Feature on Big 4 Bridge. Topic:
LANDMARKS
Written by Rich Wallace in
November,1998
| BIG 4 BRIDGE EXPENSIVE IN LIVES, CASH...Pg 3 | |
Lima resident Henry Snyder was killed and co-worker Patrick Fitzgerald was seriously injured in June 1923 when one of the trestles on the east side of the river collapsed, sending the workers to the ground almost 100 feet below. The next day's edition of the Sidney Daily News reported that another worker, Sidney resident Joe Gilardi, narrowly escaped injury as the four gondola cars tumbled from the collapsing trestle. Local residents Ed McVay and Harry Stahl assisted in removing debris from the accident victims. It was not a good week for trains in Sidney. The previous Wednesday, a Western Ohio Railway train crashed at the corner of Walnut Avenue and Court Street after the brakes on the train failed, killing one man. The trestle was rebuilt after the June 1923 accident, and construction proceeded. Massive concrete abutments began to take shape by the end of that year. During the immense concrete pouring operations, tragedy struck the site again. Thomas Schmidt of Sidney was working on top of one of the bridge abutments during the morning of January 30, 1924, when he slipped and fell to his death. Another near tragedy involved a passing motorist. W. H. Brandon and his wife left their home in Troy to visit a son, who lived in Napolean, Ohio. Approaching the construction site on county road 25A from the south, he did not see a watchman motion him to stop. Brandon also did not see the rope stretched across the road until it was too late. The rope sliced through the top of the auto, shearing it off like a can opener, and catching the unfortunate Brandon under the chin. He escaped death, but was seriously injured. |
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