The OTHER Tay Bridge Disaster, Friday 12th September 1902

From the Dundee EVENING TELEGRAPH, Friday, September 12^th 1902 .

 DISASTER ON TAY BRIDGE - SCAFFOLDING COLLAPSES - WORKMEN THROWN  INTO RIVER.
TWO DROWNED: OTHERS INJURED - NARROW AND EXCITING ESCAPES.

A sad disaster occurred on the Tay Bridge at Dundee this afternoon resulting in the loss of two lives and narrow escape of several other workmen. The accident happened about half­-past ten o'clock, and the first intimation obtained at the Dundee end of the bridge was about eleven o'clock,  when a workman named George Will (Milne) appeared at the Esplanade Station with one of his hands badly lacerated and his clothes besmeared with paint. It was at once apparent to the station agent that an accident had happened, but he was scarcely prepared for the sad story which Will had to tell. The latter was in a very excited state, and requested that his wounds, which were severe, should be dressed. The station agent at once proceeded to render the aid which a course of ambulance classes fitted him to give, and while the operation was being performed some particulars of the catastrophe were obtained.

Nine men, including Alex. Falconer, Blackness Road , Dundee ; William Howie, City Road , Dundee ; and George Will were all engaged painting the under part of the bridge at the high girder between No. 33 and No. 34 piers, and on the Fife side of the bridge. They were standing on a platform which rests on rails fixed to the underwork of the girder. Boisterous weather prevailed, but all of a sudden a strong gust of wind struck the platform and raised it from it from its position. Howie and Falconer were immediately thrown into the air, and fell to the water below, a distance of about 80 feet. One of the men on reaching the water immediately sank while the other appeared above the surface again and struggled for a time but ultimately disappeared, and shared the same fate as that of his fellow workman. Will and the others managed to catch hold of a part of the iron work of the girder, and escaped certain death, although in their efforts to save their lives they sustained more or less serious injuries. The scene was most exciting, and while the fact that two men had lost their lives cast quite a gloom over the rest of the workers, there was some consolation to be derived from the escape of the seven other men. Both Howie and Falconer were married men.

Much excitement prevailed at the city end of the bridge when news of the accident was received, and there were many anxious enquiries at the Esplanade Station to obtain particulars of the catastrophe.

At the time of the accident the steam yacht which is kept on duty at the bridge was employed towing a barge to the quay on the west side of Wormit. It was soon brought alongside the bridge, and steamed about in the locality, but no trace of the bodies could be found.

HOW THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED. - AWFUL EXPERIENCE. - DESPERATE STRUGGLE FOR LIFE.

 In the course of the forenoon an “Evening Telegraph” reporter visited Wormit, and from interviews with several of the workmen and others, gleaned a considerable amount of additional information regarding the accident. In the first place, to make the story of the calamity quite clear to our readers, it will be necessary to explain the method of working, and the character of the apparatus used.  Immediately below the permanent way there is another set of rails. Depending from these are a number of stagings for the use of the workmen, and by means of wheels on the rails overhead these platforms are moved from place to place as occasion requires. These cars, if they might be so described, are of light but strong construction. From each corner rises a stout steel rod, which is bent in over the rails, and carries a wheel. Work was proceeding smoothly a few minutes prior to the Accident.

IT WAS A BIT BREEZY

The wind was coming from a north-easterly direction, but suddenly it veered round to the north-west. With this change it increased in violence, and came away in heavy squalls. About twenty minutes past ten workmen on a staging situated about midway across that portion of the bridge, distinctive from the rest by reason of its high girders, had completed their work at the place in question, and preparations were accordingly made for changing their position immediately to the north. For this purpose two of the squad, which numbered nine, left the car to slacken the chains by which it was secured. The breeze was now blowing with great force, and Mr. Thomas Turnbull, the inspector of the bridge, fearing that the men might be in imminent danger, was on the point of ordering them in to leave work and remove to safer quarters above. It may be stated that during the past week or two this course was followed in consequence of the boisterous weather, and on one occasion work was suspended for a couple of days. The hooks had been unfastened, and simultaneously a terrific gust from the north-west struck the platform and drove it southward at a great pace. Onward it sped along the rails

