WENT DOWN WITH A BRIDGE.

SEVERAL IOWA WORKMEN CRUSHED AND MANGLED AT ELDON.

There was an awful accident at Eldon, by which one man lost his life, four were fatally hurt, and six injured seriously. The accident occurred on a new bridge in course of construction across the Des Moines River at that place.
Seventeen men were engaged taking down the third span of the old bridge and putting in false work when it went down. ED THOMPSON of South Ottumwa was killed outright; JOHN FALLON had his skull fractured and received bad scalp wounds and will probably die; MIKE MURPHY was crushed through the breast and internally injured, and can not live; JAMES COLLINS was also badly injured. FALLON and MURPHY were both of South Ottumwa. WILLIAM BURKE of Eldon was terribly crushed and a bolt was imbedded deep in his flesh, and his recovery is doubtful. GIT NICHOLS, FRANK DEFORED, W. D. FRANTZ and JESSE NICHOLSON were dangerously wounded. The rest of the number received slight injuries.
The superstructure on which they were working was part of the old bridge, and was pronounced unsafe before the work on the new bridge was begun. THOMPSON was married and leaves a wife and four children. FALLON and COLLINS are married and have large families depending upon them. As soon as the information was received at Ottumwa physicians were immediately dispatched to the scene, and together with the local physicians of Eldon are doing all possible to alleviate the sufferings of the victims.

Sioux County Herald Orange City Iowa 1893-10-25
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Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!