Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1891-07-26
WITH A CRASH.
ANOTHER MISHAP At rHl NAV SioA1
BRIDGE ACROSS TIE oRlEK.
The Timber Supports Of the Rmbanknsnt Of the
South Excavation Gives Way, and Back
Bet Of About I've Weeks Will Result

About twenty minutes past Twelve
o'clock yesterday the. timber supports
around the excavation for the south
abutment of the new stone bridge across
the creek gave way with crash which
could be heard for couple OF squares
and in two or three minutes the work
of as many weeks was undOne, a great
mass of earth, rock and timber filling
ND the immense excavation to depth
of from ten to twenty feet, entailing a
| loss of three or four thousand dollars
upon the contractors and throwing
them back at least two weeks with the
work.
The accident was most unfortunate
one, as the contractors we're just about
ready to commence the stone work, and
by tomorrow night considerable por-
ton of the bottom course would have
been in place.
Fortunately, no one was hurt. but
there were number of narrow escapes.
Yesterday morning the excavation,
which is about fifty feet square, seemed
to be in about the proper shape for the
laying of stone and men were at work
getting cement and broken stone In
readiness for the bottom course, While
half dozen stone were run across the
creek and lowered into the pit in readi-
ness to be placed in position. Another
stone was lying on the bank at the edge
of the excavation ready TO be lowered
into the hole, and still another was on
the tram car, while third was hooked
to the derrick on the north bank OF the
creek in readiness 10 be swung upon the
car at the next load, indicating the
rapidity with which the contractors
were rushing things along when the &C
cdent occurred.
Early in the morning it became evil
dent that the heavy timbers supporting
the fifty-foot embankment on the south
side of the pit were going to give way
unless speedily reinforced, and gang
of men were set to work strengthening
them, while others of the workmen
began to level up the bottom Of the hole,
slight error in the grade having been
brought TO light. The timber gang had
placed one big timber in position, and
were getting another in place, when Il
movement of the earth on the outside
OF the hole indicated to the ex-
perienced eyes OF the fore
men and workmen that there
was going to be trouble, and the men
were told to loosen the fastenings of
the pumps and their connecting pipes
and hoist them out OF the way OF the
threatening earth. This was at once
commenced, and one of the pumps with
and the men had just got the derrick
chains around the upright boiler on the
east side OF the pit, when the crash
came. The timberS gave way at the
southeast corner OF the pit with a
crash, and in moment or two the
heavy braces had given way around the
four sides of the big hole and hundreds
of tons Of earth, together with very
large section Of the east wing wall OF
the old stone bridge, which had been
left hanging in the bank, slid down into
the pit. The upright boiler on the
east side of the pit had
it's foundations swept from under
it, and hung suspended by the derrick
fall, while the smoke stack went end
over end into the hole, carrying one man
with it, but fortunately he was not even
scratched. One of the pumps on the
north side was also carried down and
partially covered up, and James Ma
loney, one Of the workmen, went down
to assist in saving it. While he was
there, there was further settling OF
the earth and timbers, and Maloney was
almost completely covered up, only his
hands and arms being visible. He called
for help, and several of his fellow work
men went to his aid, among them a
man named Mccoy. While the latter
was near Maloney another fall occurred
which passed over the heads OF the two
men, knocking away the timbers from
about Maloney, and he was enabled to
crawl out, escaping with but very slight
bruises.
Within very short time after the
accident occurred, Contractor HallOck
had his men at work, the pumps, pump
ing engines, connecting pipes, ETC.,
were hoisted out, the hosting engine,
on the leve OF Main street, which
threatened every moment to topple into
the hole, was moved back with team
Of horses, and by o'clock the men
were pulling the big timbers out Of the
wreck with the aid of the derrick and
clearing the field for the resumption OF
excavating. One of the pumps was
found to be badly damaged, and orders
were given for it's immediate removal
to machine shop for repair. 1t is
likely to-day one of the pumping en-
gines will be set up again, and the
work of getting the water out of the
| hole commenced.
Mr. Hallock was seen by REGISTER
reporter last evening, and said:
I'VE will get to work right away to
undo the effects Of the accident, which
could hardly have been prevented. The
hole is a big one, and the entire south
bank is soaked with water. which flows
in from the surrounding soil and follows
down until 1t comes to the shale. Rest
ing on that, it fills up behind the bank
and forms a dead weight, which is not
only hard to support, but which loosens
the earth. That water-soaked earth
slides out on the hard pan Of the shale,
and when it starts all the timber which
could be put in the hole would not keep
it back. The only thing to do is to get
out the loose stuff. and shelve the bank
as much as possible, as precaution
against further slips. 1t may be that
we will only clear a portion of the bot
tom at time. and put in several
courses of stone In the cleared portion
before tackling the remainder. It's
hard luck, for in a few days we would
have had stone enough in the hole to
have been safe"