Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1906-08-17
STEAMER WRECKS
DULUTH BRIDGE,
Navigation in Important Harbor Cut Off
When the Troy Hits Span-Ves-
sells Cannot Return to Lakes.

DULUTH, Mimi, Aug. IL Spe-
cial. 1.-The steamer Troy, a 5000 ton
steel package freighter owned by the
Western Transit company, collided with
the span of the Interstate bridge at 1
a. N. today and preciptated it into the
channels on either side of the center
pier on which the span reyOlved.
Navigation to and from the upper har-
Dor, the most active portion OF the head
of the lakes, is blocked.
Whitney Brothers of Superior have
signed a contract which calls for the re-
moval Of the submerged bridge span now
blocking the channel between the upper
and lower bays, the contract reading that
within twelve hours the channel Will be
.'cleared for navigation" This time be
gan at noon today.
Worst Wreck in the Harbor.
The span was about one-third open
at the time Of the crash. The accident
Is the most disastrous that has ever oc-
CURED IN the Duluth-Superor harbor.
The wrecked bridge lies in such a man
ner as 10 block the channel on both
sides of the center pier that it is i'm
possible for any large boat to pass.
Street railway and team traffic be
tween Duluth and Superior is cut off
and will be for some time to come.
One Man Has Close Shave.
Edward Williams, the night engineer
and Waterman i'll charge of the bridge,
had narrow escape from death, but
he was not injured. He declares the
Troy approached the bridge and blew tor
1t to open in the usual way.
She seemed to be about 500 to GOO
feet distant, probably GOO" said Will
liams. Il at once started to open the
draw, and when | had it one-third open
the steamer struck it about twenty feet
from the center pier III the channel on
the Superior side. The span gave way.
The end of the span that was struck by
the boat gave way first, and then the
other end toppled over into the water"
The bridge was owned by the Great
Northern railroad The draw span was
300 feet in length, one of the longest in
the world.
Forty Vessels Cut Off,
Forty steamers now i'll the upper har-
Dor are cut off from returning to the lake
or to the Duluth side of the harbOr.
Most of the coal docks are on the upper
harbor, also many of the grain eleya7
tors, merchandise docks and the shipyard
on the Superior side. Water communi-
alton with all this is cut off.
The greater part of the tonnage of the
DuluthSuperior harbor originates in st.
Louis bay where the docks of the Du-
luth. Missabe and Northern road are To-
Il
of ore will be held up until the channel
Is cleared.
The steamer Troy was badly dam
aged, her bow being stove i'll and she
will require considerable repairs.
AS the steamer was under way said
Capt. Murray. Il expected the bridge to
swing out rs is usual, permitting the
steamer to pass through The fact that
the bridge would not open became ap-
parent too late and the Troy crashed
into the draw. Then came the big
splash.
Bridge Lost for Whole Season.
1t was asserted that the bridge can
not be put i'll commission again this
season, although the span now blocking
the movement of many steamers, will
be removed as soon as possible, conser-
yatively estimated ut two days.
Estimates of the financial loss to the
bridge alone vary from 100000 to
100000. The bridge when built was
bonded for 100000 and cost approx
mately 81 600 900. The pier which held
the balance in the draw span is not bad
~ injured and it is believed that with
salvage subtracted the actual loss will
not exceed S10OO0
The steamers now tied up and unable
TO move are as follows;
Anchor line passenger steamer Tiouesta,
all fired up.
Observation-Disclosures snyder NJ C.
Smith, Robert Mills. Mesaba, Earring, Ito
nesta, Meyer. Charles Wall, North Star.
Angus Smith Lizzie Madden. James II.
Hoyt, Luzon, Lycoming. Tccumseh, Haw-
good panay, Nike. Peterson. jerks. w. ).
Smith Frederick Il. Wells. Lent. Saunders,
woodruff Gladstone. Henry w. Oliver, Tay-
Tor, Pridgeon. Paige. L. NJ. Peck Sachem,
Owens, Robert t. Fryer.
Troy Will Complete Trip.
BUFFALO, n. Y. Aug 11.-At the
Office of the Western Transit company
1t was stated that the steamer Troy will
complete the trip. She is not damaged
so badly that she cannot come down the
lakes.