Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-15
A BRIDGE COLLAPSED
TEAMS AND SCHOOL CHILDREN
PRECIPITATED INTO RIVER.

CHARLESTON W. Va, Dec. 15-While
crowded with people. including many chill
dren on the way to school, the old sus-
pension bridge which connects East and
West Charleston collapsed today, turning
turtle as 1t fell. throwing twenty to thirty
people and half dozen teams to the Ice
hfty feet below The ice broke under the
weight and 1t is feared that the number
who were swept under the ice to their
deaths will not be known for long time.
Two dead bodies were taken out within
a. short time and number of the injured
were assisted to the shore by rescuers, VINO
were promptly on the scene. Planks were
thrown on the broken ice and over these
the rescuers crawled with ropes which were
used to pull the injured and dead to the
shore News of the accident spread rapidly
and the banks were soon lined with frantic
people who feared that friends or rela-
tives had gone down with the bridge to
their deaths.
The work of rescue was pushed vigor-
ously. the United States engineers being
appealed to for help, while rivermen were
among the earliest helpers Ihe Drloge
was built fifty-two years ago ana curing
the past few months there mas been con-
siderable doubt regarding its safety heaVy
traffic being kept off on number or occa-
sions.
Those Rescued.
, The following were rescued within an
hour:
leila Smith nine, arm broken and inter-
nal injuries; Lille Cavendar, sixteen, bruls-
ed; Louise New horler and Helen Cavendar,
who went down, but got out themselves on
the ice; Ira Wood, a driver; William Homes
a driver both badly bruised; George WOOD
all a driver; Henry Fielder, who was per-
no fatally injured. The dead DOQy Oh
Mamie Higginbotham aged eight, was re-
covered. OF thirteen horses but one es-
eaped.
Great crowds have collected on both banks
and immense and anxious crowds line the
banks. as many people on the west side are
employed in Charleston But one strand OF
the cable remains. The bridge turned tur-
tie as II went down and the floor IS lying
amid the ice foes a little below the place of
crossing. Men in boats are fishing in TWEEN
ty feet of water for bodies The bridge had
been in a dangerous condition Tor some
time
=, The body of Ray Humphreys. aged fif-
teen years. was recovered. Gordon Long
and Tom Niche, drivers, went down with
the bridge. but caught the edge of the ice
and managed to reach the shore in safety:
The bridge floor was covered with several
inches of ice and snow.
1t had been considered unsafe for heavy
loads for several months and on last labor
day the officers would not allow the floats
in the parade to cross the bridge on account
Of its supposed unsafe condition.
Engineer Thomas Jeffries has arranged
FOR a government diver to search the bed of
the Elk river for bodies. The span of the
bridge which fell about 500 feet long.
The bridge was built in 1852.
Two large cables of the bridge were pull
ed from mornings. fitting the floor and
sliding people and wagons off. Later the
strain snapped one of the two cables on
the lower side. the floor turned completely
over it dropped. All the rescued were
numbed and chilled and suffering from the
shock. The fire department did good work
and the steamer Baxter broke ice in order
to get small boats up. The crash was
heard over Charleston and in the country.
During the civil war the cable of this
bridge was cut by General Wise when he
evacuated Charleston, the bridge at the
same time being partially burned. The
same cable was afterward spliced and has
been in use ever since.