Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-08-29
WITH DEADLY CRASH
Steel Arches Of New Building
at Chicago, Collapse.
Nine Dead, Two Missing, Four Will
DE- Nine Others Injured.
Narrow Escape OF Cthers-DisastcT Without
%arning-Cause. Unknown.

|
| structure OF the Coliseum building. in
course Of construction on Wabash ave
nue. between 18th and 10th street. fell
| to the ground, late this afternoon. 1t
| is known that nine lives were crushed
| out. The bodies of two men are sup
! posed to be under the Wreckage.
Thirteen are in the hospital with injuries
received in the accident. four of these
will surely die. one may possibly re-
cover and the rest are for the greater
part, seriously injured
| The Dead-Charles Walpot. Edward
Murray. Frank Logan, S;euhen j.
Thompson, John Farrey. Richard Sher-
man. Theo Thorn. Leroy Fenncr. Al
| Norman.
Fatally injured-John Marshman,
| fractured skull and fractured right leg.
j. j. DoWd. internal injuries both eyes
| out. both legs fractured; John White.
| skull featured, internal injuries; John
| Pelleticr. right arm cut off at shoulder;
skull featured.
| Missing ana believed to be in the
ruins-Edward Swanson. Joseph King
| Injured not scrious-Cornclius Tooln-
| ey. J. II. Warley. John Hawthorne.
John J. Johnson, David Reardon. II. u.
thinner, j. FIack, ]. Hanson, Andrew
Morrison.
Dead. .; missing, .; fatally injured. 4
| injured, not seriously, 9.
All Of the T. arches We're standing
| the 18th and last having been complet-
ed today. 1t was the intention of the
steel contractors, the Pittsburg Bridge
Co. of PittsburE, Pa. to turn over the
work. tonight. to the general con
| tractors The immense traveller" or
derrick which had been used in the
erection of the arches had been re-
moved and the agents Of the Bridge
GO. We're accounting their work as
practically completed when suddenly
ana without the slightest warning the
arch last put in place fell over against
the one next to it.
The weight was too much for this: ii
gave way. crashed against the third,
and then one by one. the great steel
spans fell over to the south, 40 feet
above the ground. Some Of them made
futile attempts to Slide down the side
of the arches hut were hurled To the
ground. NEST Of them being killed out
right. The skulls OFF the unfortunate
Incn We're crushed into shapeless
masses: their limbs We're cut off ana
they We're manSlcd beyond recognition.
The mmence structure began fall
ing slowly, each arch being sustained
by the cross beams supporting the en-
tire structure. As the mass gained i'm
petus. bars Of iron inches thick
snapped with a loud report and the
great mass moved faster and faster in
its descent. With a crash that was
heard blocks distant. the structure fell !
leaving the walls practically uninjured. |
An immense crowd gathered around
the place. despite the efforts of the po- |
lice they swarmcd over the mass Of
Wreckage, making desperate but i'll Iii |
rected efforts to drag out the dead and |
relieve the wounded. 1t was only with |
the greatest difficulty that the police |
We're finally able to drive back the |
crowd, and give the tiremen and unin- |
jured workmcn chance to rescue the |
injured. That more men We're not |
killed and injured was almost a mira
Gle. Fully 30 men We're at work in the |
space covered by the arches as they |
fell. A number of the men jumped into |
small excavations. of which there are |
many in the ground beneath the steel |
Npi no anu WHY lNtN IIoilI llIt SltsAl
masses of steel that crashed down over
them. Several of them were standing
under the arches when they com
menced to fall. and. running to the
side walls. happened to stand in the
space left vacant by the curve Of the
arches away from the side walls Had |
the arches fallen to either side. the loss
of life must have been much heavier,
Itit hey foil ,ryI, TO th, NIL
parallel to the side of the building and
none of them save the two southern
arches. fell at all outside of the space
occupied by the building.
Edward Bindon, engineer, who was
tending an engine at the south end of
the structure. heard shouts from above
and the noise of twisting Orders. Ten
feet away on the ground floor was a
pile Of iron work which had not yet
been used on the building. Bindon
threw himself against the pile of grid
ers on the floor and under its protect
ing sides he lay while the massive
beams from above fell on all sides
about him. One of the largest arches
fell directly across the pile but BindOn
was not hurt.
Thomas Rabishaw, a bridge builder.
was at work on the second arch next
to the south end of the structure.
When he heard the cry of warning and
felt the building shaking he took a
tight hold of the beam on which he
had been working. When he realized
that the whole superstructure was go
ing. he slid down the beam about 40
feet and then plunged into the mud in
the excavation at a corner of the
building.
Michael Bloemer was working on the
south end of the building on the west
side of the roof. With him was his
partner. Cornelius Tomey. When they .
felt the building shaking both grasped .
the iron arch upon which they had
been working and came down with the |
falling structure. Toomey was seTi-
ously if not fatally injured. while }
Bloemer received only a few bruises.
The direct cause of the accident is I
not known and it will probably be sew