The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1893-12-16
FIFTY MEN PREoIPTTATED INTO
THE OHIO,
Incomplete Structure Of the Louisville
and Jacksonville Bridge
Coos Down,
MANY MEN IN VAIN SEEK PLAoBs OF
SAFETY,
The Fatality Is Known to Be ereN-A His.
tory Of the Inflated Bridse-ItS
Many Victims,


morning the false work and main part Of
the middle span OF the Louisville and Jeff
feraonylllc bridge gavr way and with all
the workmen was nreolpltated ITO feet
into the water below, Tho horrible acct
dent is one OF long list OF cNtsEtrophes
tia, have marked tho construction OF this
bridge, The foreman on beginning work
noticed that during the night tho tray
] eler put In place last night, had been
I worked loose by the wind. An order TO
I draw Il back Into It's place was Eiyen and
h the men and engines RtHrtea Tho WIND
/ WAX hsh a the time aud this gentle sway
4 ing % the false work gradually forced the
Traveller" on the piles on which Il whs
/ rostnR.
When the end slipped tho whole work
| tromhled ana the men rcaliaing thc dan-
/ Ger started for the piers The central
| bent waa the FIRST 10 give way and the
I men on this went down 10 be covered by
4 n mass OF iron ana timber of the other
HINTS, which fell almost Immediately car
4 ryinE with them tho other wnfltnen, who
/ fnued TO roach places Of safety.
4 The north bent or one attached 90 tho
! Indiana pier did not fan for flftcen min
hteB after the other parts wont down.
! as near aa can be uscertalnod. there were
nfty-one men on the bridge when the
alarm was given by the engineer In charge
of the work. OF tho number several suc-
! eee1ed IN reaching the pliers or those
who Went down some were ccyorcr by N
inaFg of timber AMI Iron, and Il viii be
days before the bodies can be removed.
The center bent gave way al 1895 and IT
was then that the great number OF fa-
talities occurred, A few minutes Inter the
bent gave way on the Indiana side, In
this, Il Is believed that but one was killed.
When the huEp mass struck The water
| MI ponnpniaa an lp
spray thrown up. Az thegwater sibaidod.
shnrsSefld there could be1Reen men struR-l
gItsfE desperately 10 climb upon the timS
hers that thrust their ends above the
fwnter Only q few succeeded In gnvifg
themselves.
The wives and children OF many OF The
worlkmen we're soon on the river bnnisa
Wild with grief The office OF the bridge
company was beRclgcd with those looking
for their loved ones.
70 whoae doors should be laid the re-
Eponsibtity OF the disaster viii probably
never he known II Is doubtless onn OF
those unforeseen accidents that occur In
spite or All precautionary measures. The
general opinion aHrrlbaa the cause Ia the
stin Wind sweeping up the river That
the structure was otherwise than saf6
never occurred TO either the engineer IN
charge or the workmen. Every precauton
had been employed to insure stability Of
the frame work.
A pile driver was sent 10 the Eoene this
afternoon and the work Of clearing tho
wreckage and searching for dead under
debris was at once commenced, That 80
many were saved Is one Of the uaual,
though unaocountahle. compliments OF ali
great cataatrppheH, The spun that gave
way was tic last one, but one, needed TO
complete theSslrpeture,
The accident WAS seen by one on duty
NJ the life saving station No, 2. Boats
H.
M possible 10 the rescue. The NE silyerB
found they were unable TO do much, as
thoP could not get to where the Victims
were Imprisoned.
j. w Baird, secretary and treasurer OF
the Bridge company was in the COM
pany's office on the fourth floor Of the
Commerce building when the accident oe-
CURED The bridge Is IA plain view Of his
room ana II ~ his custom TO watch the
progress OF the worltmen through ileld
Riahsos When the span fell he hnd the
glHFHea
Baird said "yes; / am the originator
Of the plan and guess win be externally
damned for H."
Baird " Of the opinion that most OF the
worltmen had insurance on their lives
aR II IL the custom OF contractors TO IN
sure their inborers IN guarantee compn-
niea lie was by no means certain Of this
however
He said there would be no effort on the
part Of The bridge people 10 conceal the
facts Or 20 disguise the truth concerning |
the accident ana thought the bridge peoA |
Pie should not be censurcd, Stating mat |
every man employed IN the work accepted
the place fully rognizant Of the risk TO
be run,
The hletorg Of The bridge Is series OF |
Disasters, financial md otherwise. u was
originally projected IN 1879, ana failure
overlook ne yery incipiency. IN 1883 Il |
vas revived under a new charter and /
ground broken Ia October. 1880.
Two caisson accident took place during |
the building Of the piers. The first was
caused hy the cupidlty OF the anb-c0n-
tractor, who engaged himself us an ex-
ncri, when he was without experience.
He allowed the Air 10 escape from the
calsaou and water rushed III, drowning
fourteen men.
The second caisson accident rcaullsd
from the foolhnrdinehs Of the foreman
In tho nianagemcnt OF the structure. and
caused the death Of seven men
The snterpriHe langulshed several tlmes
and at ono time Il looked iike ihoss who
projected IL would reap nothing but loss.
However, 10 March last they aucceede1 Ia
1igppalng u the properly 70 syndicate
under torr1g considered ADVANTAGEOUS. The I
estimated loss 70 the bridge IL said TO be
at least $4,000
Tho revised list Of die dead, injured
arb missing N as follows:
Dehd Il, q uarlock. John Courtney. n,
Burns. O. Murphy, w. g. Cook,
The missing are g. Hulderer. A, Hoddcn.
j. cresans ii. Solar. Frank Simmons, q. II. |
HinkIe j. lioldBon. ) u Wilson. Pat
Kelly J. T. Owens, r. O. Sheridan. j. |
Allen, r. r, Aioore George Kelly, Il, Il. |
Derilinger, II Plisa.
In1afed-J Myers Harry Lee, II. y.
PuRh, +. IIlIdeTbran, q W Brown, G. |
Tbprd, G. r. aheehan A r. Hall, sparks
~ Galloway y. sherln, II Holm, w. A. |
Sharp.
cs the injured four viii probably die.
fs4ter Tie third apaa OF the hgldge |
collapsed AZ $40 tonight A. far as known |
no one was injured Ttiis VIII be an addi-
tinnnl loas Of about so 60
Il ii believed fhat fpriy-iiTe went Into che |
river How many u those nEe Loaf can
not ia tic present confusion be definitely
learned. II Is feared the number viii reach