The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-04-28
Big PIER COLLAPSES
Three Killed, Five Missing,
and Score Injured.
HUNDREDS NARROWLY ESCAPE
Monster Structure of b. & o. at LO-
eust Point, Baltimore, slides Into
Harbor-Aeeident Believed to Have
Been Due to Settling Of River Bot
tom or Giving Away OF PfIing.
Special to The Washington Hersld.

Special TO The Washington Hersld.
Baltimore. Md. April 27.-With scores
Of men leaping from the roof and win
dows. ami a roar and crash that
drowned the cries OF the imprisoned men,
the giant new pier Of the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad, AT Locust Point, double
story steel structure 1000 feet long and
the biggest structure OF its kind south Of
New York. slid into the harbor this
morning, creating tidal wave that
snapped ships from their moorings ana
tossed men overheard. The dead are:
ROBERT 5WEErMAN. carpenter. 560 Cedar
| ssenna
ANTON wILFFEL. elevator constructor. l72
wilkins avenue
HOWARD ELLENDER. contractor. Bsllinue.
Manchester.
Missing George Ward, maehinist, Otis
Elevator Company; William Vaughn, col
ored. whitewasher. Baltimore Bridge
Company SIG West Lee Street: George
Montgomery. .colored. sos West Lee =treet.
whitewssher for Baltimore Bridge Com
pany; Robert johnson, colored. S34 China
street. whitewasher for Baltimore Bridge
Company Jacob Mindenburger, laborer,
1917 Decatur street.
About two hundred men we're AT work
1 finishing the great structure, fifth Of
mile long 80 feet wide and resting on
/ 1000 piles, when IL began TO totter, and
pandelnoniurn reigned when ali made
break to reach shore or jump overheard.
Three men have been taken out dead. five
bodies are stu in the ruins and about
twenty were injured. Il IS believed the ae-
cident was due 10 the earth under the
harbOr sliding, or the piling giving away.
shows signs of Weakness.
Some days ago signs Of weakness show
ed themselves in the pier. Friday man
was set to watch a crack that appeared
and ran clear across the center Of the
pier Il indicated that the water end
Of the structure was sinking and the
big wharf was breaking In halves. This
morning the crunching and grinding Of
the big timbers notified the construction
officials that the pier was going. Men
ran out on the wharf 10 order the men
/ ashore, but before the alarm was well
given the structure. with its two-story
housing of metal, tottered and then
lunged sideways toward thirty feet Of
water
Howard L. EIender superintendent Of
the Mclean Contracting Company, dash
ed on the pier 20 save his men and was
crushed 10 death. Although a large man,
/ be was fstteued out 70 the thickness Of
/ five inches and his body cut IN twain.
William ". Edison, superintendent OF
| the Baltimore Bridge Company, had gone
on the pier 70 get the carpenters out
when he was knocked senseless and
/ overheard. He was found clinging 10 a
pile
Another hero was Howard Swope, q car
/ peuter working far out on the pier. He
was one Of the men at work on the pier
when the first omin0us signs OF the col
I lapse warned him 10 fee for his life
| Swope gained the shore in safety, but
when told that there were men at work
/ on the pier who had not needed the
warning. he rushed back down the entire
/ length Of the bis pier, shouting as he ran;
Get out, boys; she's going down
Risks Life for Others.
When Swope started back toward the
shore iine the huge pier was literally
sinking beneath his feet On and on he
ran. and as the great wall, which marked
the shore line, fell with crash, swope
stepped beyond IL TO safety. Surrounded
! By number Of those who had been saved
by his act, and while receiving thanks
for his bravery, SwOpe managed to say:
1T was one Of those times when IL
/ needed quick action. / simply took a
/ chance. I got out ali right. but / tell
/ you while 7 was running toward safety
/ my hair stood on end.