the pumping station were look
In for the men in the caisson to put Off in
their boats leaving work for the night, they
suddenly saw tho low. dark structure disap-
pear in dashing, white waves. and heard, be-
fore they could realize what had happened,
the roar OF the furious maelstrom.
A runner was despatched to the life wing
station. and three skiff5 were manne I and
pulle to the scene of the wreck. Word was
sent to the police station, and q squad was
at ono, ordered to the ground, to aid in tho
work of recovery. The coroner was called,
and went with corps Of physicians
The site Of the bridge is at the upper end
NJ the city, Just below Tow Head Island.
Within an hour from the disappearance Of
the caisson, three Thousand people were on
the shore straining their eyes i'm trying to
ho,ts were plying about over the spot where
the cnisson had stood, and lights daaced to
and fro with them sbut tnere was no trace OF
the massive structure OF stone aud timber
which had kept Off the hungry river, TO
promise any hope to the anguished, stricken
mothers and wives who stood in.the, throug
on tho shore. The water rolled sullenly but
| smoothly down from the cofferdam above
| the pumping barge below where the caisson
had stood. It was soon known that only
| four OF the eighteen men who wero at work
at that time had escaped.
The last man out Of the caison was Frank
| Haddox. He was barely saved by Murray,
| VINO dragged him from where he was caught
waist deep in the quicksnnd. Taylor says he
| stood nearest the iron ladde- by which they
| got in and out of the caisson. He heard a
| rumbling, and there was a rush Of air almost
ut the same instant. He jumped upon the
ruugs of the ladder, followed by the other
| men.
They had hardly got clear Of the caisson
when the water burst through tho manhole
in surge, knocking them all into the river
where they were picket up. Haddox says he
| saw Ham Norris who was ci mbing nexi
below himself, swiftly drawn under by the
sand and heard his cries for help but could
| do nothing.
:. The cais;on Is not wrecked, as at first sup
D., posed, but has settled down in the bed of tn,
1ae RerSe ssas s@ i,h ro ernd none HS
any OF those caught within the caisson.
John Knox, the gang boss, took charge o
the work Monday. The men who escape,
say he had them dig too deep before lettin,
the caisson settle, and the digging was to,
close to the shoe OF the caisson. just hefor,
the accident Knox gave some order t,
Robert Baldwin, the keeper in charge of The
upper door to the exit. Baldwin then opened
this door, and the compressed mir, whicl
kept out the river, rushed out, letting in tn,
| stream.
The men say they were working in an ugly
quicksand at the time. The caisson wa,
about forty feet by twenty, and built o
timbers twelve inches square. 1t was pro
tected by a cofferdam, but the river is very
high and the pressure of the water very
great.