The Helena independent., 1893-12-16
More Lives Lost in the Construc-
tion Of Bridge Across
the Ohio.
A Span Gives Way and a Score
OF Workmen Fall Into the
River.
About Half OF Them Are Dead or Miss
ug-AnsJntsyprjss Attended With
Continual Disaster.


shat part OF ths middle span Of the Louis
Vile & Jsffersonvills Bridge company in
place gsve way and With al the workmen
vas ptscipitatsd Ito feet into tho watcr be-
low. There was but a moments warning
and those who escaped going down with
the mass OF iron and timber started for ths
piers aftsr the nrst trembling that indi-
Gated the giving way Of tho false work. The
accident was horrible ono and 10 tho last
Of long list OF catastrophes that have
marked the constr uction OF the bridge.
The foreman, in the beRisninR OF the
work. noticed shat during the night the
''traveler," which had besn put In place
LAST night, had been worked loose BY tho
wind. An order to draw it back in place
Was given and the engines started. Tho
wind was high at the tins and the gentle
sway of tho false work gradually forced tho
resting. When the end slipped the whole
work tremblsd and the mon. realizing their
danger. started for the piers. As luck
would have II the CENTRAL bent was
the hrss TO give way. and the men
ON this went down, to be
covsred by the mass Of iron and timber Of
ths other bents which fsll almost ilnme-
diatsly. carrying with them other wor X
men who failed to reach the piers. The
north bent or the one attached to Indiana
pier, did d5not fall for fifteen minutes after
the othsr parts went down.
AZ nesr as can be asosrtainsd there were
fifty-ons men on the bridge whom the alarm
was given BY ths engineer in charge OF the
works. OF this number several succesdsd
in reaching the piers. Oi those who went
down some we're covered by a mass Of tim
ber from beneath which 1t will b. days be-
forsSheif bodies are recovered. The first
crash, when the oenter bent gave way, was
at 1925 and 1t was than that tho great num-
ber Of fatalities occurred. few minutes
later Tho bent on which the,s was but little
Of thu bridge proper gave way on the In
diana side. In this Il il believed one un-
known man WAS killed. He was caught by
a1ops and dragged beneath the water.
The crash attracted tho attention OF
those, on shore and many turned their eyes
awayzs thsy saw men stFuagling in mid-air
In smxd efforts to climb out of danger.
Whens the mass sut material struck the
water all we're concealed for an instant BY
the spray thrown high into ths.air. Al the
watsT subsidized here and there could bo
seen men struggling desperately to climb
upon the timbsrs that thrust their ends
ing to pieces in safety and were quickly
rescued by boats pus out from the shores.
Others struggled DESPERATELY and were
carried of 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. Nsar the
bridge live tho wives and children OF many
workmeu.a These ware soon on the river
bank, Many were wild with grief and
| rushed fEantically about wrinRinR their
hands and tearing their hair. s-.-,
To whose door must be laid the RESPONSE
- kn ohoI>I
Doubtless II was ono of those unforeseen
accidents that occur in spite,of all p:eoau-
| tionavy measures. The general opinion
ascribcs the cause of the diaster to the
| stiff wind that had been swespinQ the river
all day. It bore with great foroe on the
became loosensd from the constant strain
and swayinR Of heavy timbers. A great
number Of people before ths first span foil
could see the great traveller" rising
eighty feet above the piers. swsying and
auivering in the wind in what appeared to
be most alarming manner to shose on
shore. The motion, however. was scarcely
noticeable 80 the workmsn. and they had
no idea Of the deadly peril until tho great
mass of wood and iron began to sink. and
an awful cracking and crashing of timbeEs
smote their ears.
George w. Brown. one of the foremsn in
charge Of eight men. had remarkable
and thrilling OK perienoe. When the crash
came nine men made dash for the Ken
tuckv aldo OF the bridge. Before they
reached safety the span fell and they
were preeipitated into the river. Brown
displsyed remarkable presence of mind.
He hold his breath during the fall and re-
members going TO the bottom Of tho river.
Tho debris piled above him. but hs man
aged to crawl from under. He 10 an expert
swimmer, but discovered that his loft arm
was broken in three places. He managed.
however. to grasp floating piece Of timber
with his right arm, and aoAtsd down the
to timber two men oams up near him and
after struggling an instans snnk out OF
sight. He saw several struggling men in
/ tho watsr. who sank out OF sight before
help reached.
James Trent painter, who reaides In
this city. WAS on span twenty feet from
the pier nearest the Kentucky shore. whom
he heard a peculiar crunchina noise. With
| Ernest Miller, Robert Woolford. Charles
Pope and workman named Carter. all ran
for their lives toward the pier and all sue
oeedsd in reaching safe foothold ON tho
| masonry when tho span won't down with .
fearful crash. Trent and companions slid
down the ropes TO tho river surface when
they were taken into a skif. Trent asserts
that The collapse was preosded by two dis
tinot shodks. which gave tho workmen warn
ing. but too late to allow many to escape.
!
bridge into the water and when rescued was
found to have escaped with broken log.
Tho East End improvement company has
been acting as limited agent In construc-
tion Of tho bridge under reorganization
last March. when ths property was disposed
OF TO u syndicAte controlled by throe roads.
generally believed to bs the Big -Four.
Chensnpeake & Ohio and b. & =. w. For
the purpose of completing tho bridge aud
providing suitable terminal facilittsa .
bond issue OF $5O00.00o was authori z,d.
81. 900 OF which was to be held in re-
serve. This gave new lifo to tho enterrrisO
and the work OF completing the structure
has been going on rapidly sincc.
That the structure WAS cthetwise than
snfc never occurred to either the engineers
in charge OF tho work or the workmen.
Every prscaution had bsen employed so
insure the stability Of the frRms work aud
the only thiuG lacking was failure 10 taks
into consideration the action Of wind. To
the Rrsnt traveller" alluded to il d.
reoaly attributable tho falling of the
span. Constant action Of the wind
bore ID from its resting place
on the last pier bnt one from the Js6srson-
vile side. The displacement was dtscov-
cred and the work OF putting u back In
place WAS begun. but too lato. The center
Of the great span began 10 sink bsfore the
work was accomplished. Tho wind had
done III work and she heavy engines near