Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-01-12
9ailg Aennebet yonrnal.
ATHRILLING SCENE.

twas thrilling scene that was enacted
on Madison street, near La Sale, on Sat
uriay afternoon. On scaffoldmg, some
forty-fve feet from the ground, of new
brick building now erecting by James y.
Skates, Esq, six men were at work. On
this scaffolding were two of the large
braziers containing the glowing Goals
which the indomitable rebuilders of Chica-
90 use to keep their hands from freezing
as they lay the brick and stone in the chill
ling days of winter. When the fierce
blasts of wind dashed through the city
these workmen, in common no doubt,
with thousands of others, contemplated
the expediency of hurrying to the ground
to avoid being blown from their insecure
station. But they were all old masons,
and concluded to hang on and work away
in spite of the tempest. But while they
were turning again resolutely to their
labors gust of wind, heavier than any OF
its predecessors, suddenly overturned one
of the flre-cauldrous. The blazing brands
and Goals tell upon the scaffoldlng and
rolled over to the ground beneath, one
piece falling upon the shoulder OF a NOR
tar-carrier named Michael Folger, igniting
his clothes and burning his face so badly
that he will be incapacitated for work tor
several weeks. But it was upon the slen-
der scaffolding above that the scene of
terror was developing. The draft OF the
wind famed the spilled Goals to flame,
and in an instant the planks upon which
were standingthe six masons were ablaze.
The first man to notice the danger was
Jason Keilson, Norwegian, who was
less than a foot from the flames, and
who might easily have kicked of the
Goals and smothered the blaze. In
stead of this, however, he uttered a
howl of horror and sprang upon the edge
of the wall His exclamation attracted
the attention of his comrades to the peril
in which they were placed, and a rush for
a place of safety followed. Two of the
men, Mr.. Watson, who was the "bossn
of the bricklaying party, and mason
named Siverstan Knudd, gained the lad
der. The others whose names were not
learned, threw their arms and legs around
one of the poles that supported one end
of the plank, the last man, Andrew Rea-
don, jumped impulsively and caught by
his arms over the unfinished edge of the
wall. As the plank parted, the ladder fel
forward, and humping against the bull
ding, nearly shook Watson and Knudt
from their perch, and crushed the fingers
of Knudd's left hand. These two mel
were now, however, comparatively safe
but there were still the two who wer,
clinging to the pole, and Readon, who
hanging to the edge of the building, wa
certain to become too weak to retain hi
grip much longer in the fearful gale A
this juncture, and while the crowd below
was hosting another ladder to come t.
the rescue, the stupid Keilson, who nigh
have averted the whole trouble, seemed
to recover his senses. Creeping alon.
the top of the wall he laid hold of Rea
don and assisted him to scramble u
to safer perch. Another ladder was b
this time run up to where the two me
were clinging to the pole and they wer
helped down, as were also. in a few mir
utes more, Readon and Kielson, while til
ropes which held the still blazing plank
were cut away, and the burning timber:
dropping to the ground, were soon extir
guished.
When it is stated that directly beneat
the scaffold there was heap of bricks
miscellaneous piles of heavy timbers, an
several barrels of cement, it will be see
that had any of the men fallen they woul
have been dashed to death.
-GCHica0O Times