The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-12-16
DOWN TO THEIR DEATH.
SPAN OF A BRIDGE FdLLS IND n
HORRNES PRECIPITATED
Fourteen known to Have Been Killed and
Great Many Injured-A Virgin
iar's Narrow E.oape.

LOUISVILLE, KY, Dec. 15.-At 1913
this morning a whole span Of the Jeffer-
s0nviile bridge fell. The bridge f. now
under construction by the Phoenix Bridge
Company. OF Phoenixyille Pa. Fifty-one
men were at work on the bridge. all OF
whom We're precipitated into the river
The bridge has been under construction
for number Of years. Several times
work has been suspended for lack Of
funds. Two years ago the Mechanics
Bank failed because OF it's connection
with the bridge company. Subsequently
financial assistance was obtained and
work was resumed three years ago. Short
ly after resumption of the work, I'm con-
structing the approaches. a dreadful ac-
cident happened at the caison, resulting
In the death Of twelve men. Accidents
have been frequent and from first 10 last
IL Is said that nfty men have been killed.
The span that fell to-day was the mid
die one. The accident was due to the in
secure placing Of the traveller last
night. The wind still further loosened II.
and this morning the order was given
20 draw II back into its place and the
engines were started. The wind was
high and blowing off the false work
forced the traveller" from the piles on
which 1t was placed. When the end
slipped off the men realized their danger.
The engineer called 10 the men, and ten
OF the dfty-one on the span escaped.
Forty-one fell 10 feet into the water.
The Dead and Iniured.
Sc far as known the following is a list
OF the dead and injured:
Dead-Lester Carter. Frank Miller, Pat
Kelly. Frank Simmonds. jefferson VII
leiud. Charles Murphy, j. B. Burns, Frank
lin HasijOhn, Courtney Russell. Bud KAY
anaLgh an unknown person at Cralfs
undertaking establishments. p. A. Cook
Mauntella station; o. Frank Burns, Pat
Murphy. Chicago.
Injured-Sam -. New Albany; A. l..
Moore, engineer, will die G.. W. Brown,
Irvington. Ky; NJ. H. Sheehan, Greenup.
Ky; G.. f. Halls. Bristol, Tenn: Harry
Pugh Mercer, Pa, will die. unknown,
Johnsonyille. badly injured; ~. A. Sharp.
Louisville. Ky, broken Leg T. y. Gal
l1way, Louisville. Ky: John Meyer, left
leg and ankle broken: Ed Hilderbrand
Northampton, Ky; Ed Sherrs. SOuthside.
Pittsburg. Pa, fatally injured
The work of Rescue.
The span which fell would have been
finished this afternoon. and after the
traveller had been fastened TO the pier
there would have been no danger from
the wind or the current. The shocking
accident was witnessed by men employed
along the riverfront and on the boats
plying up and down the river The ferry
company at once sent two boats TO assist
I'm rescuing the bodies Of the dead and
dying and rescuing the wOrk.nen still
alive.
Mr.. T. Erie, OF Manchester, Va, civil
engineer. who is employed on the bridge.
had a very narrow escape from death
In giving an account Of the accident. he
said:
II was standing on the span that fen
near the Kentucky side. and seeing that
IT was about to fall. / called 10 the men
10 get of as soon as possible. had just
counted the men who were on the span
"a few minutes before and there were
fifty-0ne in all, not counting myself
When / called the men dropped their
tools and ran toward me, but only ten
of them could get off.
"The others went down I'm a heap. /
was so badly frightened that / could
not tell how many of them got out, but
/ only saw one man swim to the shore"
Caused by the Wind.
''The accident was mainly caused by
the wind. There was a high gale blowing
from the southwest, all the morning, and
/ realized that at any time span might
be blown down. Then, too. the Diling
under the span, by which l was being
supported. were weak. The current is
very swift. and a large amount of drift
wood was damned against the support
ers. If the wind had not been so high,
however, the piing was sufficiently
strong 10 have done the work. The
bridge fell like a pack Of cards. II be-
came loosened on the Indiana side first.
and swayed gradually to the other side
The Struggle Tor Life.
The central bent was the first to give
way. and the men on this bent went down
10 be covered by a mass Of iron AND
timber Of the other bents, which fell al
most Immediately. carrying with them the
work-men who failed TO reach places or
safety on the piers. The nortn beht, or
the one attached To the Indiana pier did
not fall for fifteen minutes after the
other parts went down.
The crash attracted the attention OF
those on the shore and many turned
away as they saw the men struggling IN
mid air in their mad effort 10 CLIMB out
of danger When the huge mass OF ma
terial struck the water all was con
cealed for an instant by the spray when
was thrown into the air. AS the water
subsided and the mist was dispelled, mere
and there could be seen men struggling
that thrust their ends above the water
A few succeeded In climbing 70 places or
safety and were quickly rescued. Others
struggled hOpelessly and were carried on
nv The current 10 sink almost as rescue
was AZ hand.
Heroic Crew of Rescuers.
The ferry boats City Of Jeffersonville
and the c. II. Hit and the life-sayins
crews were the first 10 reach the WRECK
age which completely blocked one chan-
mol NJ the river. Men with broken arms
"a leqs were found cinging 10 pieces OF
,ta,her They were pulled into boats ana
bv,i,.d 10 hospitals I'm this city ana Jel-
fersonville. The steamer Hotspur' WIN
sunt Geo. Fisher on board came near
being caught by the Ialllns span ne
boat was making for the ialse "oIA WI"
s,,,cerinrendent Fisher heard some tlin-
~ c,eak Looking up he saw the great
snan shaking. and gave orders 10 pa'N
,he steamer. II was done none 100 sool'
fo. the TOD OF the huge "traFeief ieii
,i,bin twenty feet OF the boat.
A. soon as the pilot realized wnat htd
l,snneued ne ran the boat 10 the wreck
ase and the crew saved nine men, VINO
urere SO badly hurt that they couid not
have kept afOat five minutes.
Captain Deven and his two crews OK
lile-savers were heroes OF the day IA n
sng here and there into the driit ana pull
ing out the dead and injured. captain
Deyan thinks some OF the bodies nave
been carried over the falls. II VIII take
several DAYS 10 recover the bodies, as
some are pinned down by the heavy IRON
trusses which fell on top OF the false
work.
The bridge company have one hundred
men al work. and viii extricate the bodies