The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-05-31
FrishtrnI disaster I'm Gsorsetown.

ssA NEab KILLED AND TWO MEN INJURED.
..Afsrtfbis md fatal atei dent occurred this
morning attd0 o'clock at the new outlet
lock, mile above tire fAqueduct bridge, in
GeorgetowH,by,w which Mr.. John w. Mead,
assistant, harborIfnaster aof. ther Chesapeake
land Ohio canal was Instantly killed sand
1.-TWO employes Sylvester Carroll aged aev.
epteen years, ,nild Michael .Ksyn lids, aged
sixty years, were seysrely.,R NOT fatally I'm
Eiured, the former having both legs broken
aud sustaining an injury TO IFS lett arn, and
thellatt having .hs.arightIleg crushed he
low the knee. Carroll resides at Foxhall's
place, near Green SPRING.. and Reynplds at
the corner of First and Lingan, streets,
Georcetowni,, u '1sl Vsi aoaf! 'ifir l,2 iaafiz
!, PARTICULARS .ofrHE ACCIDENT. - -
The facts In. the case, so far as they could
be ascertained by our reporter, are as fol-
lows: A canal-boat loaded with coal was
passed into the caiSson at this outlet, pre-
paratory to being lowered Into the river:
The caisson is lowered on q railway and
inclined plane ut an angle Of about thirty
degrees, and for epunter-weight two cars
loaded With two hundred ana fifty tons of
stone are placed n"Tuils each side the Gals
son. AS the caissor, loaded, goes down
toward; the river these cars ascend. Some,
slight signs of weakness were noticed in the
machinery this morning.While the caisson
with Its Iboat was being lowered, and the
attention OF the person in charge of,the
|engine having been called to it, he imme-'
dlately and suddenly brought the engine TO
4 stop. 1t is supposed that this sudden
stoppage caused an unnatural strain! on the
ropes, breaking them and precipitating tpe
cars and caisson to the foot Of the railways
The boat was not injured, and passed to the
river with it's occupants in safety. One OF
the cars in its descent struck Mr.. Mead, who
vas walking behind it, in its ascenti and
when the ropes broke he had not time to
get out OF its course! IT is supposed that
the other sufferers were. injured by the
ropes, which were OF acknowledgements
+ tcr-irth steel wire. The cars were, CON-
pletely. demolished, AID the entire ma
! chinery is more or less injured. Large
cog-wheels; OF cast-iron,, bolts, rods, and
bars are scattered over the scene in great
confusion I - r"I'.'i'-' ~ tif' -, = :.
THE BODY OF Mr.. MEAD ";2'" ri
was recovered with difficulty, it being cow.
cred by the debris to the depth OF four, or
FIVE feet. His rixht leg was terribly man
gled, and he had "a severe cut penetrating
the skull. He was also injured internally;
ME. CuCtbu WIS 5uIi OIu duu 1CSPCStEO
zen of Capitol Hill, and with his family TO
sided on Sixth street near 3, southeast. He
was an iron-w orker by trade, and for the
past two OF three years has been employed
in the canal office at Georgetown and on the
Georgetown division Of the Chesapeake and
Ohio canal. He was about fiity-fve years
of age, and IN old times was active in the
volunteer fire department., and was. also
member OF the+old Washington Light In
iantry., he represented the Fifth Ward
several times in the Board OF Common toun-
Gil, and for many years was assessor Of the
ward. 81, - " 49, ".:
49, CAUSE OF. THE ACCIDENT.
1t appears that a safety brake had been
removed from the caisSons several days
since, and for Tome reason had not been re-
placed. Two boats: passed in safety this
morning through the outlet. and no cause
is assigned for the accident which overlook
the third boat. ." 49, :
THE WOUNDED MEN. T.
: Michael Reynolds was sent to Providence
Hospital, and Sylvester Carroll was taken
to his rhome. Both were attended by DR..
Richie. The accident will be a serious
drawback, to the company, as most OF the
machinery'is completely wrecked. - -