The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1893-12-21
GO DOWN WITH THE BRIDGE.
MORE THAN 20 MEN MEET DEATH
By the Collapse OF steel Structure in
Course of Construction at
Louisville.

The middle span of iron and timber
falsework Of the bridge now under con-
struction between East Louisville and JEFF.
ersonville, Ind collapsed Saturday morn.
ing, crushing to death or drowning between
70 and 80 men, aud injuring about 20 more
some OF whom will die. Only six bodies
have been recovered. Those known to be
dead are:
Lester Garlock, Frank Miller, Frederick
Miller, Frank Burns, Charles Murphy.
Chicago, Z. w Cook, Mantau, o., J. y.
Barns, franklin, Pa.
The missing are: Henry Plaiss, New
Albany; Frank Simmons. Jacksonville;
Russell Deriiinger. w. A. sharp, A. Soden,
J, kregan, NJ. Soden. q. II. Henkie l..
Pierce, !. Wilson, J. Scott T.. Sheridan,
George Lilly.
The injured ere: Albert Moore, both arms
broken; q. w. 2rown, lrvlngton, arms
broken; ID. l.. Sheehan, Greenup, Ky; c. +:
Hall, Bristol, Tenn; Harry Pnsh. Mercer,
Pa, both arms broken, back hurt and in
ternally injured; Harry Lee, Jacksonville,
cut about head and injured by shock; Ed
ward Haoen, Chicago, slightly injured I.
\. Gallawyy,. Louis lille; ankle broken;
John Meyer. Lexington, KY. leg amputa,ed
Edward Scheers, Pittsburg Pa. will die;
Edward Hildebrand. Northampton, Pa
spinal injury; q. Thorpe, injured about
knee, and side; L. ID. pard.
For weeks past large force Of men have
been at work on the big 500 foot span over
the middle of the river. The iron work was
all up and was resting on "a heavy frame
work OF piling driven into the bed OF the
river and securely bolted and braced. That
afternoon the last bolts were TO have bee
put In place in the iron superstruc,ure and
the gigantic span would have supported 3
own weight.
The foreman in beginning work tina,
morning, noticed that during the night the
traveller, huge derrick used for placing
iron in position, had been worked loose by
the wind and he ordered u drawn back into
place. The wind was high and the gentle
swaying OF the false work gradually forced
the traveller of the piles on which it was
whole work trembled and the men. realiz-
ing their danger, started for the pier
The central bent was the first to give way
and the men on tins went down TO be GOV
cred by the mass OF iron and timber OF the
other bents, which fell almost i'm mediately
carrying with them the workmen who fail.
ed TO reach places OF safety on the piers.
The north bent, the one attached 10 the
Indiana pier, fell Ia minutes after the first
and the partial span five minutes later.
There were 81 men on the bridge. A few
succeeded in climbing To places of safe.y and
were quickly rescued. Others struggled
hopelessly and were carried of by the cur
rent to sink almost rs rescue was at hand,
The ferry boats City Of Jacksonville and
G, w. hit end the life saving crews were
soon at the wreck, which completely block
ed one channel of the river Men with
broken arms and legs were found clingins
to pieces of timber. They were pulled into
boats and hurried to hospitals
After the crash the steamer Hotspur ran
In the ~ ~ IN nd IN "a auyal Yftna
men, who were so badly hurt that they
could not have kept ahoat i've minutes.
The lives OF the workmen were insured for
81, 500 each.
To whom must be laid the responsibility
for the disaster will probably never be
known. II is probable that IL is but one OF
those unforeseen cc,dents that occur in
sp.,- vi all precautionary measures. General
opinion ascribes the cause to the stiff wind
that has been sweeping the river all day II
bore with great force on the ponderous
frame work, which necessarily became loos-
ened from the constant strain and swaying
of the timbers. Earl Manchester, a civil
engineer employed on the bridge, said.
The accident was caused by the wind. The
piling was strong enough to bear double the
weight. 1 he bridge fell like pack of cards
IL became loosened on the Indiana side first
and swayed gradually across TO the opposite
side.
lnere were many narrow escapes.
Eighteen men were saved by being on the
great stone pier, 40 feet high, when the crash
came. A rope ladder was thrown up and
the men rescued.
The building OF the bridge has been mark.
ed by a series of disasters No less than 81
men have been killed and injured in its
construction before the present accidents
Three years ago the Masonic Savings Bank,
one OF the largest financial concerns in the
city was wrecked by holding too much Of
thebridge's paper and the president of both
bridge and bank, Jacob f.. Kreiger.
was ruined. He soon died
and WORK was stopped. Several
months ago arrangements were made wi h
the Big Four and other railroads TO furnish
he money to complete the bridge and the
work was commenced by the Phoenix
Bridge Company of Phoenixville, Pa. which
contracted to have tn bridge up by
January next The accident will cost the
contractors s75, 600. The loss of life hereto
lore has generally been in the caissons.