The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1908-05-05
/ HUNDREDS. ! & ] | J. see 5. e:
THET'I Il !! MBERS | r; GO
DOWN. STREAM
Her oic ii Effort :;
'er E ! Jnavailing

= - $SAAAA1o
The new bridge went out again to-
day at :45 o'c1ock.
sTis the second time that the false
work has gone out for the Toledo Mas
s-alllons Bridge Company while con-
Sstrnct ting the structure over the Mo-
II tnongahela river here just as the iron
work had progressed with in few
work of being able to support
itself On January, 10 just as the
sbrid ge had progressed within a few.
days of being past the danger line an.
Sicea gorge swept the work away. To-
day the same event was duplicated
,pn1y to-day the debris that caused the
bridge to collapse was drift that col
ss1ected from the river; and ITS alfluents.
Snper1ntendent Sweede had the.
bird Be- this time nearly where It was
selt5sup Importing. Steel was being pur
I'm place rapidly and the work was get
ting 50 shape that a large force OF men
could be put to work. This morning
" before the danger became imminent
D ssthesrivetinE machine was started anl
the irons placed were being riveted to-
{ agether. h But SO far all the work that
4 has been done except the building Of
the pliers has been lost
sN The river this morning was full
Aot heavy drift that collected in
q an large quantity above the; tres.
tile work. So 4 much OF the drift
collected ~ that the men who were
sR;orking on the bridge became
ALARMED and had to. quit work on the
Sstructnrez and go to work trying to
sgget# the drift through the trestles in
sshopeSto save the labor already put on
the bridge.
The men mounted the drift already
damned up against the timbers and
with hooks and poles succeeded in get
ting much OF the drift through under
the bridge q
At great deal OF trouble was caused
asbEby an old 6s forked log that caught
among the timbers. Effort after ef-
sssfort was made to dislodge the log but
Sitswo,,ld not yield A haisting engine
was employed. It was thought that
t5eoula be lifted from It's position.
4 Hooks were fastened to 1t and the
z gengtne was started but It could not
sdislodg dge the log. The yard engine
VAS sent for and long rope was
5hltched on the log and the yard en-
SsEines hooked on TO the rope. The en-.
Il glnei started: and succeeded In. dislodg-
Ing the dreaded obstruction. While
this was being done other debris hal
St;colected in alarming proportions and
1.-the men could not keep the incoming
drift from accumulating. 5,E
superintendent Sweede, remember
ing how he lost a lot OF steel when
the false work collapsed onS Stha4night
OF 't January IL had part OF his men to
\ load the pieces OF steel that was on
the bridge but not, In place on truch
and carry it on to the bank.
Hundreds of people stood on the
bank OF the river and watched the ef-
~ forts Of the men to save their work.
They could be seen on the east side,
on the west side. from the station,
from the hall above the station and
:wherever: the eye would rest one could
sae see Aanxious groups watching. The
kodak man WAS there with his cam.
II era taking views Mat be could after.
turn rnSlntomerehnndlse.
~ twelve.thirty o'clock the men
Ss4nit work. They concluded then that
n ttG was too dangerous to work longer
HSand that Its going out was only. mat
n der OF time. II However. cables were fas-
tened to the bridge and these were
ss$:eonpled to "a locomotive on the short.
line track. Yard master w. r. Riggs
assisted in every way that he could.
a 30 one Sof the trestles split
q and the icrvwd knew that in few
81 minutes the whole thing would go
sreeking $and Etumbling into the muddy
stream below: More heavy drift
S came floating around the bend OF the
river and those who were watching
closely were heard to say! that she
Il 80 now and ! sure enough it did.
;aes strestles began to yield to gthe
feayy pressure and Tsoon; the timbers
4 and sthe iron came tumbllng down
epinE eyery ING. y ,a, ! 1. /! I
con.lnusd 4on 5P.asE Elaht.)