The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1893-12-22
A FATAL BRIDGE.
More Than Twenty Men Killed at
Louisville, KY.
Sudden Collapse of the New Bridge Over
the Ohio River-Fifty Men Fail Over
One Hundred Feet-At Least
Score Killed

LOUISVILLE, KY, Dec. 16.-At few
minutes past 10 yesterday morning the
false work and that part of the middle
span of the Louisville Il Jacksonville
Bridge Co. in place gave way, and with
all the worl1men was precipitated ITO
feet into the water below. There was
but moments warning, and those
who escaped going down with the mass
of iron and timber started for the piers
after the first trembling indicated the
giving away of the false work. The
accident was horrible one, and is the
last of long list of catastrophes that
have marked the construction of this
bridge.
The foreman in beginning work no
ticed that during the night the ''trav-
eler," which had been put in place the
night before, had been worked loose
by the wind. An order to draw it back
into place was given, and the men and
engines started.
The wind was high at the time, and
the gentle swaying of the false work
gradually forced the traveller" off of
the piles, on which it was resting.
When the end slipped the whole work
trembled, and the men realizing
their danger, started for the piers.
As luck would have it the central bent
was the first to give way, and the men
on this bent went down to be covered
with the mass of iron and timber of the
other bents, which fell almost immedi-
ately, 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 fifteen minutes after
the other part went down.
As near as can be ascertained there
were fifty-one men on the bridge when
the alarm was given by the engineer in
charge of the work OF this number
several succeeded il reaching the piers.
OF those men who went down, some
were covered by a mass of timber from
beneath which it will be days before
their bodies are recovered.
The first crash, when the center bent
gave way, was at 1925 and it was then
the great number of fatalities occurred.
Then, a few minutes later, another
bent. on which there was but little of
the bridge proper, gave way on the In
diana side of the river. In this it is
believed but one unknown man was
killed. He was caught by rope and
dragged beneath the water.
The crash attracted the attention of
those on the shore, and many turned
away their ewes and they saw the men
struggling 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
struggling desperately to climb up on
the timbers that thrust their ends
above the water. A few succeeded in
clinging to the places of safety. and
were quickly rescued by boats from the
shore. Others struggled desperately,
and were carried off by the current to
sink almost as rescue was at hard.
At whose doors must be laid the re-
sponsibility for the terrible accident
may never be known 1t was one of
those unforeseen accidents that oc-
CURED in spite of all precautionary
measures. Bridge building, probably
more than any other thing, is fraught
with manifold dangers and the work
men whose labors are utilized in the
work practically take their lives in
their own hands
General opinion ascribes the cause of
the disaster to the swift wind that had
been sweeping the river all day. 1t
bore with great force on the ponderous
frame work, which necessarily became
loosened from the constant strain and
swaying of the heavy timbers
1t is estimated by the engineers of
the Phoenix Bridge Co, that the loss to
the bridge will be at least 100000.
The third span of the bridge collapsed
at $40 last night So far as known
there was no one injured This will be
an additional loss of about SIS 900 to
the bridge company. The span had
been completed, but the collapse of the
fourth span is supposed to have
loosened and disrleeed it
The bri1aaSe had been under construc-
zion for a number of years. Several
times work was suspended for lack of
funds Two years ago the Masonic
Savings bank failed because of its con-
nection with the bridge company. Re
Gently financial assistance was OBJ
tanned and work was resumed Three
years ago in constructing the piers
twelve men were killed in a caisson.
Accidents have been frequent and from
first to last fifty men have been killed.