Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-07-24
TOW BOAT ELLEN
LITTLE DAMAGED
Huh of Craft Which BuEaped Into Pier
of Rock Island Bridge; Needs
Slight Repairs.
SEVERAL ACCIDENTS IN PAST
Number OF Cafastrophes Rave 0c-
Cured Here Most Serious Being
of Jennie sGilchrist.

After being lodged against the piers
north of the draw onStbe Rock Island
bridge Friday evening at S: 80. the gov
eminent tow boaE~Ellen andzits hotllla
Of IA boats werei released Saturday
afternoon at 5 O'Clock
The Ellen wassable to proceed under
its own steam 70 the MILAN boat yards
for repairs. Contrary 10 expectation
the hull of the craft wzls not seriously
damaged and it is IN derSOod that
only minor repairs will be necessary
to put il in good shape again
Official investigation and report OF
the accident had not been made as yet.
Major George, NJ. Hoffman, IN charge
OF the United States engineers office
here. IS still out Of the city and until
his return, a formal quiz into the;mis-
hap Will not besordered-
Bridge CatastrOphes of Past
It may be interesting 10 recall some
of the noted bridge catastrophes of
the past at Rock Island. III the list
are the following:
1856. MAY 6-Efie Alton struck
bridge and burned to waters edge,
no lives lost.
1858. Sept. 29-Fanny Harris struck
bridge and sunk. two lives lost
1858. Oct 9-Henry Clay struck
bridge no lives lost.
1861, April Northern Light
struck bridge, no deaths
1861. May 9-Grey Eagle struck
bridge, three lives lost.
1881. Oct 27-Jennie Gpchrist
struck bridge, eight lives lost.
The Effe Alton
On May 6, 1856. a large and splen-
did steam boat called the Ellie Alton,
while attempting TO pass the Rock
Island draw of the bridge, in gale
Of wind, was thrown against the
draw-pier and rebounding, swung
around the stone pier east of the draw
and the smoke pipes coming In con-
tact with the superstructure were
thrown down, setting fire To the boat
in several places. She stuck fast I'M
der the bridge and the flames from
the boat ignited the framework of the
bridge and burned off the end Of the
span which fell and with the burning
hull Of the boat foated three-quaT-
tiers of d mile down the river. During
the summer and fall of 1856 this
burned span was constructed anew.
Fanny Harris Fate.
Two lives were lost when the Fan
ny Harris met her fate in passing
through the bridge at 9 o'clock on the
evening of Sept IS. 1858. She had
aboard, and BAT sacks Of wheat and
much other freight when she struck
the bridge pier There was a slight
fog at the time The two firemen,
Martin Brew and William Smith,
both of Rock Island, were drowned.
The boat was passing through the
piers of the Rock Island railroad
bridge when suddenly she struck the
stone pier with great force, so that
h1v ho Mo
with almost equal force, which knock
ed the bow so that the boats direction
was turned towards Rock Island.
The starboard guard was almost car
ried away and the IarboaTd guard
was also considerably injured. The
hold rapidly filled with water, which
stopped the engines and put out the
lights.
Henry Clay Bumped.
On Oct S. 1858, at 10 o'clock in the
morning, the large sidewheeler Min
nesota packet Henry Clay" coming
down the river with a barge in tow,
was caught in d gale Of wind and
swung into one Of the piers OF the old
railroad bridge, some distance above
the present location Of the govern
ment bridge
Northern Lights Peril.
The steamer Northern Light had
a narrow escape from total destruc-
ton in striking the bridge at 3 O'Clock
in the morning of April 27, 1861.
AS she was passing through the
draw she struck the upper end of the
large pier, carrying away the wheel
house, wheel and fanges, and cook
house.
Grey Eagles Misfortune.
~ 81 nf
bridge accidents at this point was that
which befeIl the Grey Eagle on May
g, 1861. The big packet piled be
tween St Louis and St Paul and was
in charge of Captain d. S. Harris.
Three lives were lost These consist
ed Of Mrs. Weaver and her little boy
Of Dubuque, and an insane man named