The Coconino weekly sun., 1893-12-21
AWFUL ACCIDENT.
Collapse of @ New Bridge at Lou!s- vile, Ky.
Fifty workmen Fall Over One Hundred Feet Into the River More Thana Score Perish Cause of
 the Disaster.

LOUISVILLE, KY, Dec. 16.-At few minutes past 10 yesterday morning the false work and that part of the middle span of the Louisville & Jeffersonville Bridge Co. in place gave way, and with all the workmen was precipitated no feet into the water below. There was but a 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 alse work. The accident was a 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 'traveler" 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 in reaching the piers. Of those men who went down, some were covered by 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 h. 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 eyes and they saw the men struggling in mid air in their mad ef- 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 subsided 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 hand. At whose doors must be laid the re- sponsibility for the terrible accident may never be known. It 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.
 1 General opinion ascribes the cause of the disaster to the swift wind that had been sweeping the river all day. It ! bore with great force on the ponderous 1 frame work, which necessarily became | loosened from the constant strain and swaying of the heavy timbers
 It is estimated by the engineers of the Phoenix Bridge Co., that the loss to the bridge will be at least s1OO,OOO. The third span of the bridge collapsed at S:2O last night. So far as known there was no one injured This will be an additional loss of about s75, 900 to the bridge company. The span had been completed, but the collapse of the fourth span is supposed to have loosened and displaced it.
 The bridge had been under construc- tion for 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 ob. tained and work was resumed. Three years ago in constructing the piers twelve men were killed in caisson Accidents have been frequent and from first to last fifty men have been killed.
 A RUSSIAN EXILE.