The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-11-04
BRIDGEWORKERS KILLED
Fatalities Attend Collapse of New
Structure at Pittsburg:
Eyewitness Tells a Story of Shocking
Casualty Above the Mononsahela River
-Stean,boatslto the I.escue.

Pittsburg, Pa.-By the breaking Of
the ropes carrying five beams to their
position, letting tons Of iron fall upon
the movable crane at the Pittsburg end
of the new Wabash bridge being built
by the American Bridge Company over
the Monongahela River, almost dozen
workmen We're hurled to death by
fall Of more than 100 feet, striking the
water and two barges beneath.
Eight of the dead have been recov-
cred. Five are seriously injured. Sew
eral bodies are yet pinned under the
wrecked barge. The part of the bridge
extending out over the river from the
Water street side is q total wreck.
The dead follow:
William C. Fleming, forty-ive years
old, married, with three children;
George Wells, aged thirty years, Of
Heron Hill; James McLoud, of Esplen;
Frederick Sallinger, Homestead; J.
Campbell, Philadelphia; William Kit
linger, Of Sheraden, married; Frank
Dalby, of New Castle; two bodies, ut
Morgue, unidentified.
The bridge is of the cantilevcr pat
tern, and is building. from both sides
of the river toward the centre by
means of overhead travellers.
The men had been at work on tho
Pittsburg end but short time, when
suddenly the traveller which projected
beyond the finished part of the bridge
dropped and fell, landing Oh section
Of the bridge which was being placed
in position. So unexpected and sud-
den was the crash that few of the
workmen on the wrecked section were
warned in time to escape.
The falling bridge landed on top of
a barge load Of steel anchored at the
pier, and several of the workmen there
were carried down.
John McTighe, cousin Of the Su-
perintendent of Police and a black
smiths helper employed at the city
machine shop, happened to be on the
Monongahela wharf, watching the men
at work when the accident occurred.
McTigh.. in giving'a description Of the
accident, said:
"Thc men were preparing to ram in
one of the piAs on the bridge when the
accident took place. Before knew
what had happened 1 saw the entire
top Of the traveller collapse and the
next minute the men were falling
through the air.
1T was a terrible sight. The men
turned over and over as they fell, and
their bodies looked like so many flies.
Zone Of the men who fell from the
top of the structure alighted on his
head on the barge and rebounded sew
eral feet, falling into the water. His
crushed body was taken out later.
zone man was at work some dis
tance above the barge, having hold Of
one of the ropes which was used in
hoisting. He managed to escape and
I saw him about the place later"
When the "traveler" snapped the
hosting engineer realized what had
taken place. He opened the whistle
of his engine and blew loud warning.
This continued until the breaking Sec
tions of the bridge threw his steam
pipes out Of gear.
Near the new bridge was the United
States snagboat E. A. Woodruff. whose
crew with their skifrs soon had recov-
cred four bodies, most of them badly
crushed Another victim was rescued
alive, but succumbed to his injuries
before he reached the shore.
The towboat John D. Watson came
across the river from the opposite bank
and Joined the work Of rescue. 1t sue
cedeed in taking two mangled bodies
from the river.
A dozen skiffs along the bank took
two bodies from the steel-laden barge,
while five men, more or less crushed.
were taken to the shore.