St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-12-16

during the fall, and remembers going |
to the bottom of the river. The debris
was piled above him, but he managed |
to crawl from nnder this. He is an
expert swimmer, and attempted to put |
this practice to uae, but then, for the
first time discovered his left arm was |
broken in three places.
He managed, however, to grasp |
floating piece of timber with his right |
arm and hoated down the river until |
rescued.
He says, while he was clinging to the |
timber two men came up near him, and |
after struggling an instant sank out of |
sight. II saw several others struggling
In the water who sank out of sight be-
fore help reached them. In my weak
ened condition, and with my broken
arm. could do nothina to help them"
James Trent, a painter, who resides
In this city, was on the span, twenty
feet from the pier nearest the Kentucky
shore, when he heard peculiar
CRUNCHING NOISE.
With Earnest Miller. Robert Woolford,
Charles Pope aud workman named
Carter, all ran for their lives toward the
pier, and all succeeded in reaching a
safe foothold on the masonry when the
span went down with fearful crash.
Trent and his companions slid down a
rope to the rivers surface, when they
were taken into skiff which hurried to
the spot. Trent asserts that the col
lapse was preceded by two distinct
shocks, which gave the workmen warn
ing. but too late to allow many to es-
cape.
Harry Lee, workman, jumped out
from the bridge into the river, and
when rescued was found to have es-
capped with broken leg. That so many
were saved is one of the usual, though
unaccountable, compliments of all great
catastropheS.
The East End improvement company
has been acting as limited agent in the
construction of the bridge under the
reorganization of last March, when the
property was disposed of to a syndicate
controlled by three roads, generally be-
lieved to be the Big Four. Chesapeake
& Ohio and B. & S. w. For the purpose
OF completing the bridge and providing
of S5.00O.OO was authorized, sl,000,000
of which was to be held in reserve
Ibis gave new life to the enterprise,
and the work of completing the struc-
ture has been going on rapidly since.
The span that gave way was the last
but one needed to complete the Struc-
tuIe.
THE ACCIDENT
was seen bv the lookout on duty at the
life saving station, aud two boats were
at once manned and rowed as quickly
as possible to the rescue. Before they
got there. however, many boats were, at
work. The life savers found that they
were unable to do much, as they could
not get to where the victims were i'm
prlS0ned.
Shortly after they arrived a trestle
work attached to the north pier of the
fatal span fell, carrying one man down
with it. The life savers rescued him
and took him to shore. They searched
| around for some time for any bodies in
the vicinity, but found that they could
do nothing, and soon lef..
j. w. Baird, secretary and treasurer
| VI tuC luSO Woo III eiiO SOhi-
pany's Office on the fourth floor of the
| Commerce building, at Fourth and Main
streets, when the accident occurred.
The bridge is in plain view Of his
| room, and it is his custom to watch the
progress of the workmen through his
field glasses. When the span fell MIR.
Baird had the glasses, and saw the
debris strike the water.
In reply to question as to whether
ne was not the originator of the plan tC
build the bridge. Mr.. Baird said. Yes,
l am the originator of the
PLAN TO BUILD
the bridge, and | guess 1 will be eter
naliy damned To- it"
Mr.. Baird is of the opinion that most
of those at work on the bridge had ln-
surance on their lives, as it is the Gus
tom of the contractsrs to insure theil
laborers III the guarantee companies
He was by no means certain of this
however.
He said there would be no effort on
the part of the bridge people to concea
any of the facts or disguise the truth
concerning the accident, and thought
the bridge people should not be cen
sured, stating that every man employed
in the work accepted the place fully
cognizant of the risk to be run.
The history of the Louisville & JEFF
fersonvilie Bridge company is series
of disasters, financial and otherwise
1t was originally projected in 1879 ant
failure overlook it in its very incipi
encv. In 1888 it was revived under
new charter, and ground was broken il
October, 1889.
Two caisson accidents took place dur
ing the building of the piers. The frs
was caused by the cupidity of sub
contractor who engaged himself as al
expert when he was without expert
ence. The contractors were deceived
by the representations which he made
He allowed the air to escape from tn
caisson and the water rushed in,
DROWNING FOURTEEN MEN.
The second caisson accident results
from the foolhardiness of the foreman
in the management of the atructure
and caused the death of seven mer
Todays was the third big accident i
the chain. Several minor accident
have occurred between times.
The enterprise was overtaken by
very serious financial disaster early il
its career, as result of the Barring fail
ure in 1890, which, by reason of its de
pressing effect in money centers. pr
vented the floating of s1,O0O,OOO O
bonds, arrangements for which had al
but been consummated. The reyers
was blow from which the enterpris,
never recovered in the hands Of its oril
inal promoters.
Jacob f. Kreiger, the leading spirit
broke himself and the Masonic bank, O
} this city, in furthering the project, an
finally sank himself into an untimel
; grave under a load of ills resultim
from multiplied disasters caused by I'll
, bridge. The enterprise languished se'
! eral times, and at one time it locke
Iika those who had prOiactad IL woul