Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-01-13
THROUGH A BRIDGE
Sixty Men Went Down With a
 Flimsy Structure.
SEVERAL PEOPLE WERE DROWNED.

The Bridge Was Crowded With workmen
 Who Were Waiting Fog the Draw to Be
 Closed When the Crash Camo Many
 Missing and Injured.
 BROOKLYN, Jan 13-The new iron bridge over Newtown creek at Meeker avenue, Williamsburg, while crowded with labor CTS from the different factories near by, gave way. The draw was open to allow a tugboat to pass, and the crowd were wait ing for it to close. They were on the Queens county side of the bridge. Sudden ly the part of the bridge on which they were standing gave way, and a large num- Der of them were thrown into the water.
 The employees of G. H. Nichols chemical works, the Queens county oil works and Haberman's tin factory, on the Queens county side, had assembled at the entrance to the bridge on their way to their homes in Williamsburg from work. There are two draws in the bridge.
 The draw on the Kings county side was open for the purpose of allowing several tugboats belonging to the Newtown Creek Towing company to pass. One of these was the tugboat Cloud. The workmen, with their dinner pails in their hands, crowded on the Queens county drawbridge awaiting the opening of the gate to pass over the temporary structure which has been erected pending the completion of the new iron bridge.
 Suddenly 60 men and boys rushed out on the bridge. They had scarcely gone 30 feet from the Queens county side when the structure gave way, and every one of them was thrown headlong into the creek. The water at this point is about nine feet deep. Those on the shore who saw the accident screamed and called to the captains of the tugboats to come to the rescue of those who were struggling in the water. Planks were thrown out from the Queens county side, and the crews of the boats jumped into the creek and saved many of those who could not swim.
 The Missing Ssd Injured.
 Many men are reported missing, and three more are in hospitals. Those report ed missing are George Mills, Michael Smith and Patrick Brierty, all of Meeker avenue; John Kerwin 374 Lorimer street; Hugh Markey, Van Pelt avenue, near North Henry street; Bernard Boyle, 54 Herbert street; August Blum. 199 Hewes street; Patrick Kelly, 151 Meeker avenue; Nicholas Logan, Nassau avenue, near Meeker.
 The injured are Timothy Cannon of 10S Eckford street, Greenpoint, perforated leg, taken to St. Johns hospital, Long Island City; John Torney and John McAvoy of Williamsburg, bruised legs and contusions of scalp, taken to St. Catherines hospital, Williamsburg.
 A score or more of others were slightly injured, and after being dragged from the water they were taken to their homes or were able to walk there. Of these no ac- curate list can be obtained.
 It is estimated that between 2,000 and 5000 persons collected on the two sides of the creek. Sergeant Coleman. who reached the scene first of the police, thinks that not less than seven or eight persons lost their lives.
 Besides those taken to the hospitals as above stated, Andrew Burns of North Sixth street, John Kelly of Driggs avenue and L. Drexel were removed from the water in a bruised and lacerated condition.
 Steps to investigate whose carelessness caused the disaster will be immediately taken. The Penny bridge, as it has long been called, is under the general supervi sion of bridge tender employed in com mon by the authorities of Kings and Queens counties, which it connects. Fol many years there have been annual dis cussions in the board of supervisors in the two counties concerning their respective rights regarding it's management and main tenance.
 Warning Had Been Given.
 Most of the men were in the employ ot Nichols 6 Go. s chemical works and Reeds and Preston's fertilizer factories, although among those who managed to escape from a watery death there were five who worked in Haberman's tin works and three il Fleischmann's dstillery.
 The men had been warned by Bridge Su perintendent Daniel Hickey that the foot bridge was not a substantial structure anC that an accident might happen if they crowded upon it.
 One of the assistant bridgekeepers hat noticed that the structure was rickety anG had called the attention of one of the fore men on the new bridge to the fact some time ago.
 Among the first to run to the scene O the disaster was Annie Foley, the 20-year old daughter of Owen Foley. She secured a rope, hastened on the bridge and threw i to the drowning people. She succeede2 il rescuing three.