Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-04-12
FOUR KILLED. ONE WILL DIE.
Bridge Being Built Over Harlem River Gives
Way With Fatal Results.

New York. April 1.-THE temporary
superstructure Of the big Willis ave
nue. bridge. now being built over the
Harlem hiver. collapsed. this afternoon,
kilink four men and seriously injurng
six one OF them will die. Several
other workmen received injuries Of 4
more or less serious nature.
The dead are: Beatie. Lewis; De
laney, William. As years old; Delaney
Walter, son of the above, y years old;
Grady, Thomas. mason's helper. The
most seriously injured are: Parsley
Charles. 81 years skull fractured. Will
probably die. Harlem hospital; ePrrv,
Joseph. -, head crushed; Sheehan.
Daniel. %. hurt about the head. arms
crushed: Wolfe. s. r.. crushed about
the body and head; Medic. Simon. Is
wears crushed: Gaines, Walter 80
wears, crushed.
The other injured We're Workmen en-
gagged on the bridge at the time the ac-
cident occurred Some of them We're
crushed under the falling timbers while
others suffered from the effects of the
fan and immersion in the water.
The accident occurred "A go o'clock.
aud was caused by too great Il weight
being nut on the travelling derrick that
crossed the superstructure connected
the north shore sustaining wall with a
pier and was a iiimsy affair stretching
800 feet across deep water, built in
three sections. one above another TO a
height of about 90 fet. over this a
massive travelling crane or carrier was
operated. A heavy load of steel beams
was being sent out on the crane when
the timhers gave way and the entire
structure went down with crash. As
the supporting timbers began to give
the heavily laden crane ran rapidly
| forward for a short distance and top
| pled into the river. AS ii went down
! the upright it crashed into the work
men. striking the Delaneys and Beat
tie. killing them instantly and terribly
manglng their bodies
MANY of the men were carried down
! in the wreck. Only few succeeded in
reaching the pier, the majority either
falling into the water or into the
tangle of iron and woodwork. The
shrieks Of the injured and the cries for
help intensified the excitement, but the
work Of rescue was not long in begin
ming. Walter Delaney's body was not
taken out of the ruins until after
nightfall and Thomas Grady's body
was not found for an hour more. Be
fore the bodies of any of the killed
could be reached the men had 10 do
much work with saws and axes and il
was made especially difficult since the
rescuers had to work under the surface
Of the water. Soon after the finding OF
| Cirady'S body the time keeper com
| pared the list with that made by the
| police and said that everybody had
| been accounted for. He was greatly
the opinions of some of them that more
bodies will be found. are well founded
The contract for the erection of the
! bridge was originally awarded to the
Leonard Foley Construction co., and
by them almost Immediately assigned
to John p. Rogers & Son. The contract
for the bridge proper was awarded by
Rogers & Son to the Edgemore Bridge
Works of Wilmington. Del. II is said.
however that the superstructure was
built by Rogers & Son and that the
Wilmington firm had nothing to do
with it and are not responsible. The
work was Immediately under the super
intendency of James Headrick ana he
was placed under arrest.
Coroner Lynch of The Bronx. at once
began an investigation and will con
tinue ii until the responsibility is
pllcpl