The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1893-12-22
DEATH ON A BRIDGE
over a Score of Men Killed BY the
Fall OF a Span.
FIFTT-ONE WOREAIEN FALL WITH IT

FlFTY-ONE WORKMEN FALL WITH II
Responsibility of the Accident May Never
BE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Browns
Experience.
LOUISVILLE. Dec, se.-At few min
utes past 10 Friday morning the false
work and that part of the middle span
Of the Louisville and Jacksonville
Bridge company in place gave way, aud
with all the worknen was rrecipitRted
/ 10 feet into the water below. 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 indicated the
giving away of the false work.
FiTty-One Men on the bridge.
AS nearly as can be aScertainel, there
were 81 men on the bridge when the
alarm was given by the engineer in
charge of the work. OF this number,
several succeeded in reaching the piers.
OF those men who went down, some
were covered by mass of timber, from
beneath which it will be days before
their bodies are recovered. The first
crash, when the center bent gave way,
was at 1925, and it was then that the
great number of fatalities occurred.
Then few moments later another bent,
on which was very little bridge proper.
gave way on the Indiana side of the
river. On this it is believed that but
one unknown man was killed. He was
caught by rope and dragged beneath
the water.
Tear the bridge lives the wives and
children of many of the victims. These
were soon on the bank. Many were
wild with grief and rushed frantically
about wringing their hands and tearing
their hair. The office of the bridge
company on Campbell street was be-
seiged with anxious mothers and wives
inquiring for their loved ones.
Those who are known to be dead are:
L. G. CARTER, Buffalo.
JOHN COURTNEY.
T. BURNS.
G. MURPHY.
Q. w. Cook.
There are 16 who are still missing and
many of the bodies will probably never
be found.
Those who were injured are:
j. Meyers, Lexington, KY, left arm
badly fractured.
Harry Lee, New Albany, slightly hurt
II. D. Pugh.
E. Hildebran, three ribs fractured; in
ternalIy injured; will probably die.
G. w Brown. Iryington, KY, arm
broken in three places.
c. Thorpe, ankle badly sprained, Oswe-
go, N. Y.
G. E. Sheehan, flesh wound, Greenup,
Ky.
A. T. Hall, badly bruised East Ten
nessee.
S. Sparks, three ribs broken and sprained
ankle, Scotland.
T. Galloway, 277 Sayre street. South
Pittsburg, Pa, fractured leg.
E. Sheriff, 46I South State street, Chi
cago. fatally injured
E. Holm. fatally injured; probably die.
w. A. Sharp, 721 Oldham street, Louis
vile, left arm fractured and hurt inter
nally
The third span of the bridge collapsed
at $3.50 Friday night So far as known,
there was no one injured. This will be
an additional loss of about $40, 900 to the
bridge company. This span had been
completed, but the collapse Of the fourth
span is supposed TO have locsaned and
displaced it.
Remarkable and Thrilling Experience.
George W. Brown, one of the foremen
in charge of eight men, had a remark
able and very thrilling experience.
When the crash came the men made
dash for the pier. Before they reached
it the span fell, aud the workmen were
precipitated into the river. Mr.. Brown
displayed a remarkable presence Of
mind He held his breath during the
fall, and remembers going to the bottom
of the river. The debris was piled above
him, but he managed to crawl from
under tn s. He is an expert swimmer,
and attempted to put this practice to
use, but then for the first time found his
left arm was broken in three places. He
managed, however, to grasp a floating
piece of timber with his right arm, and
foated down the river until rescued.
He says while he was c,inging to the
timber two men came up near him, and
after struggling an instans, sank cut Of
sight.
Frank Miller of Buffalo, N. Y, is also
among the dead bodies recovered. The
list now stands six dead, l6 injured
and 10 missing. Superintendent Kirby
of the bridge company said: "The last
span that fell was weakened by the fall
of the other and the gust Of heavy wind
did the rest.
George Lacomptes has bsen added to
the missing. The loss to the bridge
company is estimated at $3.50, 900 out
side of tine loss incurred for insurance on
the dead men. Most of them had their
IiVae iner4rod for -za7-irr7a ar,orz,,4s
Reports from the hospitals stateethe
injured men are doing as well as could
be expected under the circumstances
and that no deaths have occurred.
Down an En1b1nkmeDt.
LOUISVILLE, Dec. ia freight train
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