The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1893-12-20
GO DOWN WITH THE BRIDGE.
MORE THAN 20 MEN MEET DEATH
W 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.
ersonvile, Ind, collapsed Saturday morn
ing, crushing to death or drowning between
20 and 80 men. and iniuring about 20 more,
some Of whom will die. Only six bodies
have been recovered. Those known 10 be
dead are:
Lester Garlock, Frank Miller Frederick
Miller, Frank Burns, Charles Murphy,
Chicago, G. w. Cook, Mantau, o., J. L.
Barns, franklin, Pa.
The missing are: Henry Plass, New
Albany; Frank Simmons. Jetiersonville;
J, Kregan. NJ. Soden, q. IL. Henkie. l..
Pierce, /. Wilson, J. Scott, Z. Sheridan,
George. Lilly.
The injured are: Albert Moore both arms
broken; q, w. Brown, lrvington, arms
broken; d. L. Sheehan. Greenup, KY; q. f:
Hall, Bristol, Tenn; Harry Pugh, Mercer
Pa, both arms broken, back hurt and in
ternally injured; Harry lee, Jefiersonville,
cut about head and injured by shock; Ed
ward Haben, Chicago, slightly injured; T.
\. Gallawyy, Louis, lille; ankle brokeni
John Meyer Lexington, Ky, leg amputaied
Edward Hildebrand. Northampton, Pa
spinal injury; q. Thorpe, injured about
knees and side; E. d. 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 bol,s were to have bee
put in place in the iron superstructure and
the gigantic span would have supported i.s
own weight.
The foreman in beginning work that
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 II drawn back into
place The wind was high and the gentle
swaying Of the false work gradually forced
the traveller off the piles on which IT. was
resting When the end slipped the
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 this went down to be GOV
cred by the mass Of iron and timber OF the
other bents, which fell almost Immediately
carrying with them the workmen who fail
ed to reach places Of safety on the piers
The north bent, the one attached to the
Indiana pier, fell IA minutes after the frs
and the partial span five minutes later.
There were 81 men on the bridge. A few
succeeded in climbing to places of safety ano
were. quickly rescued. Others struggled
rent to sink almost as rescue was at hand
The ferry boats City Of Jeffersonville anc
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 we're found i,,;l e;lingins
boats and hurried to hospitals.
After the crash the steamer Hotspur ran
up TO the wreckage and the crew saved nint
men, who were so badly hurt that they
could not have kept ahoat five minutes.
The lives of the workmen were insured fol
IL, 500 each.
To whom must be laid the responsibility
for the disaster will probably never be
known. 1t is probable that II is but one o
those unforeseen accidents that occur In
spite of all precautionary measures. General
opinion ascribes the cause to the stiff wind
that has been sweeping the river all day. IL
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, q civil
engineer employed on the bridge, said
1.-THE accident was caused by the wind. The
piling was strong enough to bear double the
weight. lhe bridge fell like pack OF cards
1t became loosened on the Indiana side first
and swayed gradually across to the opposite
side.
There were many narrow escapes
Eighteen men were saved by being Oh the
great stone per, ~ leet hign when tne 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 sc
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 Lank, Jacob II. Kreiger,
was ruined. He soon died
and WORK was stopped. Several
months ago arrangem ents were made wi b
the Big Four and other railroads to furnish
The money to complete the bridge and the
E1sS EridSe wHS com % panW Of PhoenixviIe Pa .bich
contracted TO have the bridge up by
January next. The accident will cost the
contractors $4,000. The loss of life hereto
fore has generally been in the caissons