The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1893-12-21
THIRTY-FIVE.
The Number Lost in the Louis
vile Bridge Disaster.
Their Bodies Pinned Down by Tiinbers-
Morning Breaks on "A Desolate Scene
Relatives Awaiting the Worst-The
Bridge Co. will BE Bankrupted.

JEFFERsoNvILLE Ind, Dec. 1s-The
scene of the Louisville and jefferson
vile bridge calamity Saturday morn
ing battles description. Only con-
glomeration of iron and timbers meets
the eye. Saturday morning thousands
fiocked to the wharf and looked in
amazement at the effects of the catas-
trophe. Many wives whose husbands
were employed on the structure could
be seen among the throng awaiting in
expectancy to learn their fate.
No bodies were discovered Saturday,
but it is said that no less than thirty
five bridge hands are under the debris.
The Phoenix Bridge Co. is using all of
its energy to clear the wreclkage SO
that the bodies can be brought to the
surface.
All bodies when rescued will be taken
to Louisville, where they will be pre-
pared for burial 1t is said that the
calamity will not only prove disastrous
to the Phoenix Bridge Co., but it will
likely bankrupt the firm
Bridge men look upon the disaster as
the worst that has happened in bridge
building in this country. The bridge
proper was to be completed by January
l, 1894, consequently a large force Of
men were employed on the structure
LOUISVILLE, KY, Dec. Is After the
fall of a span of the Louisville and
Jetfersonville bridge Friday, carrying
down 80 workmen, the banks of the
river were lined with Mortified specta-
tors, and the ferry-boats carried thou
sands out to the scene, and under a sec
ond part of the bridge where an unseen
danger lurkedL
When night had covered with her
sable mantle the gaunt timbers, and
the chaos of wreckage, another span of
the bridge came crashing down, entire
ly blocking the river. Providence
stayed this second wreck until after
dark. Had the span fallen while the
ferry boats were steaming underneath,
the loss of life would have been
doubled.
The crew at the life-saving station
worked like beavers and dashed right
into the wreckage to save the MANNED
and the drowning. 1t is a settled fact
that the high wind loosened the trav.
eler, which in topping over, carried
the span with it. Eighteen are known
to have been killed, and thirteen are
badly hurt The river may give up
more of the dead.
LOUISVILLE, KY, Dec. 1S.--General
Foreman Mckee has large force OF
men at work at the scene of Fridays
disaster.
At the scene erything is in con
fusion, and the work of recovering the
bodies will be rapidly pushed until all
are found The impression is that not
many of the bodies are entangled in the
debris, but have floated away and have
probably gone over the falls.
The bodies that go over the falls, ant
do not lodge at the island or at Port
land dixie, may float many miles dowr
the river before they are recovered.
The iron and steel, in an entanglet
mass, now lies 40 feet below the tor
of the piers. The ferryboat w. c. Hitt
had narrow escape whan the span
fell.
The injured are confined in sep
arate ward in the new part of the city
hospital and are receiving the best at.
tention. 1t is thought all will recover
The inquest will probably not be helt
for several days.