The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-12-16

or tho Thirteen Injured Ones Half a Dozen
Are Expected to Die from Their W ounds.
Tho Tragedy Caused by the High Wind
Prevailing at the Timc-The History of
tho Bridge a Record OF Disasters.
LOUISVILLE, Ky, Dec. 16-The false
work and part of the middle span of the
louisville and Jcffersonville railroad
bridge, In course of erection across the
Ohio river, gave way yesterday, and with
all the workmen was precipitated ITO feet
into the water below There was but q
moments warning, and those who escaped
going down with the mass Of iron and
timber started for the piers after tho first
trembling that indicated the giving way
OF the false work.
The accident was horrible one, and IL
the last of long list of catastrophes that
have marked the construction of this
bridge. The foreman, in beginning work,
noticed that during the night the "trav-
eler" had been worked loose by the wind
An order to draw it back into place was
given, and the men and engines started.
The wind was high at the time, and the
general swaying of the false work grad
ually got the traveller off the base on
slipped the whole tfembled, and the men.
realizing their danger, started for ths
piers. The central bent was the first to
give way, and the men on this bent went
down. to be covered by the mass Of iron
and timbers of the other bents which fell
almost Immediately after, carrying with
them the other workmen who failed to
reach the piers. The north bent, or the
one attached to the Indiana pier, did not
fall for fifteen minutes after the other
parts went down.
without n Moments Warning.
As near as can be ascertained there were
ffty-one men on the bridge when the
alarm was given by the engineer in charge
of the work. OF this number several sue
ceeded in reaching the piers. of those that
went down some were covered by mass
OF timber, from beneath which II will he
days before their bodies are recovered.
The greatest number Of fatalities occurred
when the first bent gave way. A few min
ntes later bent on which there was but
little of the bridge proper gave why on the
Indiana side. In this it is believed that
bat one unknown man was killed He was
caught by rope and dragged beneath tho
water.
The crash attracted the attention of
tnOse on knpIe anu many turned away
their eyes ms they saw the m, II struggling si
IN mid-air in their mad efforts TO climb
out of danger. When the huge mass of
material struck the water all was CON
eealed for an instant by the spray that
was thrown high in the air. Asthe water
subsidized here and there could he seen men
struggling desperately 10 climb upon the
Hmbers that thrust their ends above the
water A few succeeded In clinging to
places Of safety, and We're quickly rescued
By boats that put out from the shores.
others struggled desperately md were
eArred off by tho current to sink almost
~ rescue was at hand.
George w Brown, ono Of ths toremen
In charge Of eight men had rcmark BILE
snd very thrilling experience When the
prash came the nine men made a dHSh for
ihe Kentucky side of the bridge, Before
ibsy reached safety, however, the span
fell and the worltmen were precipitated
Into the river.
Foreman Browns Mirreninus Escape.
MIR. Brown held his breath during the
fall, and remembers going 10 the bottom
bf the river. The debris was piled far
above him, but he managed to crawl from
Under it. He is an expert swimmer, and
attempted to put this practice TO use. but
then, for the first time he discovered that
his left arm was broken in three places
Hs managed TO grasp floating piece Of
timber with his right arm. and foated
down the river until rescued.
The wives aud children of tho workmen
live near the bridge, and they were soon
at the river bank Many were wild with
grief and rushed franticnlly about wiring.
Ing their hands and tearing their hair
The Office Of the bridge company on Camp
bell street was beseged with anxious
mothers and wives inqniring for their
loved ones. Half an hour after the acci.
dent there were at least 1000 people on the
river bank and as the news spread they
still poured in in steady stream towards
the place of the accident.
To whose doors must be laid the re-
sponsbility for the terrible disaster will
probably never be known. It is doubtles:
one of those unforeseen Academia that Occur
in spite OF all precautionary measures
General opinion aseribes the cause Of the
disaster to the stiff wind that had beer
sweeping the river all day. 1t bore with
great force on the ponderous framework
which necessarily became loosened from
the constant strain and sway ing of ths
heavy timbers.
Caused by . Heavy Wind.
A great number of people before tn,
FIRST span fell could see the great tray
slern rising eighty feet above the piers
swaying and quiyering in the wind 1t
what appeared to lie n most alarming
manner 10 those on shore. The motion
however, was hardly noticeable to tn,
workmen, and they had no idea OF thei
deadly peril until the great mass of woot
and iron began to sink.
To the great "traveler' alluded to i
directly attributable the falling of th
span The constant wind bore 1t from 1t
resting PLACE on the last pisr but one on th
Jeffersonyille side This disp lacement wa
discovered and the work OF putting /
back in place was begun, but it was to-
late. The centre of the great span begai
70 sink before the work was accomplished
The third span of the bridge collapsed
at $40 last night 30 far as known tber
was no one injured. This span had bee
completed, but the collapse of tho fourt
span Is supposed to have oosened and din
placed It,
List of the Killed and In!s 1.
The revised list of the dead, injured an
missing is as follows.
Dead-I.. @. anrlock of Buffalo, job
Courtney, F. Burns, e. Murphy, Z. W
Cook.
Injured-J. Myers of Lexington. Ky.
left leg badly fracturad; Harry Lee o
New Albany, slightly injured; II, Hide
brand. three ribs fractured and Internal.
injured, will probably die, G. w Brow
OF Irvington, Ky, arm broken in thre
places; O. Tharp of Oswogo. n Y, ankl