The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-10-24
SHOCKING ACCIDENT.
Breaking Of a Derrick on the Fast
River Bridge Tower.
Two Men Instantly Killed and Four seriouaIy
Injured.

The East River Bridge tower on the Brooklyn
side was yesterday the scene Of an appalling acci-
dent involving a sacrifice OF life and the matming
OF four men, The work mas thus far progressed
most satisfactorily, and but few persons, consider
Ing the heavy materials In USE have been injured.
while no lives had been lost until yesterday after
noon me great stone tower In question has
reached the height OF sxty.one feet and tno
labor OF holstlng the immense blocks OF
gray granite Is performed by the means os
enormous wooden dcrricks which are occurred
by heavy iron guys and wire ropes made fast by
strong ring bolts TO The stone and ranged at short
intervals from each other. The stones which
average three and half tons each in weight. ara
brought alongside the dock at the base OF the tower
on large floats, two or which constantly in
attendance there. There were several men at WORK
ON these floats. and twenty laborers were employed
on the top of the tower, to which block OF granite
OF three and half tons weight was being
hosted on the rear centre derrick, which
mad previously hosted o much larger stone in
safety The stone steadily and securely until It
was poised above the car track, or trestle, which
runs at the height OF forty feet above the dock, the
full length OF the tower 1t about four O'Clock.
suddenly great cracking noise startled the men.
who in an instant took In the cause of the appalling
sound and fed for safety from beneath tho
DEATH-DEALING DERRICKs,
the centre derrick had broken In two under the
enormous weight, and the wire ropes and iron guys
had parted. John French and JameA McGarritY
were caught under the falling timbers, and the life
was crushed out OF them. Thomas Douglas, fore
man, was struck on the left knee and on the back.
and was severely hurt. Cornelius Lynch, iaborer.
was injured internally by piece OF timber striking
him. william Haines was injured about the spine.
william Doherty was, II Is feared, fatally injured.
This man, VINO was attending the car on the tr"-
work. was thrown from 1t by the a~-' - 'ssio
platform upon ~ ws s he s0" rnen the Stone
ac~s s'ance Of lSTy rect ana We:
s men up on on the a0Ss sd ss
row escape from the falling debris OF the wrecked
as..;> no -'"r. the appearance Of the deceased
I Waa sS % as who was married man
resided Wn in oxford street II. was caught netwee.
the derrick and the soneworK. a.. o'.o ~.
oS INC a"'u FELL FELL ACROSS CROSS HIS CHEST
that though stout man, his BODY was nattened 70
e acR and 0y drew sRe deep
John French was struck on the head and his brains
were dashed out. The mangled remains were
paced In sheets ana carried dUw td fns
visited the works Immediately after the occurrences
and with the engineer
STATEMENT OF THE CASUALTY
W" the accident occurred about four O'Clock. while
the men were at work. as usual, setting the
stone In position. Some were engaged In h0isting
stone upon the centre derrick OF about tGree IONS
ana half weight ana had II near the top, when the
derrick broke and it fell. They had hoisted much
larger stone only short time before. do not think
1t was the weight OF the stone that caused 1t tn
break. The first indication they had that Il was
giving away was the cracking OF the timber. There
were twenty men at work on the top Of the tower at
the time, and every man, OIL course, Looked OUT
for himself as best he could They ran
ana an every me a''sSP% re If upon D
and French while they were running with the othefd
get out of the way but they were caught between
the derrick and the stonewOrk. Tue boom Of
THE DERRICK CAME DOWN
upon McGerriy and lay directly across his body:
We got him out as soon as possible. He breathed
twice and then expired. This piece OF timber which
broke selected with special care, aud is OF oak
It's strength was thoroughly tested ana examined
by tue carpenter before II was put up by me- IL was
believed to be good stick as could be Procured
1t is. however, somewhat brittle In tina
centre though not unsound. l don't see
how TO avoid such accident. similar stick
THs bodies dseV we're ere viewed by Dr. conkln IN
Temporarily placed while ., wagon was being
concourse OF people gathered about the enclosure
surrounding the works, and requested to be nd.
mtted, that they might crafty that morbid curiosity
which is always developed upon such occasions
victims were placed on o dray wagon, and.
covered with sheets, taken OF up Fulton "a
YORK street AMI along that thoroughfare to the
station house, great crowd OF men and boys FOL.
lowed the terrible load or mutated humanity Rnd
pressed eagerly forward to obtain a glimpse Of tina
dead. There they 60. poor boys, like dead AM.
philosophical a fellow laborer OF the deceased As
the cart disappeared from the yard. The Coroner
was notified to hold the inquest which takes pIace
on Thursday next