The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser., 1921-09-23
OLD BREAK LED
TO BRIDGE CRASH
Iron Plate Cracked Ten Years
Ago Found on Collapsed
Structure at Chester, Pa.
HEROIC WORK OF RESCUE
Trained Bear the Cause-CroWd Fol-
lowing Animal Saw Boy Drown and
Overloaded the 6ridge-coIIapse
Puts City in Mourning.

CHeSter, fd.-A Cracked SuSSel pldLe,
which was bolted instead of riveted,
caused the collapse of the footpath on
the Third street bridge over the Ches-
ter River at Chester, hurting twenty
five persons to their death in the
murky waters below.
All of the bodies have been recov-
cred. The last one taken out of the
river was that of Apostolos Apostolic,
five years old, 419 Edgemont street,
Chester. He was the child whose
drowning led to the disaster. Three
of the seven injured persons in the
Chester Hospital are not expected to
recover.
A section of the bridge collapsed
when several hundred persons rushed
upon it to watch attempts to rescue
the Apostolic boy, who had fallen into
the narrow river. The crowd was
watching q swimmer trying to find the
body, when, without a warning, there
was a sharp, cracking sound, and a
ten-foot section of the bridge col
lapsed.
Nearly 100 persons, screaming and
struggling, slid down into the water.
More than seventy of those were saved
by others, who jumped into the river
or got boats and carried the victims Of
the crash ashore.
Fl. Fl. Quimby, chief engineer of the
Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company,
and Edward Templer inspected the
bridge to determine the cause of the
accident. After a long examination
OF the structure they issued the fol-
lowing statement through Thomas J.
Feeley, member of the County Com
missioners:
"The gusset plate which supports
one Of the sidearms, which in turn
supports the foothpath, was made of
wrought iron. The bridge was faulty
in construction. The grain in the plate
was perpendicular instead of being
horizontal, and we found a crack in
the plate nearly eight inches in length.
The length of the gusset plate was
fifteen inches, and the old crack in the
plate was eight inches long and had
been there for eleven years. 1t is
what we call progressive break"
When the plate was unbolted from
the bridge it was seen that the plate
was nearly crystallized and the piece
of gusset plate could almost be broken
with ones fingers. 1t was said that
about ten years ago a canal boat laden
with coal broke loose from it's moorings
hundred feet up the river and jam
med against the bridge. A rising tide
forced the canal boat further against
the bridge, bending the gusset plate.
The morning following the canal
boat accident, an inspection of the
bridge was made and the bent plate
was located. The rivets were cut out
of it and workmen took the plate to
the street. Instead of putting in a
new plate they attempted to straighten
out the plate while it was cold, with
the result that the plate was cracked.
Despite that crack, however, the plate
was put back into place and bolted.
The disaster was indirectly brought
about by the desire of Apostolic to see
a trained bear that was being led
about the streets of Chester to ex-
plot a moving picture that was being
shown at the Edgemont theater. The
youngster was walking along the bank
of the river. when Vincent Desmond,
aged twelve, of No. 912 West Third
street, called to him that the bear was
coming down the street. The child
started to run, and had almost reached
the bridge when he slipped and fell
into the water. The Desmond boy
saw him fall, and called for help. Two
men in a rowboat rowed out to the
spot where he went down and began
diving for the lads body.
When the crowd surged on the bridge
to watch the rescue of the small boy
they seemed by fate to gather at the
spot where the cracked plate was up
holding the footpath.
Coroner Charles Drewes looked at
the bridge and condemned the whole
structure. He told the authorities
that he would forbid any traffic across
the bridge despite the fact that only
the footpath seemed in danger. Ropes
were thrown across both ends of the
bridge and no one was allowed to cross.
Ten minutes after Coroner Drewes
left the scene the ropes were taken
down and pedestrians and vehicles
were allowed TO pass over. When
Mr.. Drewes heard of the disre-
earding of his orders he rushed back
to the bridge and again ordered the
structure closed.