Wilmington daily commercial., 1873-06-13
Tho s,oaresvilIe Accident.
TIE rERRIRLE FALL. OF THREE PAINTERS FROM
ufnu pRTDaF

TIE TERRIBLE FALL OF THREE PAINTERS FROM
THE HIdH BRIDGE.
The fri ghtful accident at Coatesville, on Mon
day by which two men were killed and one badly
injured; was briefly reported in Tuesdays COM
MERc1AL. From the Lancaster E1dn'tner we
get the following fuller details -
Four men we're employed to paint the Pennsyl-
vania railroad bridge. This is an immensely
high structure. From the railway track to the
ground below IL is Hiilety-stI feet, and from the
place where the painters hung their soatiold
men were named respectively, Adam Lefevre, OF
Strasburg, Lancaster county, Joseph Lewis OF
Ooatesvlle, Chester county, Henry olricn, OF
Springvile, Lancaster county, and Isaac Frey,
OF Moorestown. Chester county, and they were
detailed to do the work under the supervision OF
samuel Gross, boss painter OF the road
After making all the other necessary arrange
ments the men swung scahold down the slde
of the bridge, the : scaftold consisting or an
ordinary plank suspended between two ropes
Upon this frail footing, the four men took their
| stations and commenced work. Yesterday after
noon. about o'clock, while Mr.. LefeVre was
leaning over and about dipping the brush into
the paint can he heard loud report As II caused
by the forcible and sudden parting of timber, and
| at the same time felt himself going downward
| He made terrific leap for life and succeeded IN
catching hold of the iren connecting rods OF the
bridge and to these he clung with llfe-like to-
naefy until he had recovered himself 80 far as
to be able to scramble to the top OF the bridge,
| not, however without tearing the flesh from his
| hands. Looking down from his Slddy helghf TO
| the earth beneath, he discerned his comrades
stretched at full length upon the green sward.
all apparently dead and near them the two pieces
| Of the plank which had separated exactly in the
| middle
/ The operatives in the furnace near by saw the
| men coming down through the air with terri
BILE velocity, and as each Of their bodies struck
L ,skh yNlainlv audibia
Urich, OF Springville il is said came down astrde
i of one piece of plank, while Lewis fell headfore-
most, with arms outstretched as though diving
Il into water. Sickened by the sight, the parties
i Who Witnessed the occurrence stood perfectly
horrifed. Arousing from their lethargy they ran
| to the assistance Of the painters. Lewis hveo
/ but long enough to get two or three Limitations
of air. which he seemed to do with much dlthcul-
ty, while both Grey and Urch we're found 10 %
| insensble. Medical assistance was promptly
procured for the living, while the body OF young
| Lewis was tenderly laid on board and carried
to the house Of his agonized wife and parents
to whom the sad intelligence had already DeeI
conveyed. Urich fingered in intense agony un
til o'clock in the evening when death claimed
Il him as his own. Frey, we ale lnformed ls no.
expected to survive the catastrophe, his lnterna
injuries being of terrible nature. Each OF tht
| men were married and had families.
| A sad scene was brought about when the IN
| quest was ready to be held. MIR, ]. L. Lewis
the father Of Joseph Lewis. is the Deputy Cor
Il oner for the Ooatesvie district but when he
| was called upon he could not perform the duty
Of empanelling a jury and going through th'
tedious and trying ordeal of holding an inques
over the body Of his own SON Turning awal
| from the sad scene he asked that deputy from
another district might be called upon to perform
the duty, which request was complied with, thu
deputy Of the Penningtonville district respond
ing The Jury rendered verdict OF "aociden
u tai death "but in doing 30 they severely con
demned Samuel Gross, the "boss" painter, il
securing such inferior lumber, but as an 'oifset
; TO- this we are informed that he was uniustl
censured, from the fact that he had nothing U
: do with the procuring of the lumber.