Morris tribune., 1893-12-20
DOWN TO DEATH.
OVER A SCORE OF WORKMEN
KILLED AT LOUISVILLE.

The Louisville and JefsrsonVille Bridge
Carrying With 1t Half q Hundred
workmen-HistOry of the Structure a
Series of d asters, Financial and 9th
erwise.
LoUIsvuLE, Dec. 16.-At few min
utes past 10 a. III. the false work and
that part of the middle span OF the
Louisville and Jeffe1sonville bridge al
ready in place gave way. and with all
the worknen was lre>i ipitated 110 feet
into the water below. There was tut a
moments warning, and these who es-
capped going down with the mass OF iron
and timber started for the piers after
the first trembling that indicated the
giving away of the false work.
The accident is horrible one and Is
the last Of long list of catastrophes
that have marked the construction of
this bridge. The foreman, III beginning
work, noticed that during the night the
traveller which had been put IN place
last night had been worked loose BY the
wind. An order to draw it back into
place was given and the engines and
men started. The wind was high at
the time, and the gentle swaying OF the
false work gradually forced the traveller
off of the piles on which it as resting,
when the end slipped,
The Whole Work Trembled,
and the men, realizing their danger,
started for the piers. As luck would
have it, the central bent was the first to
give 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 the other workmen who failed to
reach the piers. The north bent, or the
one attached to the Indiana pier, did not
fall for 15 minutes after the other parts
went down. AS near as can be ascer-
tanned there were 81 men on the bridge
when the alarm was given by the en-
gineer in charge of the work. Of this
number several succeeded in reaching
the piers. OF those that went Gown
some were covered by a mass of timber
from beneath which it will be days
Before Their Bodies Are Recovered.
The first crash when the center bent
gave way was at 1925, and it was then
that the great number of fatalities oc-
CURED. A few minutes later a bent on
which there was but little Of the bridge
proper gave way on the Indiana side.
In this it is believed that but one un-
known man was killed. The crash at
tracted the attention of those on the
shore and many turned away their eyes
as they saw the men struggling in mid
air in their mad efforts to climb out of
danger. When the huge mass of ma
terial struck the water all was concealed
for an instant by the spray that was
thrown high in the air. AS the water
subsided here and there could be seen
men struggling desperately to climb
upon the timbers that thrust their ends
above the water. A few succeeded in
climbing to the places of safety and
were quickly rescued by boats that
pulled out from the shores. Others
struggled desperately and
Were Carried Of by the Current
to sink almost as rescue was at hand. A
few minutes after the accident word
was sent to all Parts of the city. Near
the bridge live the wives and children
of many of the workmen. These were
soon on the river bank. Many were
wild with grief and rushed trantically I
about, wringing their hands and tearing
their hair. Half an hour after the acci-
dent there were at least 1000 people on
the river bank, and as the news spread
they still poured in steady stream
toward the place Of the accident.
To whose doors must be laid the re-
sponsibility will probably never be
known. 1t was one of those unforeseen
accidents that occur in spite of all pre-
cautionary measures. Bridge building,
probably more than any other thing, is
fraught with manifold dangers and the |
workmen whose labors are utilized in |
the work racticaily take their lives in
their own hands. General opinion as
cribes the cause of the disaster to the |
stiff wind that has been sweeping the |
river all day. 1t bore with great force |
on the po1lderous framework which nee
became loosened from the con-
slant strain and
Sway ng of the Heavy Timbers.
A great number of people Lefore the
first span fell could see the great trav-
eler, rising 50 teet above the piers, sway
ing and quivering in the wind in what /
to be most alarming manner /
to those on shore. The motion, however, |
was hardly noticeable to the workmen
and they had no idea of their deadly
peril until the great mass of wood and
iron began to sink and the awful crack
ing and crashing of the timbers smote
upon their ears.
An II-Fated Structure.
The history of the Louisville and JEFF
fersonville Bridge company is a series of
disasters, financial and otherwise. Two
caisson accidents took place during the
building of the piers. The first was
caused by the cupidity of sub-con-
tractor who engaged himself as an ex-
pert when he was without experience.
He allowed the air to escape from the
caisson and the water rushed in, drown
ing II men.
The second caisson accident resulted
from the foolhardiness of the foreman
in the management of the structure and
caused the death of seven men. Several
minor accidents have occurred between
times, causing the death of 12 others, SO
IN all.
Search for Bodies.
LOUISVILLE, Dec. 19-The bodies of
George Lilly and Ell. Plaiss were taken
from the bridge wreck during the day.
This makes nine dead bodies gotten out
and 13 are still missing. One hundred
and fifty men are at work on the debris
lay and night searching for the dead.