Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-12-15
A PLUNGE TO DEATH.
Collapse Of the Big Bridge at
Louisville.
MANY WORKMEN KlLLEDIN THE WRECK,
Varying Estimates of the Loss of
Life.

|
FAULTY MECHANISM BLAMED.
LOUISVILLE. KY, Dec. 15-At twenty
minutes past 10 o'clock this morning the
fourth span of the ill-fated Louisville and
Jeffersonville bridge fell into the river.
This proved to be the most frightful Of the
many disasters to the bridge, which has
wrecked lives and swept away fortunes in
manner almost inconceivable.
At IL o'clock 1t was known twenty-five
men had been killed, as that many dead
bodies had been recovered from the water.
The bodies were most horribly mangled.
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. About sixty men were at work on
the span when it gave way and plunged
them into the river.
Both banks Of the river were soon crowded.
Many women were in the throngs, and 1t
was apparent they were the wives and
children of those who had gone down to
death. Three patrol wagons were kept
busy, and the guards were assisted by the
fire department in carrying off the dead
and the injured. The wagons could not go
to and from the hospital fast enough to re-
ceive those taken from the river.
Deaths Estimated mt $50.
| Later it was reported that the officers Of
the Maj. Mckenzie. the government boat,
said $50 men were lost.
The officers attributed the accident to the
giving away Of the girders, due to faulty
mechanism.
The injured were taken to the city hos
pital 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 were
white and others colored.
Mf. Baird's Account.
Mr.. j. W. Baird secretary and treasurer
of the bridge company. was one Of the wit
nesses to the disaster. Mr.. Baird was in
the company's Office on the fourth floor of
the Commerce building. The bridge is in
plain view of his room. and 1t is his custom
to watch the progress Of the workmen
through his field glasses. When the span
fell Mr.. Baird had the glasses on it.. Even
the shock of the sight Of the terrible death
plunge was enough to completely overcome
him for a time. ti ~
He said in reply to q question:
Yes. am the originator of the plan to
build the bridge. and guess I win be eter-
nally damned for it."
According to Mr.. o. e. Seiby, the civil
engineer In charge, who was on the bridge
at the time the span fell, there were only
thirty workmen on the collapsed portion of
the bridge. the engineer corps being at an.
other portion Of the structure Mr. Selby
thought fifteen OF those who went down
were dead, and said the others had even
| chances for their lives. He had no time to
talk further. as his immediate attention was
needed at the scene Of the calamity.
James Trent, painter, who resides at
"a 18th street. this city, was on the span,
| twenty feet from the pier nearest the Ken
lucky shore, when he heard a peculiar
crashing noise. With Ernest Miller, Robt.
Woolford, Charles Pope, and a workman
named Carter. he ran for his life toward
the pier and ali succeeded in reaching a
safe footholding Oh the masonry, when the
span went down with a fearful crash.
trent ana his companions slid down a
rope to the rivers surface, when they were
| taken into a skin which hurried to the
spot. trent asserts that the collapse was
preceded by two distinct shocks, which gave
,he worKmen warning. but too late to al
A Scene of Excitement.
l. CONSERVATION, excitement and for a time.
disorder ran rampant at the foot of Camp
bell street shortly after the disaster For
while the energy and patience Of the Do
lice were seriously taxed. but finally they
brought order out Of disorder Friends,
mothers. fathers, sisters. all were present
| in a short time, and the scene as the
mn oil x~Ir
steamer Hotspur and loaded into the wag-
ons was heartrending
| The first three victims were taken into q
shanty boat, one already dead and the other
| two struggling for life. They were after
ward removed to the city hospital. One
poor man, who had his left arm mashed off
and leg terribly mangled, died on the
stretcher just as the wagon started up from
the river bank.
List of Victims.
1t is very difficult to secure a correct list
of the unfortunates, but among the thirty
or forty victims brought to the shore by
the Hotspur, the City Of Jeffersonville, the
Major Mackenzie and others, that did noble
work, the following are known to have
been killed:
Lester Garlock, Louisville.
John Courtney. Louisville.
- Kelley of Allegheny City.
Harry Simmons. Louisville.
George Moore. Louisville.
James Leech, Louisville.
- Franche, Louisville.
Tim Murphy was taken to No. IT'S Fulton
street and cannot recover.
Pat Kelly.
George Lilly of Carter Station, Tenn
George Brown.
While 1t is not known how many victims
Of the Inflated bridge lie at the present mo-
ment under the debris in the bottom of the
Ohio fiver, still it is possible to give the fol-
lowing imperfect list of those workmen who
were on the bridge. but were saved: John
Glen, Major Hail. p. Hade George Castle
James Trent. Ernest Miller, r. Woodford
Charles Pope, John Harnor and Donnelly
Leclaire.
The financial loss amounts to $780, 600 and
Is borne by the Phoenix Bridge Company,
which had the contract for the work
To Destroy Derelicts.
The Navy Department has made arrange
ments to clear the path of navigation be-
tween New York and the mouth Of the Mis-
Sir nf oil