The record-union., 1893-12-16
Snecinl to the REcoRp.UNIoN.

past 10 o'clock this morning the false
work and that part of the middle span OF
the Louisville and Jeffersonville Bridge
Company in palce gave way, and
with all the workmen was pre-
cipitated ITO feet into the water be
low. 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 that indicated the giving way
Of the false work.
The accident was horrible one, and is
the last of long list of catastrophes
which have marked the construction Of
the bridge. The foreman, in beginning
work, noticed that during the night the
traveller" which had been put in place
last night had been worked loose by the
wind. An order to draw back into place
was given, and the men and engines
started.
The wind was high~at the time, and
gentle sway of the false work gradually
forced the traveller off the piles on
which it was resting. When the end
slipped the whole work trembled, and
the men who realized their danger started
for the piers. AS luck would have it the
central bent was the first to give away,
and the men on this bent went down, TO
be covered by u mass OF iron and timber
of the other bent, which fell almost i'm
mediatelv. carrying with them other
workmen, who failed to reach the piers.
The north bent, or the one attached TO the
Indiana pier, did not fall for fifteen min
utes after the other parts 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 sew
eral succeeded in reaching the piers. Of
those who went down some were covered
by a mass of timber from beneath which
it will be days before their bodies are re-
covered.
The first crash when the center bent
gave away was at 10:45, and it was then
that the great number OF fatalities oc-
Cured. A few minutes later the bent on
which there was but little of the bridge
proper gave away on the Indiana side.
In this il is believed but one unknown
man was killed. He was caught by a
rope and dragged beneath the water.
The crash attracted the attention of
those on the shores, and many turned
away their eyes as they saw the men
struggling in mid air in mad efforts to
climb out OF danger.
When the mass of material struck the
bv the spray thrown high into the air.
AS the water subsidized, here and there
could be seen men struggling desperately
to climb upon the timberS that thrust
their ends above the water. a few sue
ceeded in clinging to pieces in safety,
and were quickly rescued by boats put
out from the shores. Others struggled
desperately, and were carried Oft by the
current, to sink almost as rescue was at
hand.
A few minutes after the accident news
was sent to all parts Of the city. Near the
bridge lived the wives and children of
MANY of the workmen. These were soon
on the river bank. Many were wild with
grief, and rushed frantically about wiring
ing their hands and tearing their hands.
TO whose door must be laid the respOn-
sibility will never be known probably.
1t was doubtless only one Ofthose untOre-
seen accidents that occur in spite of all
precautionary measures. The general
opinion ascribes the cause OF the disaster
to the stiff wind which had been sweep
ing the river all day. 1t bore with great
force on the ponderous framework,
which necessarily became loosened from
the constant strain and the swaying Of
heavy tlmbers.
A great number of people before the
first span fell could see the great tray
eler,n rising eighty feet above the piers,
swaying and quivering in the wind in
what appeared to be most alarming
manner to those on shore. The motion,
however, was hardly noticeable to the
workmen, and they had no idea of their
deadly peril until the great mass Of
wood and iron began to sink, and the
awful cracking and crashing OF tlmberS
smote their ears.
George w. Brown, one of the foremen,
in charge of eight men, had remarkable
and thrilling experience. W hen the
crash came the nine men made rush for
the Kentucky side OF the bridge. Before
they reached safety the span fell. and the
workmen were precipitated into the river.
Brown displayed remarkable presence OF
mind. He held his breath during the
fall, and remembers going to the bottom
OF the river. Debris was piled above him,
but he managed to crawl from under. He
is an expert swimmer, but discovered
that his left arm was broken in three
places. He managed, however, to grasp
a floating piece of timber with his right
arm. and floated down the river until res
cued. He says while cllnging to the tim
Der two men came up near hlm, and alter
struggling an instant sank out of sight.
He saw several struggling men in the
water, who sank out OF sight before help
reached them.
James Trent, painter who resides in
this city, was on the span twenty feet
from the pier nearest the kentucky shore,
when he heard a peculiar crunching
noise. With Ernest Miller, Robert Wool
ford, Charles Pope and a workman named
Carter, they ran for their lives toward the
pier, and all succeeded in reaching a safe
foothold on the masonry when the span
went down with a fearful crash. Trent
and his companions slid down a rope TO
the river surface, when they were taken
into a skitf. Trent asserts that the col
lapse was preceded by two distinct
shocks, which gave the workmen warn
ing, but too late to allow many to escape.
Harry Lee, a workman, jumped out
from the bridge into the water, and when
rescued was found to have escaped with a
broken leg.
The East End Improvement Company
has been acting as a limited agent in the
construction OF the bridge under the re-
organization last March, when the prop
erty was disposed of to a syndicate con-
! trolled by three roads, generally believed
to be the Big Eour, Chesapeake and Ohio
and the B. and S. W. For the purpose of
completing the bridge and providing
suita BILE terminal facilities bond issue
OF S5,000,0 900 was authorized, 81 .00O, 600 OF
which was to be held in reserve. This
gave new life to the enterprise, and the
work of completing the structure has
been going on rapidly since The span
| that gave way was the last but one needed
to complete the structure.
The accident was seen by the lookout
on duty at the llfe-saving station, and
two boats were at once manned and
rowed as quickly as pOsSib to the res