“AS FAST AS A TRAIN

crossing the Bridge,” as one of the workmen de­scribed it, for about 150 feet. The men did their utmost to check the runaway staging, and in their­ extremity they made futile efforts by clutching at different parts of the ironwork as they flew past. They even went the length of trying to brake the car by gripping at the rails. It was in vain, however, and the platform was not brought to a standstill until the wheels jumped the rails. The effect was disastrous. The car, which is 36 feet in length and 6 feet in breadth, was tilted broadside to the almost perpendicular, and was only prevented from falling into the river by two of the wheel brackets and the chains which control the working of the car. The flat surface of the staging afforded no holding for the men, and two of their number were precipitated into the water

ABOUT EIGHTY FEET BELOW.

How the others managed to avoid a similar fate is incomprehensible, and there were some miraculous escapes. One man named Sheldon was in the act of falling when he was caught by his middle of the body by a chain, to which he clung until relieved.  The others managed to secure a hold on the bogey, or on the iron work of the Bridge. Immediately a large number of other workmen were on the scene of the accident, and with their assistance their five fellow workmen, who were hanging in this perilous position, were promptly rescued. Attention was also directed to the river with the view of assisting, if possible, the two men –Howie and Falconer by name. Howie is supposed to have come in contact with the masonry of one of the piers, as he never rose to the surface. Falconer reappeared and it was observed that he was managing to float himself with the aid of a large block of wood which had fallen from the scaffolding. Steps were taken at once to apprise those on board the steam launch which is engaged on bridge service that their services were required, but unfortunately the vessel was engaged towing a barge some distance away. With

FEELINGS OF INTENSE ANXIETY,

but utterly unable to go to the assistance the men watched their comrade being carried up the river by the tide. In passing a mark buoy some little distance to the west of the Bridge, it is thought Falconer made an endeavour to catch hold. At all events, he was not afterwards seen, and it is surmised that in making an effort to catch hold of the buoy he lost hold of the log and disappeared.

The names of the others on the staging are:-

• David Morrison, Wormit.

• Albert Grant, Dundee .

• John Sheldon, Dundee .

• Otto Ghent , Dundee .

• George Milne, Dundee

• Adam Fyffe, Dundee (more below).

• William Falconer, Dundee .

The last mentioned is a brother of Alexander Falconer, who was drowned. The rescued workmen returned to their homes immediately after the accident. Deceased were both in the prime of life, and were both married. Mr. Turnbull stated that in the whole course of his 15 years’ Bridge service he never experienced such a terrible gust as that of this morning, which was the cause of the accident.

From the Dundee Advertiser, Saturday, September 13^th 1902 .  

A TAY BRIDGE SENSATION - COLLAPSE OF STAGING - TWO MEN DROWNED - NARROW ESCAPE OF OTHERS.  

The Tay Bridge was yesterday the scene of a serious accident, by which two men – Alexander Falconer, Blackness Road , and William Howie, City Road , both painters – lost their lives, and several others had narrow escapes from drowning. Along with a number of workmen the unfortunate men were engaged in painting the under part of the bridge at the high girders between No. 33 and No. 34 piers on the Fife side of the structure. The weather was very boisterous at the time and a more than usually strong gust of wind blew the staging off the rails, precipitating the two men into the river. For the convenience of workmen carrying on operations on the under part of the bridge there is a special apparatus. This consists chiefly of a line of rails underneath the permanent way from which are hung stagings or platforms, and which can be run along on wheels from place to place as required. These cars, if they might be so described, are of light but strong construction. From each corner rises a stout steel rod, which is bent in over the rails, and carries the wheel. Work was proceeding smoothly a few minutes prior to the accident. The wind was coming in from a north‑easterly direction, but suddenly it veered round to the north‑west. With this change it increased in violence, and came away in heavy squalls. About twenty minutes past ten in the forenoon the workmen on a staging situated about midway across that portion of the bridge, distinctive from the rest by reason of its high girders, had completed their work at the place in question, and preparations were accordingly made for changing their position immediately to the north. For this purpose two of the squad, which numbered nine, left the car to slacken the chains by which it was secured. The breeze was now blowing with great force, and Mr. Thomas Turnbull, the inspector of bridge, fearing that the men might be in imminent danger, was on point of ordering them to leave work, and remove to safer quarters above. It may be stated that during the last week or two this course was followed in consequence of the boisterous weather, and on one occasion work was suspended for a couple of days. The hooks had been unfastened, and simultaneously

