The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-09-23
A FR1eHTFUL FALL.
THE UDA ERIAL LADDER EXPERT
MEM.


THREE MEN KILLED MIRACULOUS ESCAPE
OF OTHERS on THE MACHINE.
The senhnel's Geographic columns re-
Gently contained mere mention OF the fatal
results of an experiment with the IDA
serial LADDER ia New York. The Herald has
the following particulars: A shocking acct
dent occurred yesterday morning a. pub
lie experiment with the Scott Uda erial
ladder az Rutgers Square, on the plaza
/ formed by the junction of East Broadway
and Canal street. which ended Ia the cruel
death OF three men. It will be retnem bered
/ that this 10 ial ladder, originally the lDven-
ton of an Italian, who conveyed the right TO
\ Mrs IDA, has somewhat frequently figured
In the newspapers In connection wien
/ the notorious corrupt j0bbery by which
| the fire department acquired the TILE
/ TO the patent from the lady; that the late
secretary OF the department, Mr.. White, was
| dismissed on proof being furnished that ne
received SIC. 600 of the SIS 600 which the city
paid her for the patent, and that the nre
| commissioners were also mixed up with
/ The lob I'm manner which has created great
| suspicion and distrust In the public mlnu
| In fact, the public did not need this las
| browning proof 10 know that this wonder
| ful ladder waa simply a corrupt JOB. lts
| whole history IL concrete enough. IL began
| I'm shame and corruption and iobbery, and
| II ended ia death. at was not enough "a
take the peoples money, but the lives OF the
peoples servants must be sacrihced too.'
This seems to be the public
| which shocked this community yesterday
THE EXPERIMENTS.
II appears that this oerial ladder.
for which most wonderful qualities
have been claimed, while many competent
persons have denounced 1t openly, has ioi
some months been the subject OF constant
experiments. The chief of the department,
| Mr.. ELI Bates, had given orders TO select
i men from each company, In order that they
might acquire thorough knowledge OF The
proper handling of the ladder. The expert
| ment yesterday morning bad also been
ordered by the chief, and the following men
were detailed TO ascend the ladder: VIM. II.
| Nash, chief of the fourth battalion; Phil
lip Maus, OF truck No. O; VIM. Hughs, OF
engine company No. o.; Robert j
Gould, OF engine No. 10; Thomas O. Lea, OF
hook aud ladder No. o; Cornelius j. Kings
lev. OF engine company No. IL; Cuslck, as.
| -iatant fireman of the chemical engine, and
Jessie Patten, Of engine No. 10, eight In all.
AZ these experiments always attract great
crowds words were sent Co Captain Me-
Elwaine, OF the Madison street station, TO
send some of hts officers 70 keep the crowd
In order. 10 In 10 tho great credit OF this
captain, and he should be substantially com
monded for II, that the mannor In which he
did his duty on this occasion was no doubt
instrumental I'm saving many lives.
oRBAr CROWD PRESENT
There was large crowd In attendance IA
oarly M o'clock. Nash, the chief OF tho
battalion, and u very daring, reckless man,
who never seems TO have thought Of danger,
had, by way OF previous informal expert
mont, already raised the ladder at o o'clock
ia tho morning and ascendod 20 the
top. Whom tho hour for holding this littlo
exhibition arrived the square bounded by
Canal street, East Broadway and Rutgers
street was unc0mfortably crowded. Among
tho moro prominent spectators was Mrs.
Uda herself and Mr.. White, tho former sec
rotary OF the ilro department., who little
thought that they were 20 witness the death
OF three human belngs by means which they
had kindly provided for the city, and aitor
having made q comfortable pile OF money
out of the operation. Whom the ladder wa
put together aud raised 60 hoight OF ninety
eight feet, Cautain McElwalne noticed that
u would fall upon tho spectators In case OF
an accident, and therefore ordered his men
! 20 push the crowd back, removing them oil
from the possibility OF bodily danger. Had
this not boon done, and the crowd been
allowed TO remain within falling space, tho
loss OF lilo might have been terrible, as tho
considerable.
THE ORDER TO ASCEND.
Nash. the chief of the fourth battalion,
gave the order 10 ascend at a quarter TO IL
, o'clock, the putting together of the eight
sections and raising OF the ladder having
consumed much time. The men, however,
were somewhat uneasy and seemed to be
, unwilling To execute the order. "Why,
there's no danger" exclaimed NASH and he
1 lightly mounted the ladder and began TO
ascend IL with great raridity. Tho others,
whosonames have already been given above,
we're sufficiently encouraged 20 follow him,
. Alasl 10 was their courage and pluck which
! plunged them into destruction, for 10 was
only the first two who followed him quickly
: who met NASH cruel fate Those two were
Maus and Hughes. When the latter two
had passed above the third section, Nash
. who was a wonderfully rapid climber WAS
already on tho top OF the ladder and calmly
looking down upon the spectators from the
: giddy height of ninety-eight feet, and tho
, five others were away behind below the third
, section.
THE BREAK.
II was just above this section OF the erial
a ladder that the break occurred. The spec
, tators were admiring Nssh's GOODNESS and
, skill on the top of the ladder when, to their
) great horror, they suddenly noticed dan
. gerous swaying to and iro of the light
wooden structure that was standing there
I98 feet high and without any
support whatever to insure the safety of the
eight precious lives upon It. Several women,
3 presumably the wives or other relatives of
4 the men on the ladder, gave loud shrek,
: and Chief Bates, taking In at glance
the perious situation, instantly
shouted the order "Come down!'
! The men started to execute this
order, and their pale faces and trembling
> figures were easily discernible from the
: ground. But IL was too late. There was
Q suddenly loud snap, the ladder broke at
o the third section and precipitated the
2 three men who were still aboveit down to
the ground and into eternity. 1t was an
b. awful spectacle, and for moment every
body stood aghast almost Detrifed, as
, though they could not realize this sudden
!. disaster. II had come 30 suddenly, so ut