Printed in The Pilot, November 14, 1928

JESS SMITH FELL AND BROKE NECK

THE FIRST SERIOUS ACCIDENT SINCE THE WORK ON THE NEW ABRAHAM LINCOLN MEMORIAL BRIDGE WAS STARTED THREE MONTHS AGO

FELL BUT ABOUT SIX FEET

Just as he started to work at 7 o’clock last Saturday morning, Jess Evan Smith slipped and fell while carrying one end of two short planks, weighing about sixty pounds, striking the back of his head on the concrete top of pier No. 3, breaking his neck.

He was helped out of the crib and rushed to the hospital but he lived but a short time. He actually fell but about six feet, but hit on the back of his head and the weight of his body broke his neck. The planks fell on top of him later but had nothing to do with breaking his neck. The day before another workman fell about thirty feet and was only bruised up and sore for a time.

The body was taken to the Campbell undertaking rooms and his wife notified of the accident at Louisiana, Mo. She with her sister, came Sunday evening and they left Monday with the body for Preston, Kansas, where Mr. Smith had formerly lived, where interment will be made.

Mr. Smith was 53 years, 2 months and 17 days old, having been born in Missouri. He leaves four daughters, two of whom are married and live in Mexico, Mo. His first wife died some years ago and when Mr. Smith went to Louisiana, Mo., to work on the bridge there about two years ago, he met and married his second wife. She didn’t come with him to Blair.

There have been several minor accidents during the progress of the work on the bridge but this is the first death. It is claimed that there is at least one man killed on every bridge constructed. Sometimes several lives are lost, no matter what care is taken to prevent accidents. The bridge company carried accident insurance, of course, protecting them from heavy losses from this source.

Chas. W. Steer, a workman on the bridge, was pretty badly burned Monday morning while trying to hustle the fire at the Chas. Pease home where he rooms. He threw a mixture of gasoline and coal oil on the lagging fire and the explosion set his clothing afire. He was pretty badly burned on the abdomen and hands but was taken to the Blair hospital and is getting along all right.