The Russellville Democrat. [volume] (Russellville, Ark.) 1875-1898, 1893-12-21
THE BRIDGE FELL.
1T Is ESTIMATED THAT SEVENTY-FIVE
PEOPLE LOST THEIR LIVES.
THOUSANDS or PEOPLE
Line the Shores Looking for Relatives
One Hundred and Thirty Men
Thrown Into the River.

ANDiAs<t1si<s1i2~J ~1sD.f DcN' Ac'
Large span Jeffersonville and
Louisville bridge across the Ohio
river fell at 1912 this morning
The bridge would have been COM
pleted in few days. The estimated
less of life at this hour I'll am. is
from twenty-five to seventy-fve.
The bridge timbers, false
work, iron and mangled humanity
are lying in heap in the river.
Several thousand people line the
shore on either side of the river, and
boats are near the spot of the disas-
ter crowded. Heroic efforts are be.
ing made at rescue.
MEN THROWN INTO THE RIVER.
LOUISVILLE, KY, Dec. ia
span of the Louisville aud jefferson
vile bridge, in course of construc-
tion, fell at 10:30 this mornirg e.
One hundred and thirty bridge men
were thrown into the river and it is
thought a large number were
drowned.
FoRTY-ONE PERIsHED.
The accident was due to the in
secure placing Of a traveller" last
night the wind still further
loosened and this morning an order
was given to draw it back in
its place, and the engines 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 realized the danger
The engineer called to the men and
ten of fifty-one on the span escaped.
Forty-one fell Ito feet into the wa
ter.
The span which fell would have
been finished this afternoon. After
the "traveller" had been fastened
to the pier there would have been
no danger from the wind or current.
AT IL o'clock it is known that
twenty-five men have been killed,
as that many dead badies have been
recovered. The bodies are most
horribly maugled. AT that hour tho
number of wounded could not be
ascertained, though the number is
known to be large. The shocking
accident was witnessed by men en-
ployed along the river front and on
boats plying 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. The Off
cials of the bridge were soon on the
grounds, but refused to answer any
questions put to them. Both banks
of the river are crowded with peo-
pie. Many women are in the
throngs, and it is appsr-
ent that there are pres
ent the wives and children
of those who have gone down to
death. Three patrol wagons were
kept busy, and guards assisted by
the FIRE department in carrying off
the dead and injured. The wagons
could not go to and from the hos
pital fast enough to receive those
taken frcm the river. The
only street leading to the
approaches to the bridge is
Cambell street. Here the throngs
rushed toward the bridge, which be-
came SO dense that only with the
greatest difficulty could the police
keep the passage way from being
completely blocked. The injured
were brought to the city hospital at
the rate Of about one minute. At
IL is seven men had been brought
in, all unconscious and, as a result,
names could not be learned. Some
of the men were colered. The first
man taken out was Jas. b. Burns.
Henry Lee, of New Albany, is ru-
mored to be badly injured.