Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1867-04-04
FATAL ACCIDENT.
A young man killed by a falling build
ing.

A young man Kiiieu py !" i"ii"s ""ii"-
On Wednesday morning gang of workmen com
menccd tearing the roof off of the old stone build
ing, known as the old Brewery, on Second street,
between Orange and Tatnall streets, preparatory
to tearing it down. The building was in u very
dilapidated condition, and the workmcn were
somewhat afraid of 1t and took every possible pre-
caution of course to save their own lives, so that
the accident which followed cannot be attributed
to any carelessncss on their part.
BY half-past four O'Clock in the afternoon they
had knocked all the shingles off of the roof and
commenced taking off some of the shingle-laths,
intending to take down the raftcrs one by one,
commencing at the upper end of the building to-
wards Tatnall street, as they depended on the
| brick gable end of the builddg towards Orange
street to prevent the rafters from falling, their
main fear being that the front walls would give
way precipitatng the rafters into Second street.
| Mr. Tindall had the contract for tearing down
| the building, and three of his men. Isaac Wood
row, L. Benton Craig, and George Lavender were
working on the roof; and working with them,
though not employed by Mr.. Tindall, we believe,
was a young man named Frank Reddy. They
were working on what are called the collar
beams, the beams running from rafter near the
peak of the roof. Between halfpast four and
five o'clock one of the carpenters, Isaac Wood
row, had occasion to walk along the building
short distance, and just as he got away from the
others breeze sprung up and caught the raiters
and he felt them commence to move; he ran
back towards his companions and called to them
to take care, for they were going down. The
carpenters Immediately sprang from the collar
beams to the top of the rafters, but young Reddy
got his shoulder caught by one of the rattcrs and
could not get out. The whole thing was done
almost instantaneously, and the rafters were
down on the joists, the brick gable-end of the
building being entirely thrown down. Reddy
not having climbed ON top the falling rafters,
thrown violently face foremost onto the joists be-
meath and one of the falling rafters striking on
his head crushed 1t horribly, killing him instant
b ly. One of his legs also was broken.
The other three men escaped without serious
: injury one of them was scratched somewhat ant
4 all were more or less bruised.
i The dead body Of the young man was takeI
d down and placed in an adjoining carriage hous
y until the Coroner could be summoned, his mothe
n had heard of the accident and came to see him
II was thought best not to let her see him until h
o was sent home but she pleaded so ptiously to Sc
a her boy that she was admitted. She made III
n outcry, but it took two strong women t
" support her away from the awful scene. w
o never saw any one so utterly crushed and bowe'
down with grief in single instant.
" Deputy Coroner Curry held an inquest ON til
body. and the iurv rendered verdict that the dc
Of cease came to his death by the crushing OF hi
m head, through the accidental falling of the rafter
l..l.. nrnx