Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-18
Bridge at Cleveland Demolished BY
Rush of Waters.
NARROW ESCAPE OF WORKMEN
Warning Came Just i'm Time to
Save Them.
EFFORT TO CHECK FLOOD

CLEVELAND. Ohio. January ls.-Early
this morning dam under the Wilson ave-
nue. bridge gave way and an hour later the
right pier of the bridge fell.
Shortly after 10 o'clock the sixth abut-
ment of the bridge gave way. The struc-
ture sagged and then, with tremendous
report, snapped in two. About 1-0 feet of
the bridge formed an inclined plane 10 the
ground.
Back OF the dam is a body of water mile
and a half long, hundreds of feet wide and
in places twenty-five to thirty feet deep.
The break in the dam has already allowed
torrents of water to pour down on the
flats below it, and the entire collapse Of
the bridge may occur at any moment.
Along the line whence the flood, il it comes,
must flow are the big plants of the Stand
ard Oil Company, the Cleveland paper
mills, the Flick Slaughter house and other
manufacturing plants. There are but few
people living in the track OF the flood and
these were all warned and have sought
safety higher ground.
The cause OF the Hood is the recent heavy
rain melting the snow from the hllsides.
Wilson avenue bridge is a structure 400
feet long and mas been built but few
months. 1t cost $o5O,VJO.
Narrow Escape of Some Men.
The break in the dam. which was an un-
substantial mass Of EARTH occurred while
thirty men were at work IN The artificial
canal being sunk by the city engineers to
allow the pent-up water TO hnd gradual
and safe outlet. These men had a most
narrowing experience, and os ~aped with
their lives with not one second To spare.
The warning given them was NOT suf-
nC.eEt TO even arouse tnelr Tears OF what
was happening, ana hardly man had
h. .l,..
trench in which they were working before
the crash came ana the awful mood had
broken loose.
The thirty men were twenty-five fec; he
low The summit of the dam, lahoring N the
dim glow OF a few incandcscoI; tights,
when then foreman suddenly called to
them TO run FOR their lives.
Most OF them beng foreigners and slow
to understand English, but few knew what
thu command meant. and did not at first
show any slgns II ne edlng il, and were
literally Dragged away.
I he last man scarcely had left the trench
before a mighty torrent Of wafer swept
down over tne trench with terrific roar,
carrying everything before it, A big force
OF men were at once put TO work making
emba nkments. in order TO hold lhe waters
IN check much as possible. y number or
factories and manufacturing plants below
the dam have suffered to some extent from
the flood, but no great damage To tnem has
occurred SO tar.
Bridge Moved From Foundation.
The north end of the Wilson avenue
bridge has been moved from its foundation
half an inch, and engineers have given up
hope of saving the structure. Five of its
piers have crumbled away and sunk below
the surface Of the water.
Two stone abutments on opposite sides of
the dam on the west side of the bridge were
at the very brink at 10 O'Clock. The earth
is slowly but surely giving way on all sides
A terrific collapse of the earth on the
south side of the dam near the abutments
occurred early today, carrying away fifteen
feet of earth, carrying several telegraph
poles along with il. A few moments later
the water undermined an emba 100
feet high and fifty feet in area, sweeping il
down with the raging flood.