Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-09-12


under the care Of a physician.
| ecencs such an these were enacted
all night long and ali yesterday until
the body OF John r.. Baker. the last to
be recovered. was identified.
Had Passport For Italy.
In an effort 10 identify the victims
their clothing was thoroughly searched
by attendants of the morgue. In the
pockets OF Antonib rollino, one of the
dead. they found passport dated for
next Sunday and a ticket for Italy,
where he was going 10 join his two
mofherless sons ard later return with
thsn to this country. poliIno, with
Frank Ferroni. another of the victims.
was walking near the bridge and they,
too, went to watch the police try to re-
cover the body Of the boy.
The mother OF Mary Bakia. the six
year-oid girl who met her death, is Ia
a critical condition In the Chester Hos
pitai, suffering from shock. The
woman saw the body OF her little
daughter being taken from the water
and collapsed. She Was taken home
and neighbors. In an effort 20 comfort
her. told her that her daughter was
not dead but merely taken 70 the hos
pstal. The child's father went 20 the
Institution to see her and when HI
could not find her went 10 The morguo
where he found her body. Tho sfrain
was too much for tho fathoF and he
tainted. When the mother was told
of the little siri's death her condition
became 70 srave that she had 70 be
taken to the HOSPITAL.
Mrs. Hawkins. who was rescued
from tho water by Toomey, and whose
two children were drowned. IS in a
serious condition ic the hospital. sDf-
feriug from the effects Df the wster
and check. Physicians az tho iuststu-
ton said she cri-d All day for her
lchilcrsn, and late yesterday afternoon
they told her of the death of the
younp sters.
Thenas Martin lived IN n roofning
hogse 81 VEST Fourth street and b
employed at one II .he industrial
plants in the vicinity. lie IS known
to have sister b Chicago. Efforts
are being made to communicate with
her.
Cause Of the Tragedy.
II. n Quinlby, chief engineer Of the
Philadelphia Rapid Transit co. AMI
Edward Tempier Yesterday made an
inspection of the bridge to determine
the cause Of the accident, and after
an inspection OF several hours made
the following statement through
Thomas ]. Feeiey. a member Of the
County Commissioners:
one Of the sidearms. which in turn
supports the footpath, was made %
wrought iron. The bridge was faulty
in construction.
The grain in the plate was per-
pendicuiar instead or being horizontal
and we found a crack IN the plate
nearly eight inches in length. The
length Of the gusset plate was IS
inches and the old crack In the plate
was eight inches long and had been
there for the past III years 10 Is
what we call d progressive break"
When the plate was unbolted from
the bridge II was seen that the plate
was nearly crystalized and the piece
os gusset plate could almost be broken
with ones fingers. IL was said that
ebout 10 years ago a canal boat
laden with coal broke loose from It's
moorings 100 feet up the river and
jsmmed against the bridge. The
rising tide forced the canal boat
against the bridge. bending the gusset
plate.
Bent Plate Located.
The following morning on inspec-
ton Of the bridge was made and the
bent plate was located. and the rivets
we're cut out, and workmen took the
plate 10 the street. where instead OF
putting in a new plate, il is said.
they attempted TO straighten out the
plate while II was cold, with the re-
suit that the plate was cracked. De-
spite this crack, however. the plate
was put back into place and bolted.
When the crowd surged on the bridge
Saturday night 10 watch fhe rescue
Of the small boy they seemed by fate
to gather at the spot where the crack
ID plate was upholding the footpath.
The strain was too much for the
cracked plate and. as the crack was
running with the grain. the bridge
footpath broke loose from he bridge
proper when the other seven inches
of fhe ,fafa fore Iooaa