The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1892-06-16
FORTY WERE KILLED
The Disastrous Bridge Collapse
at Covington, KY.
TWENTY TWO SERIOUSLY HURT.

Twelve Men stin Missing, and It is Be
lieved That They Are Among the Dead--
Work of Recovering the Bodies Proceed
ing Rapidly--Too Great a Strain Placed
Upon the False Work Was the Cause
of the Accident.
CINCINNATI, June 16.-Steamers are at
work removing from the river the iron
and timbers of the new bridge across the
Licking river, between Covington and
Newport, KY, the false work of which
fell yesterday, in the hope of recovering
the bodies pinned under the wreck.
1t is believed that the number of dead
will reach forty. Twenty-Five men we're
more or less seriously hurt. Twelve are
missing. The remainder of the ninety
men on the bridge escaped uninjured.
Assistant superintendent William
Wilson is badly hurt, probably fatally.
His back is broken and lie is otherwise
injured.
The false work was erected by Baird
Brothers Of Pittsburg, at their own
risk.
They were putting in the iron beams
for the floor when the weight caused the
false work to give way, carrying with it
the workmen, 80 in number.
The civil engineer who was in charge
of the work is James A Stewart, of Gin
cinnati, but he WAS not there when the
accident happened.
The bridge was being built by the
/ Kenton and Campbell County Bridge
Company.
Among the killed were Andrew and
Albart Paird the cOn tractorg
The construction of the bridge was
begun early last fall and it will be used
when completed for foot passengers and
street railway traffic. Two piers have
/ been completed and the work of fixing
the heavy pieces of iron in place had
begun.
A track from the Newport side had
been run out on the first pier to the
heavy iron. The false work ran up
fifty feet from the water.
: Not stick of the false work from
pier to pier remains and the river was
filled with timbers and iron work with
scores of men struggling for life.
/ The accident is supposed to be due to
the heavy weight of the iron floor sup
Sort the false work not being strong
enough.
The contractors, Baird Brothers, had
insured the lives Of all their employees in
the Employees Insurance Company.
The company agrees to protect the
contractors against all damage claims.
The average amount of insurance on
each man killed is 81, 500.
Baird Brothers had been very success
full bridge builders. There were four of
them and two were killed in the acci-
dent They were married men of family
and are quite wealthy
They had just completed the great
cantilever bridge at Memphis, which is
the largest in the world, with one ex-
ception. They had never before met
with such disastrous accident
The property loss is $4,000.
Although the excitement caused by
the accident was intense, there was a
noticeable absence of the heartrending
scenes usually accompanying such
catastrophes. Most of the men were
strangers and few had families, wives
and children on, the scene to add their
tears and cries to the grim spectacle.
AS the accident occurred on the di-
F, viding line between Covington and New
port, the coroners of both counties will
hold inquests. Bodies landed on the
Covington side are taken in charge by
Coroner Wilson, while those landed in
Newport are placed under the care of
Coroner Davis.
The corner of the Newport pier is
badly broken, aud appears to have been
weak. The story was started that tne
pier by breaking had caused the disas-
ter, but there is apparently no fouuda-
tion for this.