The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1919-05-29
TWO MEN LOSE LIVES
ON PINE CREEK BRIDGE
UNFORTUNATE ACCIDENT &C.
CURED IN MOST UNEx-
PECTED MANNER.

A deplorable accident on Pine creek
last Monday morning took the lives OF
two men almost in the twinkling of an
eye and in a manner for which no one
appears to be blameable. In fact 1t
appears that all reasonable precau-
tons were taken by the survivor and
the two victims and that the accident
came without the slightest warning
1t is a costly lesson but 1t should not
be lost on those having charge OF
bridge construction and repairs in
this county. In this case the very
boards which had been placed to
strengthen the bridge and safeguard
traffic proved the trap that cost two
men their lives.
How It Happened.
The caterpillar tractor and road
scraper owned by the county were
being used in repairing the Pine creek
wagon road. The caterpillar, IN
charge Of j. M. Van Devender. man
of long experience in handling trac-
tors, was drawing the road scraper'
which was being operated by Charles
Beeler and William Ahrens. They
had completed some work near the
Amv-Mathless mine and proceeded to
the bridge across Pine creek Few
hundred feet above. Before going on
the bridge the three men Inspected II
to satisfy themselves that it would be
safe to drive the tractor over 1t, and
also the approaches to the bridge
Everything appeared safe and the
caterpillar with the scraper attacheo
went across. AS it was then about IL
o'clock, it was decided to go back to
camp and clean up preparatory u
going further up the creek after din
ner The caterpillar thereupon turn
ed round and proceeded back across
the bridge AS the big machine pass
ed over the approach to the main
span, Mr.. Van Devender, the driver
saws he looked back and asked the
men il everything was all right to
which they responded in the affirma-
tive. Almost the next instant he
heard a crash as Of breaking boards
and looking back he saw the scrapel
rolling over and down into the
, stream, carrying the two men with 1t
He leaped to the rescue with all pos
sible speed and succeeded in drawint
3 Mr.. Beeler from the water Efforts u
! move Mr.. Ahrens were futile, as NJ
g was caught under the heavy scrape
v and held firmly to the bottom OF tn
stream. face down. Mr.. Van Deven
der hurried to the Amy-Matchless 10
q help Gus Smith coming to his as
q sistance. It required jackscrew I
raise the scraper and release the bod
Of Ahrens. Beeler was breathin
g when taken out but died in about 2
minutes.
Cause Of the Accident.
2. The bridge Is one OF ordinary WOO
d construction, a single span acros
! Pine creek, with sloping approache
'e and floored with two-inch boarc
lie nailed to girders To further strength
y ell and protect the bridge and to "a
l. ciltate traffic, other 2-inch board
TO had been nailed down lengthwise COY
ering the roadway, practice that HI
probably been in vogue since the fir
at bridge was floored with sawed lun
le Der. But this approved custom al
Of supposed safeguard to traffic caus
D. the death of the unfortunate men
IL the scraper. One Of these lengthwi
is boards had become loose and one Ell
Id was elevated above the level OF
g. bridge. Possibly the weight OF t
a. tractor on the bridge ahead forced
Tr. end under the scraper higher. In a.
ng event the projecting blade OF t
s. scraper caught the end Of the boal
on while the steady pull Of the tract
he raised the board and with 1t that 81
of the scraper until the center "