New-York tribune., 1908-09-24
R. R. BRIDGE SPAN FALLS
CO1L CARS GO WITH 1T.
Part of Huge B. s 0. Structure Col
lapses- Hinted.

Favre De Grace Md. Sept. 23.-Through the col
lapsing OF a span of nearly six hundred feet OF
the Baltimore Ohio Railroad Bridge Over ohe
susouehanna River at this point this morning
twelve loaded coal Of northoouhd reei'
train were carried down and the span was tolaiig
demolished William Wilson. Of HaTre de Grace
a watchman for the American Bridge ColhpallS'
went down with the wreckage. and receiVeU u"
suries which may prove fatal There were no otAeF
casualties
The bridge which was erected in the early ~ $
was being rebuilt and double tracked The acCi-
dent occurred about O'Clock With crash 'h@'
was heard for several miles, the immense mas ma.
fell into the river ompletey checking up the east
ern channel Two hours later the section that
went down would have been swarming with WORK
men, engaged in putting up the great steer Oeai4S
and girders which into its construction
The cause of the accident is unknown. 1here are
reports current that the bridge was tampered Wilh'
and that dynamite had been found concealed In
different parts the structure during the last re"
weeks Baltimore & Ohio officials are on the scene
making Investigations.
Immediately the accident the railroad COM
pany made arrangements with the Pennsylvania
company 10 run trains the latter company
tracks using the Pennsylvania tracks between
Wilmington and this place, and as result there
was practically interruption TO through trafhc
the road All the telegraph wires running
over the bridge were carried down
D D. Crothers. chief engineer Of the Baltimore q
Ohio Railroad this afternoon expressed his inability
10 explain the catastrophe on any otner IleoAy
than that the bridge had been dynamited
Il would not make such an accusation he said,
because IL is barely possible though highly I'M
probable that there some hidden defect IN the
work Of construction that caused the accident But
the bridge could have been dynamlted ana the IacI
concealed for the time.
There was nothing whatever" he said. TO IN
dcate that the bridge weak. I do not charge
that the bridge has been dynamited, but have no
other theory
-i.,7e CT
here to-day there have been hard feelings against
the bridge contractors account of disagreement
with certain workmen. Both the bridge and rail-
road companies have maintained guards on the
work
According 10 the best estimate that can be OBJ
tained from the bridge officials, the damage to the
work will reach 10000 This is exclusive OF the
loss 10 cars and freight they were carrying.
H P Reynolds, superintendent of construction OF
the American Bridge Company, which is engaged
in reconstructing bridge said that the structure
was perfectly secure last night, when il was care
fully inspected after the working gangs left 1t for
the day.
The span which fell was part Of structure pro-
nounced by experts TO be among the strongest OF
its kind in the world The bridge covers about
7co feet stands 100 feet high and is being built Of
solid concrete and steel.
At the Offices Of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad,
No Il State street, George II. Campbell general
superintendent of the New York division said that
he had received a report the effect that tie
false work over the east channel had collapsed
either because it had been tampered with by
strikers or because the work might not have been
efficiently protected and the timber braced He
said that he had teegraphed Instructions 20 Havre
de Grace for taking care Of the freight and pas
senger traffic.
There will be delay in traffic" said Mr.
Campbell The passenger trains will run over the
tracks of the Pennsylvania Railroad. which are
connected by a switch for just such emergencies
and are only an eighth Of q mile distant The
freight traffic will be taken care Of by way oI
Allentown on the New Jersey Central, Pf2iladephla
E Reading and Cumberland Valley railroads. 'e-
turning 10 the Baltimore & Ohio at Martlnsburg,
W Va The Pennsylvania tracks carry the trafhc
fe+veer Swan Creek and Wilmington"
The bridge at Havre de Grace is one of the
erhts on the main line of the Baltimore & Ohio
II was built tvventy-three years ago by the Amer
lean Bridge Company a cost Of about million
dollars II is a mile long consisting Of two spans,
each Of which is what is known a through
bridge" trains running through the steer WoIh
Between the two spans is Garrett Island. across
half mile Of which extends deck bridge the
tracks there being without any superstructure. The
bridge is seventy-fve feet above the Susquehanlla
\ and affords a view up and joTn the stream.
N Work has been proceeding on the bridge for the
Ehast wear. The American Bridge Company has been
pre crically rebuilding well as douhe-tracklrs
fhe old bridge TO accord with modern ideas Of such
steel structures The part over the island and the
main channel had been completed, and the span
over the east channel which is the smaller OF the
TWO was half finished.