The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-03-31

RADFoRD, March 3O.-A double
calamity visited Radford this afternoon
between 2 and o'clock and the city to.
night Is in mourning. AS . result of
the catastrophe FIVE men are dead and
several more are not expected to live
through the night. The old CONNER
cial Hotel Is also mass of smeulder-
ing ruins.
Shortly after Q o'clock flames were
seen issuing from the roof of the Com
mercial Hotel, which Is situated in the
East ward, at the corner of Railroad
avenue and Virginia street. The build
ing was Immediately one fiery mass and
soon burned to the ground. The heroic
work OF the citizens prevented the sur
rounding buildings from burning.
How the fire originated has not been
ascertained but it probably caught from
a defective nue, as the flames were first
seen coming through the roof about
three feet from the chimney. The no.
tel was one OF the oldest buildings in
East Radford and was insured. The
fact that there WAS no wind blowing
prevented the spread of the fire.
In less than half an hour after the
nre started, part of the old wooden
bridge that spans Connelly's Run, which
was being rebuilt in order to be used by
the electric street railway, gave way,
carrying down the men who were at
work upon it. Three men were killed
outright and three so badly nangled
that their recovery is very doubtful.
The killed are as follows:
Ed. Mabes, white, thought to live
near Cowan's Mills.
Charles Thompson, white. Died a
few moments after being taken out.
X. ii. Andrews, white, sonin-law Of
II. L. Slusher, of this city
Thomas Price, colored. Died about
an hour after being recovered.
The wounded are:
f. A. McCulloch, of this city, con-
tractor and foreman of the work, rirht
leg broken near the hip and badly hurt
about the head. He may lose his right
eye.
e. E. Hedrick, white, of New River
depot, left leg broken and injured
about the head.
VIM. Johnson, colored, who lives in
West End, badly hurt about the head
and left arm broken.
Jim Corners, colored. of New River.
hurt about the head and back; law
broken and supposed to be internally
injured.
1He cause OF the acCldent WAS alleged
to be the result Of carelessness and in
experience. The workmen had about
half Of the structure down and were
trying to lower a span, having q rope
fastened near the top and one at the
center.
This rope was drawn up through the
bridge to assist in letting the span
down. All the men were on the end of
the bridge. and McCulloch, who was
experimenting the job, was sitting on
the guard rail of the bridge, within a
few feet Of the edge.
AS they were letting the span over 1t
broke in the middle, about whore the
lower rope WAS fastened, swinging to-
ward the structure. knocking down the
trestle work from under five of the re-
naming spans of the bridge, upon which
all these men were, throwing them a
distance Of sixty-fve feet. and the m ar !.
vel is why all were not killed outright.
All the prominent physicians of the
city were promptly on the spot and
rendered every possible assistance. In
an hour after the accident tho wounded
were all removed on stretchers to their
homes, and the dead taken to the under
takers establishment.
LATER-It is reported that Jim Con-
ners, colored, has died from his injuries.