Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1908-12-18
The Bridge Falls.
Three Mer Taken Out
Dead and Six are
Seriously Hurt,

| bridge, over the Potomac river NJ VII
| Transport, aud 10 course of construc-
ton furnished terrible disaster on
last Wednesday morning about 8
j O'Clock in which three men were Kill
ed outright aud six Others were 80
badly injured that some Of them will
probably die from their injuries.
All the men were in the employ oil
the Pennsylvania steel Company who
have the contract fer the steel work OF
the bridge.
The dead are:
Ross II. Bike, Of Dauphin, Penn
aged % years; married.
James G. Myers, of BendersvilIe,
Pa, aged 20; msrried. 81
George Stiff, OF Hagsrstown, former
ly ,of Roanoke, Va, aged 26; asmar-
ried.
The injured are:
! Charles Moore, of Stealton, Pa ,
aged %; unmarried.
jerome Hollenback, of Hfghspire,
! a., dgcu NO. uiatifcA'
Frank l.. Benning, of Buffalo Mills,
Pa, aged 81; married.
! Charles Gusslsr, Of Duncannon, Pa,
agad SO; married,
Alonzo Zimmerman, ,of Big Pool
Md, age 80; unmarried.
Bikle lived nearly IAN hour after the
accident.
Myers died while being taken In a
wagon from the bridge 10 the Potomac
House.
Stiff was killed instantly. He came
! TO Hagerstown several months ago
! from Roanoke and secured positio a
as fireman on the Western Maryland
railroad. He was formerly freight
conductor on the Norfolk and Western
railway and had just secured sm pisy-
ment with the Pennsylvania Steel
Company few hours 1efore the aeei ].
dent.
Zimmerman escaped with severe
4 bruises and cuts, although he fell sixty
i feet and was stunned He was slmost
buried in the mud and 1t was with
difficulty that he was gotten out.
/ Gussler WAS taken to the house of
Mrs. Gruber Castle, where he boarded.
1t is said he cannot recover
Moore's jaw was cushed and The was
Injured internally.
Mace had both legs broken, His left
leg contained two fractures. There is
hope that he will live.
| HoIienbAek and BenninE were both
seriously hurt, perhaps fatally.
The top OF Pier 4 1, Of concrete, gave
way as heavy steel girders were being
laid. The girders and tho traveller fell
INTO the river below a distance Of so
feet. About IL men wers oa the tray
leler, but oniyS went down. They
landed in about one and half feet o.
water. Some Of the men were hurled
under the machinery and were .reisas-
sd with difficulty. Fl ad the water been
much deeper lall would have drowned
Three werkmen escaped the plunge
by clinging to the pier.
The noise made by the fall
of the iron on the rocks in the
river was deafsning and startled every
body in WilIiamsport. In short time
nearly the entire pspu'atisn OF the
| town was at the scene of the accident.
The dead was placed in spring
wagon and removed to the undertake
ing establishment of j. Frank kr,ps,
wAiIs the injured we're hurried tc the
Hagerstown hospital. TIE ladies turn
cd oat in large numbers and furnished
bandages and blanket and assisted
the surgeons In rendering aid to the
Injured.
Tho cause Of the accident has not
been determined. 1t was reported that
the concrete piers were still too green
to bear the heavy weight Of the iron
girdsrs. 1t WAS also reported that
the Psnnsylvania Steel Company hal
been notified some time age not to
place the steel until the piers had bssn
unlsned 81 Gays. superintendent
Baker Of the company. stated that tn
report was false. He said that the last
piece Of concrete work had been finish
cd On December 10 by Elmore d
Hamilton, who had tho contract for
the concrete work on the bridge, and
he had orders TO complete the steel
work by December %. Ths cement
work atthe bridge, he said had already
"set" six days. and he stated that his
company had many times laid iron
girdsrs On concrete that had been made
only two or three before.
1 The pier that orumpied was eutirely
of concrete without any reinforcing