Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1892-07-22
DOWN With THE BRIDGE.
A False Structure Falls i'm Ken
lucky With Fatal Results.
Fifty Workman Plunged into a
River and Many Drowned.

Two spans of the new bridge being built
over the Licking River, in Kentucky, be-
tween Covngton and Newport, collapsed
few mornings since. The bridge is being
constructed for the Kenton and Campbell
County Land Company by the King Iron
Bridge Company. 1t was begun last fall,
and two spans, each 100 feet long, hal been
completed. Fifty-two men were on the
false bridge putting in the iron braces for
the floor, when at 1925 o'clock the entire
structure gave way. carrying the men down
with it. Only seventeen men escaped death,
and some of these were fatally injured.
Not stick of the false WORK, from pier to
pier remained. The river was filed with
timbers and iron work and with men strug-
Cling for life. Besides the fifty-two men
employed on the bridge at the time of the
accident several spectators were on the
spans that fell. and a dozen or more boys
bathing beneath the bridge were also car
ried away. The number of dead beneath the
80 tons of debris could not be told until it
was removed. The steamtug Carroll imme-
diately began this work.
There was on the day after the accident
discrepancy in the death list, due to the fact
that the majority of the dead and missing
were single men and strangers, and also be-
cause the dead were taken TO a common
morgue. Some were in Newport, some in
Covington, some in private houses, others IN
undertaking establishments.
The wOrkmen had no chance for escape.
The bridge seemed to crum BILE into the water
beneath. Both members Of the firm build
ing the bridge were drowned.
A few idle men were sitting on the river
banks watching the tall ''traveler" as it
slowly worked out upon the apparently solid
trestle. One man sat within fifty feet OF the
great machine, watching Contractor Baird
and Inspector Wilson as they stool talking
on the trestle. The timbers tOpped toward
the north, and the piling on the downstream
side of the structure began to settle. Theu
the traveller careened and the corner OF the
Newport pier split with a cracking nois7.
Almost instantly the false work descended
to the river fifty feet. As it went down sew
eral men were seen running frantically for
a few steps and were then thrown violently
into the stream. Tho workmen were seen to
leap far out from the bridge, with arms ex
tended. Both were struck by falling pieces
of the debris and injured, but not sufficiently
to prevent them from attempting to swim
ashore on the COvington side. They kept to.
gether until within about ten feet of the
shore, when both threw up their hands and
sank.
After the crash came it was only few
moments until both BANKS were lined with
people. Those of the wounded who could
free themselves from the tangled network
of timber struggled to the surface OF the
water and tried TO get ashore. One after
another gave up and sank into the muddy
water. Although the banks were crowded
no one could get boats SO as to 90 to the
rescue Of the wounded. In a few minutes
the police arrived, and one Of the first to be
taken out was one Of the Baird brothers, the
contractors.
All of the dead as they were taken out
showed signs OF great suffering. Business
in both Newport and Covington was almost
wholly suspended. 1t was not until 2 O'clock
that the steam tug Carroll arrived on the
scene and began pulling out the heavy
timbers and irons
The floods of the past month are, however,
the remote cause of tie accident. The high
water prevented the proper bracing OF the
piling, which was forty feet long, thirty feet
lack of bracing and the weight of iron
proved too much for the false work.
The bridge has had an unfortunate his
tory. The work has been greatly DELAYED
at times by city ordinances, and several
meu have been injured by falling from the
trestleWork.
The very best information on the day
after the tragedy was that twenty-eight
dead bodies had been recovered, that from
five to seven persons were mortally hurt,
and q score, more or less, seriously in.
jured.
1t was thought the death list when finally
completed would reach at least forty. All
the men were insured by the contractors
for $500 each.