The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-10-03
HEARTRENDING ACCIDENT.
Two wOrkmen Fall from a scadoId-
Ing Sixty Feet Above the Earth
One Instantly Killed and the
Other Fatally Ipjured.

Shortly after o'clock yesterday after
noon the most hesrtrending accident &C.
Cured that we have been compelled to
chronicle for long while. 1t hap
pened this way: While Thomas kIrK,
one of the contractors of the firm of
Andres & Kirk, brickmssons and build
ers, and 8 iourneyman named Ned
Price were at work on ladder sus.
pended from the roof by tackle, point
ing the south wall of the Washington
hall, near the east corner and elevated
within fifteen feet Of the top, the rope
sling on the west end of the ladder,
which secured it 10 the tackle hook, sud-
denly gave way, letting that end OF the
ladder down instantly and precioltsted
the workmen some sixty Ieet to the
side walk below. Kirk, We believe,
was on the end of the ladder
that gave way. He fell without
striking any intervening object until ne
reached massive stone which lies on the
pavement Just east of the old entrance TO
the hall. His right hip struck this stone
first, and the shock was SO great as to
cause the broken bones to protrude
through the lsscerated flesh. The mo-
mentum was so great that the moment ne
struck his body rebounded against n
smaller stone near by. The right side OF
his face struck this with such force rs to
crush it in and to bespatter the blood
and brains roundabout. Death must
have ensued instantly. Edward
Price, who was on the other
end of the ladder, struck some OF the pro-
iecllUns in his descent so as to break his
tall. When a. was picked up, though
unconscious, he still lived and on exam
ination after being taken to his boarding
house, he was found TO have both elbows
shattered-comp fracture-and one
of his wrists broken. 1t will be mira
Gle if he lives, as he must have sustained
some internal injuries That have not yet
been ascertain. In less time than II
takes to write it, Twelfth street, in front
of Washington Hall, was filed by an
excited people, endeavorlng 10
render all the assistance possible.
Stretchers were quickly lmprovised by
willing hands, and the ill-'ated men
we're conveyed to their respective homes.
We will not attempt to depict the seems
of sorrow and agony at Kinks residence,
No. l4ll Jacob street, because 1t Is
absolutely impossible. 1t is enough to
say that he had loving wife and two
children, the former expecting her hus
band home for supper in few minutes.
The rest can be imagined Mr.. Kirk
was about As years or age. He was born
in ireland, but, i. /, said, had lived some
time in England. He has been IN this
city several years, and Dy
his upright course, hard working
traits and manly bearing had won to
himself hosts Of friends and great re.
spect. His only fault, as told by MS
friends, being that he always was to-"
reckless. Price was single man, about
35 years OF age, bore q good reputation
and had many friends.
The whole cause of the accident was
the rottenness of the sling, OF which 1t
has been said that the party who loaned
the scaffold had warned them.
Another theory for the cause OF the
dreadful accident is that drops OF the
solution of muriatic acid in the bucket,
which was used in washing the bricks
before pointing, had fallen upon the
sling in sufficient quantities to destroy
the strength of the tibres OF the rope of
which the sling was made. 1t is well
known that drop of muratic acid will
instantly barn a garment so that you
can pick out the spot it touched as easily
as If it had rotted. Several gentlemen
say that pieces of the rope that gave way
was thus affected.
One of the very sad incidents of the
calamity was the part taken therein by
Mr.. Kinks little seven year old boy, a
bright eyed, rosy-cheeked little fellow.
He was sitting all alone on the
ioot-stone at the northeast corner
of the Mcclure House, just OPP
posite where his father was working,
and intentIy looking up at the dizzy
height TO HIM wondering, no doubt, if
his papa was safe from danger. He had
been washed and dressed by his mother,
as was her custom, to accompany his
father home to supper. The little
innocent saw with his own eyes the last
movement of his father, the sudden de-
scent into eternity, the awful scene
that bereft him of a noble snd fond
! parent.