A TERRIFIC GUST

from the north-west struck the platform and drove it southward at a great pace. Onward it sped along the rails “as fast as any train crossing the bridge,” as one of the workmen de­scribed it, for almost 50 feet. The men did their utmost to check the progress of the runaway staging by clutching at different parts of the ironwork as they flew past. They even went the length of trying to brake the car by gripping at the rails. It was in vain, however, and the platform was not brought to a standstill the wheels jumped the rails. The effect was disastrous. The car, which is 30 feet in length and 6 feet in breadth, was tilted over, and was only prevented from falling into the river by two of the wheel brackets and the chains which control the working of the car. The flat surface of the staging afforded no holding for the men, and two of their number was precipitated into the water about 80 feet below. How the others managed to avoid a similar fate is incomprehensible, and there were some miraculous escapes. One man named Sheldon was in the act of falling when he was caught across the middle of the body by a chain to which he clung until relieved.  The others managed to secure a hold on the bogey, or on the iron work of the bridge. Immediately a large number of other workmen were on the scene of the accident, and with their assistance five fellow workmen, who were hanging in this perilous position, were promptly rescued. Attention was also directed to the river with the view of assisting, if possible, the two men. Howie is supposed to have come in contact with the masonry of one of the piers, as he never rose to the surface. Falconer reappeared, and it was observed that he was managing to float himself with the aid of a large block of wood which had fallen from the scaffolding. Steps were at once taken to apprise those on board the steam launch which is engaged on bridge service that their services were required, but unfortunately was at the time towing a barge some distance away. With feelings of intense anxiety, but utterly unable to go to the assistance the men watched their comrade being

CARRIED UP THE RIVER BY THE TIDE.

In passing a mark buoy some little distance to the west of the bridge, it is thought Falconer made an endeavour to catch hold. At all events, he was not afterwards seen, and it was surmised that in making an effort to catch hold of buoy he lost hold of the log and disappeared. The first intimation the catastrophe received at the Esplanade Station was the arrival of a workman, named George Milne, who came to the station for the purpose of getting his injuries dressed. His hands were badly lacerated, and his clothing besmeared with paint. He was in a very excited state, but while his wounds were being attended to he told the horrified officials what had happened. He stated that while on the point of shifting the platform a strong gust of wind struck it and raised it from its position. Howie and Falconer were immediately thrown into the air, and fell about 80 feet. Milne and the others managed to catch hold of a part of the iron work of the girder, and escaped certain death, although in their efforts to save their lives they sustained more or less serious injuries. The scene was most exciting, and while the fact that two men had lost their lives cast quite a gloom over the rest of the workers, there was some consolation to be derived from the escape of the seven other men. Both Howie and Falconer were married men. Much excitement prevailed at the city end of the bridge when news of the accident was received, and there were many anxious inquiries at the Esplanade Station to obtain particulars of the catastrophe. At the time of the accident the steam yacht which is kept on duty at the bridge was employed towing a barge to the quay on the west side of Wormit. It was soon brought alongside the bridge, and steamed about in the locality, but no trace of the bodies could be found.