The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-04-01
10 TO 40 MAY
BEDROWNED AT
LAUNCHING
Collapse of Scaffolding
Throws Crowd of $50 Into
Deep Water.
SIX BODIES RECOVERED
Swift Current Hinders the
Work of Divers Rushed
to the Scene.
THOUSANDS SEE TRAGEDY
Hull Slides Down Ways at
Hartman, Pa, Yards While
Victims Struggle in River.
Special Dtspntch 10 TIE SrN


BRISTOL, Pa. March 31.-Many lives
were lost this afternoon when a tenn
porary scaffoldng extending around
the stern of a ship on the ways at the
Merchant Shipbuilding Compahy's yard
at Hartman collapsed while nearly $50
persons were standing on 1t to view
the launching Of the freighter Waukau.
At I O'Clock tonight six bodies
had been recovered. but official esti-
mates Of the death toll vary from ten
to forty.
According to the thousands who had
assembled to see the launching and
were eye witnesses of the catastrophe
the scaffolding seemed to turn over
like a giant turtle, precipitating its
occupants into twenty-five feet OF
water. The accident happened exactly
four minutes before the launching was
scheduled to take place.
Divers. Bristol and Hartman police
and firemen are graphing In the swift
waters OF the Delaware. for the victims,
but it is feared many have been car
ried against the pilings OF the ways
and docks at the great shipyard and
that the actual death toll may never
be known.
Believe Forty Are Dead.
At the Hartman Hospital it was
stated that preparations had been
made to receive forty bodies, and 1t
was said that officials expected the
death toll to reach that number
Deputy Coroner Harvey Rue of Bris-
tol is OF the opinion, however. that not
more than ten victims are In the water.
II will he impossible to check UP the
list of victims, as the crowd included
spectators as we'll as workmen and there
is no means of knowing how many were
standing on the scaftold when 1t COL
lapsed.
The scene OF the accident was on No.
6 hull, adjoining the ways where the
Waukau was to be launched. Chased
from other points of vantage by the
guards workmen and spectators crowded
on a plankway about five feet in width
and extending around the stern OF the
hull This scaffold was erected to per-
nit the workmen to pass around the
each time they passed from one side
TO another.
Crowd Sees the Tragedy.
While workmen were saving the key
piece on the Waukau a shout went
up and the assembled thousands saw
the scafrolding tilt and the crowd upon
II thrown into tho river. An instant
later the key piece parted and the big
hull slid down the ways, The suction.
it is feared. drew some of the victims
TO their death.
Every available craft, including the
tugs which were ready to make fast
the Wau&au, rushed TO the scene. Some
of the victims, practically all of them
men, managed to grasp the scaffolding
and were pulled to safety. 4 sailor In
the crowd of spectators jumped over
, board and pulled two drowning men
ashore. In few moments all who were
still on the surface were safe and were
being hurried to the Hartman Hospi-
tai In vehicles of all sorts improvised
as ambulances.
Divers were quickly on the SPOT The
swift current and the piling are hamper
ing their work, however.
William T, Wilson, manager of the
plant. issued this statement tonight:
The workmen were not supposed to
he on the wooden patrol walk which
: collapsed. The walk is only used for
the guards on duty and the workmen
when they walk from one of the ways
to the other. The walk was over
crowded
The divers and men in boats are
| continuing the work OF searching for
bodies"
| 1t Is the opinion of Coroner Rue that
tho great number OF men who crowded
on to the scaffoldlng caused II to tip over.
Among the bodies recovered Is that OF
Rafael Doprito, $40 Dean street, Brook
! lyn.