New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-12-16

cracking and crashing Of the timbers smote upon
their
STORIES OF THE SURVIVORS.

STORIES OF THE SURVIVORS.
Earle Manchester, civil engineer. who is EN-.
ployed on the bridge, had a narrow escape from
death He said: II was standing on the spar
that fell near the Kentucky side and. seeing that
1t was about to fall called to the men to get off
as soon as possible. had just counted the mer
who were on the span few minutes before and
there were fifty-one in all. not counting myself
When l called the men dropped their tools and
ran toward me. but only ten Of them could get
Off. The others went down In heap. l was
SO badly frightened that l could not tell how
many OF them got out, but saw one man swim
to shore.
The accident was caused by the wind The
png was strong enough to bear double the
weight. The bridge fell like a pack of cards.
II became loosened on the Indiana side first and
swayed gradually across to the opposite side"
James Trent painter, Of No. 224 Eighteenth
the pier nearest the Kentucky shore. when he
heard crashing noise. With Ernest Miller
Robert Woolford. Charles Pope. and work.
man named Carter, he for his life toward
the pier and all succeeded in reaching a safe
foothod the masonry when the span went
down with fearful crash Trent and his COM
when they were taken into a skiff. which had
hurried to the spot. Trent asserts that the
collapse was preceded by two distinct shocks,
which gave the workmen warning but too late
to allow many Of them to escape.
j. w. Baird secretary and treasurer Of the
bridge company. was one Of the witnesses OF
the disaster Mr. Baird was in the companys
office. the fourth floor of the Commerce
Building. The bridge is in plain view Of his
room. and II Is his custom TO watch the progress
of the workmer through his field glasses.
When the span fell Mr.. Baird had the glasses
on 1t. The shock Of seeing the terrible death
plunge was enough to completely overcome him
for time. He said afterward In replying to
"Yes. am the originator Of the plan to build
the bridge and l guess l will be eternally
damned for It,"
~
In charge, who was on the bridge at the time
the span fell there were only thirty worhmen on
the collapsed portion Of the bridge the engineer
corps being at another portion Of the structure
Mr. Selby thought fifteen Of those who went
down were dead, and said the others had even
chances for their lives.
1t is stated that man named Dulaney. who
inspector Of falsework on the Jefferson
vile Bridge but who recently entered The en-
poy Of the Kentucky and Indiana Bridge Com
pany, stated some days ago that the span was
unsafe and that he had left the employ OF the
Phoenix Company on that account.
Coroner Mccullough. who was at the scene OF
the disaster within an hour after the occurrence.
said: II do not yet know anything about the loss
OF life. but possibly 1t will approach thirty per-
haps forty. Now. thorough investigation will
have to be made. and 1t will take two or three
DAYS to ferret out the facts and make an au-
thoritatve report"
At the time Of the accident the wind gauges
at the United States Weather Bureau indicated
a velocity Of twenty-four miles. Sergeant Burke
says II might have been as high az thirty miles
on the river at the altitude Of the bridge struct-
ure. but not greater than that
Inspector Mcclure. who had charge OF the iron
work. on the stone pier. some seventy feet
In midair when the unfortunate accident came.
He said: There are rumors ahoat thnt the false-
work was built with an eye TO economy. ana
therefore was not sufficiently we'll constructed.
can say that the falsework was as substantial
as any ever saw in my life. The wind was
very strong and did the mischief. In my opinion
The accident should not be charged to the negli-
gence Of the company
Foreman George c. Browns escape was mir
aculous. With eight men he was carried TO the
the falling timbers Brown dug his way out
through the sand. foated to the top. and cung
with broken arms TO floating beam until he
was picked up by the life-savers.
RECORD OF DISASTER.
The Louisville and JeTersonville Bridge Com
pany has been an unfortunate one. The two
accidents in the caissons three years ago resulted
n the death OF sixteen workmen and the present |
accident will swell the list to proportions now un-
Snown. Besides this IL has wrecked several for |
unes and was the cause Of bank failure. The
irst work on the bridge was done October 10.
sSS Since then. owing to financial difficulties.
work. has been suspended from time to time The
,ridge originally designed 10 be completed
n eighteen months. which would have been In
April. 1891. Already sl,0o0.00o have been spent
m the structure.
The East End Improvement Company has
,een acting as limited agent in the construction
4 the bridge under the reorganization OF last
indicate controlled by three roads generally
believed to be the Big Four" Chesapeake and
)hio and Baltimore. Ohio and Southwestern
For the purpose Of completing the bridge and
rovidng suitable terminal facilities bond
ssue OF s5,000.000 was authorized. sl.OOoOo0 or
which was to be held In reserve This gave new
lie to the enterprise and the work OF completing
ne structure has been going on rapidly since