The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1903-10-28
bridge WORKERS MEET AWFUL DEATH
TRAVELLING CRANE BREAKS DOWN.
Ten Men Were Killed and Five Badly
Injured, Some OF Whom May
Not Recover.

BY the breaking of the travelling
crane or glib on the Plttsburg end OF
the new cantilever bridge being con
structed over the Monongahela river
by the wabash railroad, ten men were
killed and more than half dozen in
jured. The accident happened at $3.50
O'Clock Monday morning. That part
of the bridge projecting over the river
from the Water street side, is a total
wreck.
The dead are william Kempton
aged 2S, home in New Jersey; Fred
Saalinger. aged 30 North Homestead
Twentysecond ward; William Kight
linger, aged 20, Sheraden; George
Wills. aged 40, 1880 Fifth avenue
Pittsburg; James Mcleod, aged 32
Third street, Esplen; Frank Dalby
aged 33, II East Robinson street, Al.
legheny; Clark H. Fleming, aged 81
10 Point View avenue: Edward Nor
ris. aged 20, Reed street, pittsburg:
James r. Campbell, aged "a. 1902 Al.
legheny avenue. Allegheny; Charles
Simmons, aged "a. 955 North avenue,
West, Allegheny.
The injured: Frank Hoover, aged
27, married, Race street. llegheny. in
jured internally recovery doubtful, at
Homeopathic hospital; AdOlph Vos-
burg, aged 81, married, Duquesne left
arm and left leg broken, at Homeo-
pathc hospital; William Jay. aged 26.
754 Rebecca street, Allegheny, chest
crushed, badly bruised over body; con.
dition serious, at Allegheny General
hospital; Thomas Shellay, aged 26.
1907 Penn avenue. knee spralned at
Allegheny General hospital; Aaron
Fowler aged 2S, 1926 Rose street left
foot crushed, at Mercy hospital.
All of the men killed and injured
were employed by tire American
Bridge Co., which is constructing the
bridge. There was considerable dif-
fculty encountered in identifying the
dead and injured. Some had just gone
to work. and the names Of many more
were not known by the fOremen. The
accident was witnessed by the struc-
tural workers on the other side of the
river, and they at once stopped work
and came across on boats to help In
rescuing the dead and injured. Lying
Immediately above the bridge was the
United States snagboat II. A. Wood
ruff Her crew heard the crash and
within half minute had half dozen
skiffs in the water.
Between 30 and 40 structural men
were employed on the upper section
of the new bridge. They had started
to work at o'clock. Some of the men
were aloft at work on the top of the
traveller, and clinging to the rigging
under it. far above the water. Direct
ly below, in the water was a wooden
barge, loaded with steel shapes and
huge I-bars. They we're being un-
loaded and placed in their permanent
position in the huge structure. A load
of about 10 tons of these bars was
about to be hauled mp. The gang in
the barge had fastened the tackle to
the load and the signal was given to
the engineer in charge Of the hosting
engine, whose machine is located un-
der the tower of the bridge on its
deck The ropes and cables tightened
and the mass of steel began to swing
clear from the barge and start upward.
There was the usual number of idlers
gazing at the work OF the men, and
these saw after the mass of metal
had gone some distance that some
thing was wrong. There was halt
ing and jerking movement to the load,
followed in an instant by a ripping
and terrific crashing noise. The huge
traveller was next seen to lurch for
ward and then collapse. The load of
steel fell, and with it went much Of
the rigging, made of massive steel,
and the huge mass fell upon the help
less men in the barge. The worlSmen
on the traveller far above were car
ried down with it. .s..4s,