The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1892-06-25
FRIGHTFUL CALAMITY.
Ninety Men Go Down with a Col
lapsed Bridge.
Forty of Them INSTANTLY Killed or Drowned
and as Many More Terrible In
Jured-The False Work was
Not Substantial.

| CINCINNATI, June 16.-The false work
of the new bridge being built over the
Licking river between Newport and
Covington, Ky; fell at 1o:25 a. III. yes
terday. carrying down With it niTietS
men, of whom a large number-the ex-
act figure being as yet unknown-were
buried under the debris of the bridge
and killed, among them being Andrew
| and Albert Baird. two of the contract
ors.
The construction of the bridge was be-
gun early last fall, and was used for
foot passengers and street railway traf-
fic. The piers have been completed,
and the work of fixing the heavy
pieces of iron 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 60 feet from the
water.
Not n stick of the false work from
pier to pier remained, and the river wa,
| filled with timbcrS and iron work with
scores of men struggling for life. News
| of the terrible accident spread rapidly,
and soon a crowd of hundreds had
gathered, and the work of rescuing the
bodies was at once begun BY IL
| o'clock twenty-five bodies had been
| taken out and the work was being
pushed with vigor.
Cincinnati patrol wagons responded
| to n hurried call, and the dead and
wounded were carried away rs fast as
taken out. The accident is supposed
to he due to the heavy weight of the
iron floor supports. the false work not
being strong enough.
When the crash came it was but
few moments until both banks were
filled with people. A big portion of
! the false work was submerged. and
with it were the unfortunate work.
men. The scene was horrible one.
In minute the air was filled
with the shrieks of the injured
and dying. Those who could free them
selves from the tangled network of
timber. struggled to the surface of the
water and tried to get ashore. One
after another gave up the desperate
and uneven struggle and sank into the
murlIy Water. The banks were
crowded. bnt not Il soul could get to
the rescue of the poor fellows.
As soon as possible volunteers went
to work to get out the dead and dy-
ing. 1t was grcwsomc task. Among
the first to he taken out was one of the
Baird brothers. His body was in n
horrible condition. his back broken,
and neck crushed and broken.
~ stn lac
Carol commenced the work of rcmov-
ing the iron and timbcrs from the
river. in the hope of recovering the
bodies pinned under the wreck.
Although the excitement caused by
the accident was intense. there was a
noticeable absence of the hcartrending
scenes usually accompanying such
cataStrOphcS. Most of the men were
strangers, but 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-
viding line between Covington and
Newport. the coroncrs on both sides
will hold inquests. Bodies landed on
the Covington side were taken in charge
ny Coroner Wilson, while those landed
in Newport were placed under the care
of Coroner Davis.
The corner of the Newport pier is
badly broken and appears to have been
weak. The story was started that the
pier by breaking. had caused the dis
nstor hut there is apparently no foun-
datinn for this.
Probably one of the saddest cases
connected with the disaster was the
death Of James Johnson. of Pittsburgh,
Ia, who was one of the important
subcontractors- who built the canti-
lever bridge between Cincinnati and
Newport Mr.. Johnson reached New
port early yesterday morning. and after
eating breakfast at his old boarding
house on Fifth street. went to the new
Licking bridge Ia talk with some of the
workmen. many of whom were his in
innate acquai ntanccs. johnson was
on the false work when it gave way.
His body was recovered at $50 p. m.
Much sympathy is felt for poor Jack
Pierce, the veteran newspaper man.
When the news of the accident reached
him the mans anguish was pitiful:
His eldest son. Fred. formerly secretary
of the Builders exchange, was on the
ill-fated bridge when it fell. having
gone to work Monday. For long
time Jack would not go near
the terrible scene, fearing he
would learn the news that would
break the heart of tine good mother
lying i'll at her home, unconscious of
the accident. Finally he mustered up
the courage To visit the wreck, the hos
pitals and the morgue. but could find
no trace of his missing son, who un-
doubtedly went down in the awful
crash.
The old man spent all the afternoon
walking the streets and eagerly seek
ing tidings of his son.
The list of killed will probably reach
forty.
Following is a list of the dead, in
iured and missing, as far as known up
to midnight:
THE DEAD.
C. d. Champoix Semple. of Boston;
internal injuries.
Thomas Down, Wheeling, w. Va.
left side crushed in.
An unknown. about 40 years old.
J. K. Roby, Radford City. Va; frac-
tured skull. left arm broken above
elbow and face mashed.
Elmer Barber, Cincinnati; leg and
arm broken and internal injuries.
VIM. Alois, Ohio: three fingers off,
head crushed and both arms broken.
c. S. Pfaffenbach, of Wheeling, W.:
Va: internal injuries.
Dick German, Dolphin, Pa; general
injuries.
John Adams, Walnut street, Cincin-
natl; nose broken and internal injuries
Frank Adams. 6 Walnut street, Gin
cinnati; neck broken and internal in
juries-
Robert Baird, 1920 Columbia street,
Newport: jaw broken, arm and back
broken.
Andrew Baird, of Pit Gsburgh: brother
of Robert, skull crust ed and general
injUries-
Charles Gresham, Covington; arms,
legs and head broken.
Edward Sullivan. Ludlow, KY; skull,
jaw and right shoulder broken, three
fingers broken.
James johnson, of Havre de Grace,