The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1893-12-23
A new BRIDGE

KIvGf'a
lsottoni ~ Number of Lives ost-- High
Wind Caused Tho False Work 10 Give
Way
LOUISVILLE, Ky, Dec. 1O.-At 1918
Friday morning whole span of the
Jeffersonville bridge fell. The bridge
Is now under construction by the Ph9-
Pn Fifty men were at work on the
bridge, all of whom were precipitated
into the river The number killed may
exceed thirty.
The bridge has been under construc-
ton for a number of years. Several
times work has been suspended for luck
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 as'resunled.
Three years ago in constructing the
piers dreadful accident happened at
the caisson, resulting in the death OF
twelve men. Accidents have been fre-
quent and from fret to last it is said
that fifty men have been killed. Ed.
Simmons was taken out dead. An un-
identified body was soon afterward re-
among the debris
The accident was due to the insecure
placing of the 'traveler" Thursday
night. The wind still further loosened
it, and Friday morning the order was
given to draw it back into its place and
the engines were started.
The wind was high and the swaying
Of the false work forced the traveller
from the piles on which it was placed.
When the end slipped off the men real.
lied their danger. The engineer called
to the men, and ten of the fifty-one on
the span escaped. Forty-one fell 11C
feet into the water.
The span which fell would have been
finished Friday afternoon. After the
''traveler" had been fastened to the
pier there would have been no danger
from the wind or current.
At II o'clock it was known twenty
five men had been killed, as that many
dead bodies had been recovered. The
bodies We're most horribly mangled.
AT that hour the number of wounded
could not be ascertained, though the
number was kown to be large
The shocking accident was witnessed
by men employed along the river front
and on the boats plying up and down
the river.
The ferry company at once sent two
boats to assist in securing the bodies OF
the dead and dying and rescuing the
workmen still alive.
Both banks of the river were crowd
ed with people many women were in
the throng, and it was apparent there
were present the wives and children OF
those who had gone down to death.
+ Three patrol wagons We're kept busy
and the guards were assisted by the
fire department in carrying Off the dead
and the injured. The wagons could
not so to and from the hospital fast
enough to receive those taken from the
river
The only street leading to the ap-
proaches to the bridge is Campbell
street. Here the throngs rushed to-
ward the bridge, which became SC
dense that only with the greatest diff.
| Guilty could the police keep this passage.
way from being completely blocked.
The injured We're brought to the city
hospital at the rate of about one a
minute. At 11:15 seven men had been
brought in. All were unconscious, and
as a result their names could not be
learned. Some of the men were col
ored.
LATER-It is now known that six
men were killed in the bridge disaster,
and sixteen injured, some of whom will
die. Seventeen are still missing. 1t is
claimed that the criminal niggardiness
of the contractors is responsible for
the horror.
LOUISVILLE, KY, Dec. 18.-A second
span of the new bridge fell Friday
night. This span is the one next to the
bigger one which fell Friday morning
toward the Kentucky side. The river
channel is now entirely blockaded and
no boats can pass. The wreck ispiled up
between three piers, the spans on either
side of the middle being down. There
is also wreckage on the Indiana side of
the third OF the piers q part of an un-
finished span having fallen, the work
that went down being the continue
tion of the work of the span which fell
in the morning.