The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1893-12-23
TERRIBLE DISASTER.
Gore than a Score Of Workmen
Killed and Many Injured
By the Falling OF n Span of the Louis
vile and Jenersonville bridge
Across the Ohio, on the
Eve of Competitor.

ana Jener8Onvtlle
Across the Ohio, on the
Eve of Competition.
LOUISVILLE, Ky, Dec. 16.-The mid
die span of iron and timber false work
of the bridge now under construction
between East Louisville and Jefferson
vile, Ind, collapsed at about 1886
o'clock yesterday morning, crushing to
death or drowning between twenty
and thirty men, and injuring abou,
twenty more, some of whom will die.
Only six bodies have been recovered.
Those Known to be Killed Are.
Lester Gailock.
Frank Miller.
Charles Murphy, Chicago; died In
City hospital.
C. W. Cook. Mantua, o.; died in City
hospital.
J. B. Burns, Franklin, Pa
Frank Burns.
Fred Miller
The Missing Are:
Henry Plaiss. Eighteenth street,
New Albany.
Pat Kelly.
Frank Simmons, Jeffersonville.
Russell DurHinger.
W. A. Sharp
A. Soden.
J. Kregan.
NJ. Solen.
q. ii. Henkle-
l.. Pierce.
j. l.. Wilson.
j. Scott.
p Sheridan.
George Lilly.
The Injured Are:
Sam. of go Spring street. New
Albany; Al Moore, engineer of the
traveller" both arms broken; G.. W.
Brown, Irvington, arms broken; ID. f.
Shehan, Greenup, Ky.;C. +. Hall, Bris-
tol, Tenn; Harry Hughs, Mcrcier, Pa,
both arms broken, back hurt and in
ternally injured; Harry Lee, jefferson
vile, cut about head and injured by
shock; Ed. IIaben, Chicago, slightly in
jured; T. y. Galloway, 93T east Market
street, ankle broken; John Meyer.
Lexington, Ky, leg amputated; Ed
Scheers, South Pittsburgh, Pa, will
die; Ed Hildebrand, North Hampton,
Pa, spinal injury; G. Thorpe, in
jured about knees and side, and E. ID.
Hard.
just on the Eve of Completion.
For weeks past large force of men
has been at work on the big 5O0-foot
span over the middle of the river. The
iron work was all up and resting on a
heavy framework of piling driven
down into the bed of the river and Sc
curely bolted and braced. Yesterday
afternoon the last bolts were to have
been put in place in the iron super
structure, and the gigantic span would
have supported its own weight.
The "TrayeIer'' Worked Loosei by the
Wind.
The foreman in beginning work yes
terday morning noticed that during
the night the traveller" Il huge der
rick, used for placing iron in position.
and he ordered it drawn back into
place. The wind was high at the
time. and the gentle swaying of the
false work gradually forced the ''trav
eler" off of the piles on which it was
resting.
The Central Bent Goes Down.
When the end slipped, the whole
work trenbled, and the men realizing
their danger, started for the piers.
As ill-luck would have it, the central
men on this bent went down, to be
covered by the mass of iron and tim
Der of the other bcnts, which fell al
most Immediately, carrying with them
the other workmen who failed to reach
places of safety on the piers.
The north bent, or the one attached
to the Indiana pier, did not fall for
five minutes after the other parts went
down.
The Central Span Falls
The last pier. the partial span, did
not fall for twenty minutes after the
first span fell. The great strain Occa-
stoned by the sundering and rending
Of the bridge naturally communi-
Gated itself to the unfinished span,
and it took its plunge like the first
into the water; but, being mostly
did not sink, but floated
slowly down the river. There was
said to be four men on it when it fell,
and one was subsequently killed. The
small traveller" on this span fioated
down several hundred yards, and then
the heavy timbers splintered
like matches, showing the terrific
force of the fall.
Witnesses InvoiuntsrIIy Close Their Eyes
UpoI the Awful Scene.
The crash attracted the attention of
those on the shore, and many turned
away their eyes as they saw the men
in mid-air in their mad eff
forts to climb out of danger. When
the huge mass of material struck the
water all was concealed for an instant
by the spray that was thrown high
into the air. As the water subsidized
here and there could be seen men
desperately to climb upon
the timbers that thrust their ends
above the water.
A few succeeded in climbing to
places of safety and were quickly res
,ued. Others struggled hopelessly
and were carried off by the current to
sink almost as rescue was at hand.
To the Rescue.
The ferry boats City of jefferson
Tille and the W. c. Hit and the life
saving crews were the first to reach
The wreckage, which completely
blocked the channel of the river. Men
with broken arms and legs were found
,linging to pieces of timber. They
were pulled into boats and hurried to
hospitals in this city and jefferson
7ille. Five bodies were recovered from
he wreck.
Narrow Escape of the Steamer Hotspur.
The steamer Hotspur, with Supt.
George Fisher on board, came near be-
ng caught by the falling span The
boat was making for the false work
when Supt. Fisher heard some timbers
Looking up he saw the
yreat span shaking, and gave orders
10 back the steamer. 1t was none too
soon, for the top of the huge ''trav-
.ler" fell within twenty feet of the
boat
As soon as the pilot realized what
,ad hanneued he ran the boat I'M to