The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-06-28
A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT.

A SUGAR CYLINDER, WEIGHING ELEVEN TONS,
FALLS ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY FEET,
KILLING ONE MAN AND INJURING TWO
OTHER PERSONS, PROBABLY FATALLY.
BY the breaking of one OF tho shear spars used in
hosting large casting in the Brooklyn Sugar Re-
fning Companys building in Williamsburg yes
terday man was killed and two Others in
jured Two large shears had been raised the roof
by one OF which the sections of the ''sugar
PAM we're hoistcd and then passed to the
other and lowered to bed prepared
for 1t. The hrst section, weighing eight TONS had
been put In position and Tuesday the same tackle
was used TO hoist the cylinder OF tho pan, weighing
eleven and half This ponderous piece Of metal
raised during the day as far the tenth story,
when It was found that sheave in one OF the blocks
had broken. Hosting was at once stopped and
fresh tackle obtained, so that at ten O'Clock r. u.
verythng was secure despite the storm which had
bro Ken out meanwhile. rhc work OF hosting was
then stopped until day light. About six O'Clock 7. NJ
Captain Woglom, without making an inspection, but
for fear OF accident bockaded River street and also
removed all tho loose timber from under the cylinder
so that, II it shou d fall, wood should be thrown
around to the injury OF bysanders
THE ACCIDENT.
AT four O'Clock yesterday morning Mr. Lewis A. Bill
lard, the contractor, with his men. the
ground and proceeded 10 work After hosting had
resumed ABOUT one minute crack heard,
ami in instant the load, the shears and rigging fell
together, ana u secoud later we're a huddled heap
upon the ground The casting was troken into pieces,
ami the poor fellow who had fallen with the
basement moaning piteousiy Tor help He was taken
to the Eastern District Hospital and tho police, poti.
ned OF the nc sdent were quickly on the ground On
the they found Charles Smms, oil North Twelfth
and First streets, dead; and John Coiston suffering
from fracture OF the right leg just above the ankle.
Smms had been struck In the abdomen and died in
stanily IRON the shock. Coston removed 10 the
hospital and thence TO his residence where he 10
doing well.
MIRACULOUS ESCAPE FROM DEATH
When the man who Tell IRON the root taken to
the hospital II found that the rope had rubbed all
the skin on his abdomen and had fractured five ribs
three tho right and two on the left side. HIS right
leg also fractured just above the knee and
found that the scapula also fractured. Coroner
Nolan was for and the mans ante -mortem stato-
mcnt was taken as follows:-
MY name is He ry Seaman am rgger; have worked
rigging for i've and for Mr. Billiard for the
four weeks AT the house South First
Mr. Billiard the hosting and rigging business
ana did the work according his nsructions think
Mr. Billiard is very peent for that Kind OF work
and also
vERYcARKFUL
James Haseman and myself were putting stopper ON
the hnyards and when got that done Mr. Billiard
dered to hoist the castng started and just then
something cracked ran, but before II could get
away a rope caught me and was thrown TO the
ground; tho top Of the bnildng at tho
tme II was about quarter past ionr A. ~ the 9Th
the rigging the rigging not strong enough and he
should have known III Mr. Billiard and all hands per-
fectly sober at the time the casting was between eleven
as heavy ms the one we were hosting when
jured Mr. Billiard has done great deal Of this kind Of
work and he always told to De very CAREFUL the
spar that broke and the rigging IL would not have
made any difference whether the casting up
night or this morning
Later In the day he rallied, and, being OF strong
constitution, may possibly from hts inJurics
foring terribly The inquiry by Coroner Nolan will
commence to-day