The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1892-06-25
A BRIDGE FALLS.
The Iron Work Was Being Strung
Across the Huge Piers,
when Something Gave Way and the
Structure and the workmenwent Down
About Thirty Killed, Twelve Misc
ing, and Two Fatally Injured.

CINCINNATI, June 16.-The new bridge
over the Licking between Newport and
Covington, the two approaches to which
are from Twelfth street of either city,
was Wednesday morning the scene of
an accident unprecedented in extent of
loss of life in the three cities
The entire superstructure which was
we'll on the way to completion, fell into
the river, carrying with it a small army
of workmen, contractors and others.
The main span gave way carrying
with it the Bnird brothers, who were
directing the work, and the men work.
ing with them The huge iron truss
carrying its weight of human flesh fell
with a loud splash into the river below,
manning and injuring those who were
not killed instantly. Boats were quick
ly put out from the coal barges near by
and an attempt at rescue made. Those
of the victims who were not killed at
once were pinned down by the heavy
iron beams and drowned
The bridge was an iron truss intended
for foot and vehicular travel, and being
built more especially for the use of the
new belt electric road owned by the
Cleveland syndicate to run back of
Newport and Covington to Latonia.
Forty-five men were engaged at work
on the scaffold of the bridge, which
was being erected on the cantilever
plan, and out of the forty-five only two
escaped without injury. The two men
who were so fortunate were Murray
Reardon and jim Caldwell. The other
forty-three were buried in the debris of
falling timbers, and were either bruised
or killed by the force of the fall, or
drowned.
Following is the list of casualties:
Killed Andrew Baird, Pittsburgh;
Robert Baird, Pittsburgh; Billy Allan,
top bridgeman: Jack Ruby, 81, married,
Newport win Ruby, Newport; Charley
Champau, foreman, Canada, boards on
Thornton street; Billy Wessling, car
penter Newport; Dick German, car
penter; Thomas Downing, III Mon
mouth street, Newport; Dick Sponsor,
Covington; Fred Brent, ironworker;
unrecognizable man; Charles Dreneck,
sig West Eleventh street, Newport; Jim
johnson, iron-worker, boards in New
pOTOS bCOIBc IDuTBO, lIOh-"OIhSI, NCN-
port; N. w. Burton, iron-worker; Den
mis- Harlow, iron-worker; B. F. Phelps,
iron-worker, boarded in Newport; John
ONeal, Eleventh street, Covington; C.
w. Pfaffenbach, iron worker, boards in
Newport; B. Thomas, Pittsburgh, car
penter; VIM. Wilson, inspector, 159
East Tw elfth, street Covington; Thos.
Burke.
Missing in river-Frank Muir, fore
man, Newport; Charles Tarr, ironworlS-
er; William Barton, ironworker; Will
liam Avis, carpenter; Henry Cramer;
&. Z. Shehan; B. Krouse; Ed. Nolan,
waterboy; Ed. Sullivan; Dan BIinkley;
Pat Murray; J. j. Murray.
Fatally injured-Ben. Arnold, John
Fillcy, Elmer Barbour, w. D. Roby,
Henry Osborne.
Slightly hurt-Chas. H. Vetters, Iron
ton; Frank Walas.
Later-The missing, according to
best estimates, number only fifteen.
Three bodies were found in the Licking
river late Wednesday night. They
could not be removed or identified. At
ter the collapse of the bridge the waves
of the river ran red with human blood.
Twenty-siX dead bodies have been taken
from the wreck. The death list will
run almost, il not quite, to thirty.