Smyrna times., 1925-06-17
LANDSLIDE At CANAL, BUCK
BRIDGE, FATAL TO SMYRNA MAN
" HURD, JR., BROTHER OF J.
HrRD. ONE OF THREE VICTIMS

j. nv
Tho Other Two Were COlOred Men
cmyrna Ambulance Rushes to Scene
n Take Injured to the Hospital
Three men were killed, one a Black
rrl.Smvrna man, and three others
ni1red yesterday morning in a land
.fde on the Chesapeake and Della
r,re Canal at Buck or Summit bridge
Tenty miles above Smyrna. The
bad; George w. Hurd, Jr., thirty
bree. Blackbird, brother of John J.
Hurd. near Smyrna; Lewis Wilcon,
mIored sixty-eight, Cecilton, Md;
Clinton Woolford, colored, forty-eight,
NJ Pleasant. The injured: Atillo
pntoni, Wilmington; Alexander Will
ap. CeciltOn, Md; Mike Violently,
Wilmington. Hurd was probably kill
"a instantly for his body was badly
initiated and his skull crushed. He
was a World War veteran, having
gent year in France, during which
time he saw considerable action. He
was married about six months ago.
His wife is in a delicate condition.
George W. Hurd, the father, who lives
on a farm near KirkwOOd, was one of
the early arrivals at the scene after
the accident. He is the father of 10
children and the one killed yesterday
morning is the first one he has lost.
His Youngest child is 21 years old.
The Smyrna Ambulance, in charge of
Earl W. Grant, hastened to the scene
to carry injured to the hospital. An
lilo Puntoni is in a serious condition
nd not expected to live. He and
Alex. Wilson are in the Union Hos
Etal at ElktOn.
Heavy Rain the Indirect Cause
The slide occurred on the west enc
Of the Summit bridge, which is under
construction. A hill on this side ex-
tends about 100 feet higher than the
level of the canal. A heavy rain
which fell during Monday night wa.
the indirect cause of the accident
The men, all employees of the DravC
Constructing Co., of Pittsburgh, Pa.
were engaged on the cOmpany's bridg,
operation at Summit Bridge. They
wprn worlrir,cr in ~ o.-oo,-,+;o,, 1Oi
feet west of the present bridge at tha
point A cofferdam had been bull
and arrangements made for pourini
the concrete foundation. During Mon
day night, however, as a result of tn
rain, large quantity of earth sli
down the steep bank at that point
and almost filled the SO foot excava
ton. It was while clearing this cart
out, the men using machinery to d
t. that a large section of earth u
the bank, slid down and caught 81
Of the II men at work there. Thre
were buried by the earth. The Othe
three were injured by timbers and b
being knocked about, but they mar
aged to escape burial. Immediatel
he entire force that had escaped wer
to work to dig the buried men ou
In about two hours, PuntOni, Alexar
Der Wilson and Violently, and the boo
les Of Hurd and Lewis Wilson ha
been gotten out, but it was not unit
Il5O that it was possible to rescu
"oolfOOrd and he died while bein
aken to the ElktOn hospital. H
mead had been badly crushed. Six {
me Z men on the operation were NJ
injured, not being caught in the slid
Buried Under Many Tons of Earth
It is estimated that from so to II
ons Of earth fell, when the slide toe
Place. The cOfferdam was formt
WIN l2xl2 timbers in the form of
sllare with three sets of simil;
aaOer across. The sheathing arour
ne dam was 2x10 and 2x12 hardwoC
'lo When the slide took place II
esvy timbers gave way, as did Il
@eathing on the canal side of Il
am. It is thought that the timbe
se what injured the men. WoOlfol
q bad wound on his head an
ea while being taken to an Elkto
4s' hospital in a private car. II
uler dam, where the accident too
p3e, was FOR a pier base for the ne
anal bridge, to replace the SUNNI
Ildge. The excavating work is in
.Sy hllly section and the work WI
1lned on with much difficulty f