Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-01-10
kilograms to The Star.
DETAILS OF THE CAIssON TRAGEDY
Arranging the Funeral of the Ex-Empress
Augusta
THE YOUNG KING OF SPAIN STILL ALIVE
THE LOUISVILLE HORROR.
Finding of Several Bodies-Death Came
just When Life Was Promised.


LOUISVILLE. Ky, Jan. Io-At 1920 O'Clock
this morning the bodies of three Of the unfortu-
nate victims Of the caisson accident were re-
| covered by the workmen. The positions in
which they were found showed that a desper-
ate struggle had taken place at the narrow door
| of escape. One negro had succeeded in pull
| ing his body through the aperture. but death
had overtaken him jus. when life was prom
| ised Another negro had crawled partly
through. His hands were fastened by
death in the clothing of the negro IN
front o. him, showing that he had
died in a desperate endeayor to escape first.
Between the two negroes was the body of a
white man. 1t appeared from his position
that he was trying to push back some one who
was clinging to his legs. The sand accumuat-
| ing at the door by the sudden sinking of the
caisson had wedged In the body of a white man
| III such manner that il could not be removed.
At 1890 am. work was discontinued in order TO
allow the workmen to rest and refresh them
| selves. Later fresh force was put on duty
and the work renewed
SURVIVORS, STORY.
Abe Taylor, one of the negro laborers who
survived the terrible catastrophe, was found at
his home on Preston street by a reporter. He
had not entirely recovered from the fright incl
dent to his late experience, and his voice
| trembled as he told what happened.
"As near as can remember" he said. there
were eighteen of us who went down. Some of
us had candles in our hands and others carried
the tools We worked with. The engine
| pumping air into the caisson. We were not
| thinking of danger and didn't have any idea
| that there was weak point in the casing. We
were talking and running jokes on each other,
just as we always do. Somebody said we
would be relieved in about two hours. /
Piled l wished it was now. / looked
to see how near the caisson was
to sand bottom. / was standing
close to the little door 1 heard somebody say,
Great God, men, she's breaking just then
the water commenced to rush through the shell
doors and it seemed like everything gave way
at once. broke for the door. l hardly know
how did 1t. but / managed to get through.
The men behind me were rushing and tumbling
| over each other. and l could hear them crying,
We're lost! Help! Help! My God. save
u.s. Badly frightened as 1 was L
couldn't help but pity them. / could
do nothing for them. SO l helped myself. L
| could hear the water rushing in on the poor
| fellows as leaped through the manhole. but
their cries sounded louder than the roar of
water. / got out safely and thanked God for
| my delverance. 1 never will forget that awful
| sight as long as live"
| Taylor was asked il he thought that by any
possible means the men could live until help
| reached them.
mo, sir. They couldn't live. The water is
running in faster than all the engines could
force it out. There isn't any way for them to
| escape"
A further investigation shows two more men
| to have lost their iives-Hamilton Morris and
Lewis Cox-making the total sixteen.
| SOMEBODY TO BLAME.
Mr.. Ingle, the resident engineer of the
bridge company, was seen. He expressed the
opinion that evidently somebody was to blame
for not having the trap-door In proper condi-
| ton, and also for the weakness of the caisson,
| which resulted in the leak. He declined to
| express himself without reserve. as he was not
yet in possession of all the facts, but said that
such accidents are rare, notwithstanding the
great apparent danger, and that there was evil
IDENTIFY gross negligence somewhere.
| The time keeper on duty yesterday after.
| noon said: There was nothing to be seen
| from the outside that would indicate what had
taken place in the caisson. There was no
noise or unusual commotion of any kind and
the first intimation We had that an accident
had occurred was when the four men appeared
at the top Of the lock and shouted to the engi-
| neer to turn III more air to keep back the
water. The engine was set going at its best
| speed and great quantity of air was forced
| into the calsson, anu We could see the millions
| OF bubbles on the surface of the water every
| where, which indicated that the air was not
being confined to the box. 1 don't know who
was to blame nor what caused the accident"
THEORY FOR IT.
| An employee who had been sick for several
| Uut WIZ 40 Ouc VI Inc luck keepers and
who declined to give his name, said that he
knew Knox was to blame; that Knox was reck-
less and often under the influence of liquor
The most plausible theory as to the cause Of
the accident is best told by one of the sur
vivors, Louis Crouch, and his story is given not
a little credence by the superintendent of the
work. Knox, the foreman, had been near the
key which controls the air supply and it is be-
| lieved that he cut off the air more than be
really intended to ta2nsing the caIsson to sink
into the sand. Sho-l the remains of the first
white man found be those of Knox the theory
! is strengthened, the key which controls the
air is only short distance from the lower or
last trap, and Knox was the only white man
| near it,
| ONLY ONE BODY TAKEN OUT.
Robert Baldwin, reported last night as being
among the dead and Louis Cox, reported this
morning as dead, have turned up. Only one
body has been recovered up to this hour
Q2 m.) The others in sight are wedged in
the manhole SO that they cannot be removed.
| SSXVE MIGHT