The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-01-19
TWO DEAD, FOUR INJURED WHEN
CRANE FALLS At STEUbENv|[LE
ONE OF THE LATTER
IS FATALLY INJURED
Crane on New LaBelle Bridge
Falls, Crashing Through a
Trestle- R. Tied Up.

STEUBENVlLLE, o.. Jan. lS.-One
man was instantly killed, another is
dead, third is fatally injured and
three more are more or less seriously
hurt as the result of an accident when
a 5O.ton crane used in the construc'
1ion of the new LaBelle Iron Works
bridge across the Ohio river at this
place, fell with the weight Of a 25.ton
steel plate and crashed through the
Wheeling 4 Lake Erie railroad trestle.
The Dead.
MlLLARD PRICE, age IS years;
White House, Ky; crane engineer
Scalded from head 10 foot by
steam from wrecked boiler. Died
TWO hours later in Ohio Valley
hospital here.
THOMAS HENDRICKS, age SO
years; Roanoke, Va; structural
iron worker. Crushed and in
stanlly killed under erector.
The Injured.
VERNON LEHER, age % years;
Moscow, Ind; Time keeper. Both
legs broken and injured internally.
Will die.
Steubenville; a structural iron
worker; scalded by the escaping
steam. Not serious.
Two other workmen painfully
but not dangerously hurt.
The accident occurred late this aft
ernoon when the big crane, becoming
overbalanced with the weight of the
25-ton steel plate, toppled from the
iulse-work. on which it was erected
IL dropped fifty feet, crashing through
A. .Ily INpin
its fall the boiler ol the huge crane
was wrecked and the escaping steam
slightly sCalded no less than Il dozen
other workmen, who were able 10 &C
home after having their burns dressed
The six men elther killed or injured
were in the crane when it, overturned.
steel plate and was instantly crushed
TO death. Price was horribly scalded
by escaping steam from The wrecked
boiler.
1t was feared al first that no less
than a dozen men working near the
scene of the accident had been badly
injured or scaldcd by the steam es.
Gaping from the boiler. The hospital
was notified 10 reserve places for n
dozen men. Every ambulance and a
half dozen physicians were rushed TO
the scene OF the accident while as
many more doctors were rushed 10
the hospital 10 care for the victims
there. Many who were only slightly
burned were attended at the LaBelle
emergency hospital.
The cause Of the accident had not
been determined late tonight, although
it is rumored that 4 heavy cable hold
ing the crane in place on the false
work broke. Officials of the Ameri-
can Bridge company, contractor Tor
the erection Of the bridge, at once be-
gan q rigid investigation, and county
authorities are expected to start an
other probe OF the accident tonight.
Railroad Tied Up.
The Wheeling Il Lake Erie railroad
it was said tonight, will be tied up Tor
week, until the wrecked trest!e can
be replaced.
The LaBelle Iron Works bridge is
being erected 10 connect the LaBelle
plants here with that company S big
coke plant on the West Virginia side
OF the river. This is the first serious
accident that has marred the progress
OF the JOB.
Nillard Price, the dead engineer, mad
been married only month. HIS
bride was al his bedside in the hos
rital when he died Price and Lelirr
had been on The job only about TWO
weeks