The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-10-25
PROBE Hts DEATH.
Inquest BEING Held Over Body
of Frank BOsWOrth.
Jury Inspects Monroe Street
Scene Of Accident.
BLAMEPLANKBRACING
Witnesses Tell How Work Was
Progressing on Structure.
Commissioners Testify in Re-
gard to the Inspections.

A coroner's jury is celebrating on
a verdict on the death of Frank Bos-
worth, a city employee, who was kill
ed Thursday of last week in the col
lapse of the bridge at Twenty-first and
Monroe streets. Coroner H. H. Keith
called the inquest at 10 o'clock this
morning. Frank Hayes, another city
laborer. who was injured severely, was
unable to appear as a witness. Testi-
mony was completed and the jury con-
sisting OF William Henderson, John
Jones, A. NJ. Russell. H. S. Allen, J.
e. Guild and L. NJ. Carter was taken
to the wrecked structure to inspect the
debris.
The bridge was being rebuilt by
gang of the city's street force convert
ed into a bridge gang for the occasion.
Peter Smith was the foreman of the
gang detailed for the work. The re-
pairing was under the direction of
Frank Snyder, street commissioner,
and w. G. Tandy. city commissioner
OF streets and walks.
Snyder had superintendent the brac-
ing of the old structure for the re-
pairs, himself ordering the bracing
done by Smith and his men. Tandy
had inspected the braces before the
disaster. All were of the opinion that
the bridge was safe for the wOrkmen
to go onto.
The description of the structure
which collapsed was given by Frank
Snyder on the witness stand and was
supplemented by others. 1t is situat-
ed at Monroe and Twenty-frst streets,
running east and west. 1t is wooden
structure about So feet long, support
ed at the ends by stone abutmentS and
by piles about eleven feet inside of the
abutments at each end. The center
section between the piles was the point
hot ion
is carried by two arches at either side
of the driveway 6 feet wide. 1t was
these arches which fell and which had
been braced insufficiently.
Two needle beams were to be raised
by blocks pulling from the top of
these arches, one block being used on
each arch. The first cross beam had
been brought to place in the forenoon
under direction of Mr.. Snyder. The
commissioner was not present when
the second was hauled up in the at
ternoon and the whole upper struc-
ture gave way.
City Commissioner Tandy was the
first witness called to the stand. He
told of the arrangement between the
city and county to divide the expense
of rebuilding the bridge and for the
city to oversee the work. 1t was his
opinion that the bracing which he in
spected was sufficient.
Foreman Smith also thought the
hracing solid enough. So did Mr..
Snyder. City Engineer Fulton replied
that he had not inspected the bracing
or the bridge as he had not been called
upon to do so and answered that the
repairing of bridges usually was left to
the street commissioner.
When Coroner H. H. Keith asked the
engineer if he thought 1t safe for the
city to send an ordinary street gang to
build these bridges, he replied, mo,
sir. do not
Sinner Says 1t Wasn't Safe.
James c. Sinner, county commission
top collapsed, said on the stand that he
did not think the structure safe for
wOrkmen while the beams were being
hOisted but that after they were raised
to the floor he thought it safe enough.
The second beam had been swung up
and the south end slipped into it's spur
when the top swayed over north. With
that end safe in place, Sinner had
gone out on the rod trusses. The fact
that the south end of the beam had
been brought to place first indicates
that it had been raised faster than the
north and thereby caused the fitting OF
the arches toward the north
In falling the arches were pulled
apart in all directions. The log chain
Intended to hold the arches from Slip
the south arch from which the remain
der broke away. It is believed the
wooden timbers were rotted. After
hearing the testimony of the witnesses
the jurymen were taken in automobiles
to the scene of the accident for an ir
spection of the debris, before returning
their verdict