Bridge Collapse Inquiry Mired in Secrecy
A tenth victim has died following a bridge collapse on the Great Northern line, as company officials actively obstruct the inquest.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
George Nelson, who was among those fatally injured by the collapse of the bridge over the Wenatchee River on the Great Northern railroad line, died today, bringing the death toll to ten. At the time of the wreck, James Benson had charge of tracklaying. A justice of the peace held an inquest in the absence of a coroner, but Benson refused to provide the names of the dead, barred public access to the bodies, and objected to an attorney appearing to aid the inquest. Investigation reveals that the bridge, built on piles, was constructed with poor bracing on a solid rock bottom, with piles driven no more than thirty inches into the ground.
“There seems to be an attempt to cover up the facts, even to the names and identity of the men killed.”
This 1892 report highlights the perilous lack of oversight during the massive expansion of the Great Northern Railroad. The company's attempt to stonewall the investigation is a stark reminder of the Gilded Age power imbalance between industrial giants and local civic authority, which echoes modern debates about corporate accountability in large-scale infrastructure projects.
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