Evening journal., 1893-12-16
DOWN WITH THE BRIDGE
Over Forty Probably Killed by
the Louisville Disaster.
MANY BURIED DEEP IN THE RIVER.

Another Terrible Accident In Most Fatal
series--of One Hundred Men Who Were
on the Bridge Only Finy-fye Have Thus
Far Been Accounted For.
CINCINNATI Dec 16.-The great bridge
over the Ohio from this city to jefferson
Vile, Ind, has played the role of devour-
Ing monster since its very beginning, With
the breaking of the caissons q human lives
were sacrificed in one group. Since then
one life after another has been yielded up
to the monster until the number yesterday
morning counted 12 more, making the vic
Tins of the bridge 33. 1t seemed to all that
this cost of blood was enough. More than
100 men went on The great span over the
channel Of the Ohio full Of confidence in the
false work which stood between their work
on the great iron span of 10 feet and the
merciless waters of the river below.
All unheralded, from a cause not fore
seen and as yet not clearly known, the
false work proved tragically false. With
roar that made lockers on shudder the
work crumbled under its load of iron. OF
the 100 or more men on the span that went
down about 30 escaped to the tops of the
piers and We're rescued. 1t is believed that
over As went into the river. How many of
these were lost cannot in the present con-
fusion be definitely learned. IL is feared
the number will reach 40. The best that
any one dare hope is that it will not be
over 25
The foreman, in beginning work, noticed
that during the night the traveller" which
had been put in place Thursday night, had
been worked loose by the winds. A few
moments later a bent on which there was
very little of the bridge proper gave way
on the Indiana side. In this it is believed
that but one unknown man was killed. He
was caught by rope and dragged beneath
the water. The crash attracted the atten-
tion Of those on the shore, and many turned
away their eyes as they saw the men strug-
Cling in midair in their mad efforts to
climb out Of danger.
When tho Crash Came.
When the huge mass of material struck
the water, all was concealed for an instant
| by the spray that was thrown high in the
air. As the water subsided here and there
could be seen men struggling desperately
to climb upon the timbers that thrust their
ends above the water A few succeeded in
clinging TO the place of safety and were
| quickly rescued by boats that put out from
the shores. Others struggled desperately
and were carried off by the current, to sink
almost as rescue was at hand.
A few minutes after the accident the
news was sent to all parts of the city
Near the bridge the wives and children OF
many of the workmen live These were
soon at the river bank Many were wild
with grief and rushed frantically about
wringing their hands and tearing theil
hair. The Office OF the bridge company OF
iCampbell street was besieged with anxious
mothers and wives inquiring for their loyet
ones. Half an hour after the accident ther,
were at least 1900 people on the rive
bank, and as the news spread they still
poured in a steady stream toward the placl
of the accident.
To whose doors must be laid the respon
sibility for the terrible disaster will prob
ably never be known IL is doubtless one
of those unforeseen accidents that occur il
spite Of all precautionary measures. Tn
bridge, probably more than any othe
thing, is fraught with manifold dangers
and the workmen whose labors are util
lied in the work practically take thei
lives in their own hands
General opinion ascribes the cause of tn
disaster to the stiff wind that had beef
sweeping the river all day 1t bore witt
great force on the ponderous framework
which necessarily became loosened from
the constant strain and swaying of tn
heavy timbers. A great number of peopl
before the first span fell could see the grea
traveller rising so feet above the piers
swaying and quivering in the wind in wha
appeared to be a most alarming manner t
those ON shore. The motion, however, wa
hardly noticeable to the workmen, anC
they had no idea Of their deadly peril unit
the great mass of wood and iron began {
sink, and the awful cracking and crashing
of the timbers smote upon their ears.
Caused by the Wind.
To the great traveller" alluded to is d
rectly attributed the falling of the spar
The constant wind bore it from its restin
place on the last pier but one on the Jeffel
sonville side. The displacement was dis
covered, and the work of putting it bac
in place was begun, but it was too lat,
The center of the great span began to sin
before the work was accomplished Tn
} wind had done its work, and the heav
engines near the pier went crashing dow
to the water, carrying with them the mas
of humanity, mixed in horrible confusio
with the timbers and iron.
The partial span-the last one-did nc
fall until 90 minutes after the first ha
e gone down, but it was the direct result {
the falling of the first. The great strai
occasioned by the sundering and rendin
of the bridge naturally communicate
itself to the unfinished span, and it too
its plunge like the first into the water; bu
being mostly framework, did not sink, bu
fioated slowly down the river. There wei
said to be four men on it when it fell, an
one was undoubtedly killed.
The small traveller" on this span floate
) down several hundred yards and the
grounded, the heavy timbers, splintere
like matches, showing the terrific force
the fall. Iron girders weighing many tor
were twisted, like one might twist a pie.
!. Of wire, into every conceivable shape, an
they lay with the timbers and huge piecl
Il Of iron and lumber in an inextricable mas
The span that gave way was the last bl
=, one needed to complete the structure.
piledriver was sent to the scene in the afte
% noon, and the work of clearing the wrec
age and searching for the dead under Il
81 debris was at once commenced.
~ Injured, Missing and Dead.
The revised list of dead, injured al
IN missing is aq follorve.