The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-12-16
nREAT BRIDGE FALLS.
uauy Workmen Carried Down
and Twenty Drowned.
~oeFuL WRECK At LOUISVILLE.
- rseempIeted visdues Across the
Ohio River Teppied over By
strong Wind.

tsrtrIIIs. Dec ia. few minutes
..xs 10 O'Clock this morning the false
ss..k and that part Of the middle span OF
- t1ouisyisle an. Jeff.rsonviile bridge in
.tere gave SAY. and with all the wogkmea
- rrecspstated ITO feet into the water
s.sss. There vas but moments warn
d. and those wbo escaped going down
.ssA the mass Of iron and timber started
4. the piers after the first trembling that
INDICATED the giving way Of the false work.
me accident was a horrible one and Ia
u. last Of a long list of catastrophes that
ksye marked the construction of the
bridge The foreman. in beginning work.
nyfsced that during the night q traveller
shaeh had been pat in place last night had
As<n worked loose by the wind. An order
"a draw II back in place was given, and the
/ engine. started. The wind was high at
tbe time. aud the gentle sway of the false
work gradually forced the traveller eff the
mics on which II was resting.
When the end slipped the whole work
srsnbed, and the men, realizing the dan
ar. started for the piers. As luck would
/ have IL, the central bent was the first to
rive way, and the men on this bent went
down to be covered by the mass Of iron
and timber OF the other bents, which fell
almost Immediately, carrying with them
other work. men who failed 10 reach the
plsrs The north bent, or the one attached
10 the Indiana pier, did not fall for fifteen
minutes after the other parts went down.
A nearly as can be ascertained. there were
hity-one men on the bridge when the
slarm vas given by the engineer in charge
Of the works. OF this number several sue
cseded In reaching the piers. OF those
who went down some were covered by q
mass of timber. from beneath which ii will
b days before their bodies are recovered.
Tie first crash when the ceLfer bent
gave way was at 1925, and IL was then
that the great number of fatalities oc-
cured A few minutes later bent. on
which there was but little of the bridge
proper, gave way. on the Indiana side. In
this II Is believed that one unknown man
vas killed. He was caught by rope and
dragged beneath the water.
The crash attracted the attention of those
on shore. and many turned their eyes
away as they saw men struggling in mid
Dir in mad efforts 10 climb out of danger
When the mass of material struck the
water all were concealed for an instant by
the spray thrown high into the air. As
the water subsidized, here and there could
Be seen men struggling desperately TO
climb upon the timbers that thrust their
ends above water. A few succeeded in
elinging TO pieces i'm safety and were
quickly rescued by boats put from the
shores. Others struggled desperately and
~t.I ar - - A.
almost as rescue was at hand. A few min
n.es after the accident news was sent TO
Ill parts of the city.
Near the bridge lived the wives and chill
dren of many of the workmen. These
we're soon on the river bank. Many were
Wild with grief and rushed frantIcally
about, wringing their hands and tearing
their hair. To whose door must be laid
the responsibility will never be known,
Fobsbly. The general opinion ascribcs
The cause Of the disaster to stiff wind
which had been sweeping the river all day.
Il bore with great force on the ponderous
framework, which necessarily became
ioosened from the constant strain and the
sxsying of the heavy timbers. great
number of people before the FIRST span fell
rould see the great traveller rising eighty
feet above the piers, swaying ana CULVER
Ing in the wind in what appeared 10 be a
most alarming manner to those oil shore.
The motion was. however. hardly notice
able 10 the workmen. and they had no
Idea of their deadly peril until the great
mass of wood and iron began 10 sink and
the awful cracking aud crashing of TIM
hers smote their ears.
George w Brown, one of the foremen,
In charge of eight men, had q remarkable
snd thrilling experience When the crash
cane the nine men made dash for the
Kentucky side Of the bridge. Before they
reached IL in safety the span fell and the
workmen were precipitated TO the river.
Brown displayed remarkable presence of
mind. held his breath during the fall
sad remembers going to the bottom of the
river. Debris was piled above him. but
he managed TO crawl from under lie Is
an expert swimmer. but discovered thst
has Jeff arm was broken in three places.
He managed, however, TO grasp n
Boating piece of timber with has right arm
and iloated down the river until rescued.
lie says that while clinging TO the timber
two men came up near him aud. after
struggling an instant, sank ont 81 sight.
NN SAN scFEf1s STRUGGLING iich itt Rhe
water, who sank out of sight before help
reached them.
James Trent. a painter. who resides in
tass city. vas on the span twenty feet from
TIE pier nearest the Kentucky shore, when
re heard a peculiar crnnching noise.
With Ernest Miller, Robert Noolford.
Charles r0pe and workman named Car
teE be ran for his life toward the pier. and
a had succeeded in reaching safe foot
Aald On the masonry when the span went
down with fearful crash. Trent and his
eotnpsnlons slid down r0pes to he river
.attaee where they we're taken into a
sSG. Treat asserts that the collapse was
preceded by Two distinct shocks. which
FAve TIE vorkmen warning. bat too late 20
ales many to escape. Harry Lee. work
nan, jumped oGi from the bridge inio.tne
ssseF. sad Nheu rescued was found 20 have
escaped with broken leg
S The third span Of the bridge collapsed
us,o O'Clock. far as known. no one ~ as
11iavsd. rh's will be "a additional loss Of
ascat s., 90 20 the bridge company. This
sesn bad been completed. bat the collapse
y TIE fourth span today IS supposed to
eass displaced ii.
aae kas' Eud Improvement Company
as been acting rs limited aseut in the
= - 49, Afa- -