The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-08-22
DASHED TO DEATH.
A FATAL FIRE ESCAPE ExPERIMENr-Y FALLING
FROM THE roUE1H STORY OF THE Aston
unuar To ruv y.vr,xy,,-

FATAL FIRE ESCAPE ExPEHIMENr-yALLIxo
FROM THE FOURTH STORY OF THE Aston
HOUSE TO THE PAYMENT.
Ono OF those horrible accidents which every now
and then shock ana sicksn a community occurred
yesterday afternoon, at quarter past one, amid tho
hurrying busy throng on Broadway, in front OF tho
Astor House s (. Hartman, manufacturer and
seller ola piten, nro escape while exhibiting prac
tically bis apparatus foil from fourth story window
Of the hotel over fifty ieet from the ground,
aud was dashed to death on the pave
ment below The accident owing to tho breaking
Of the wire rope by which be was supported Mr.
Hardman who was from Providence, r. l., had lately
purchased the right TO manufacture and sell Kenyon's
Ore escape In the States of New York. Connecticut
Rhode Island He arrived Ia this city early yesterday
morning In company with his friend. Walter L.
Ballou, jeweIry salesman, IRON Providence, on
board the steamer Massachusetts, Tor tho pur-
pose Of publicly exhibiting and selling his ap-
paratus. During the forenoon the friends visited
the Aston House, which Hardman thought
the best place for the experiment He requested per-
mission OF tho manager OF tho hotel to practically
demonstrate the utility Of the invention by descend
Ing TO the Broadway pavement from OF the upper
windows of the building. Permission was readily
granted. and at one O'Clock OF the colorcd bell
boys was sent up 10 show Mr.. Hardman d room from
which descent could be- made. 10 understand what
followed, description OF the apparatus il necessary
IL consists Of aSteel wire ropo about sxteens
OF an inch in thickness, the strands OF which arc
wound around cotton cord, and which Is
wound up in an iron sbrivc, provided with q hand
lever brake which regulates the paying OF rope
from tho shrve The shrive Is attached a leather
belt placed around tho waist Of tho person using the
apparatus. One end OF tho rope is fastened in the
nvvttt, ,lu huu In,
himself gradually down by allowing the ropo to un.
wind from the snrvc What took place IN the room
from which the unfortunate man loll IS best given in
the words OF the bell boy who was present at The
cident:-
ruE BILL BoY's STORY
Walter Hatton, the bell boy, said N response to the
writer's queries:"l was called about one O'Clock and
shown gentleman standing IN the Office whom the
clerk told me 10 take " room No S22 which the
top noor, over the corner Of Broadway and Vescy
street. wsen We reached Tho room Tho gentleman, on
looking out OF the window said II hgh i.r the
experiment ana that lac would prefer to to the floor
below asked II he would not rather 20 10 room
the centre Of the building, SO as TO land In front
Of tho Broadway entrance. Ae said hc would, and
he went to room No 232 on tho floor below, which IL
ih line with the centre OF hs portico He then told
ms be would IKE to have some roman and help
him. said all right will stay. There cham
rope 10 the foot OF the bed the room, winding it
around twice; he asked us to hold on 10 the bed,
ifs that He answered it was ali right, and look
ONE of our boys here" He meant HIS friends from
Rhode Island who the boat with him. 1 then
for 'he last time Hs was BY this time partly out Of
the window ana rowning rs II he dad not
IKE Tho there dsSsaF'sus Soke r,a
were his last words He had secured the thing IN
which the wire wound TO tho belt and hang
ing Just below the stone sill Tue pulley arrangement
caught on the SILL and offered to tx IT; he said,
''No you aud tbs girl hold the bed, Will TX IT, and
he pulled II down over tho sui Just then the rope
he struck tho top OF the portico, from which no
bounded on 10 The pavement.
ALMosr ANOTHER DEATH.
As he fell Hartman grazed G. G. Minnie, of No. 2o5
East Eighteenth street, who was passing, and knocked
But few inches closer another lite would proba-
bly, have sacrificed The thud tho man struck
the pavement was heard aad felt far the rotunda
OF the hotel inside. He struck on his hands break
ing both arms just above the wrists SCATTERING
his skull and breaking ono leg AS he lay turned halt
his iacc with his BRAINS oozng out and tho paor
Of death settling Oyor his skin the sight scken-
ing ana horrible one. Death must have been
ncous Olhcer James Curry, OF the Fourth prccnod
passing At the time and Witnessed the aud,
with other policemen from nsghborng beats, Cleared
away the crowd which had gathered. But few were
Watching as the experiment commenced and few saw
him fail. Colonel Gibson, who was standing tho
steps OF the Astor House at tho time states that he
eil the rush OF wind caused by the falling body heard
the dull thud as II struck tho pavement, ana was
sickened on seeing tue anged and bleeding body that
The remains after lying Tor short time on
the sidewalk, the lace beng covered with
u
TO the Twenty seventh precinct station house,
OF Church and Liberty streets unit The arrvnl Of the
Coroner, who was Immediately nosi1ed. was iound
that the skull was fractured IN two places each side
Of the forehead; the face all mashed IN tho jaw bro
ken, ana nearly all the boues In the body.
TIM uSLucKY PATENT.
On the person Of tho deceased were found silver
watch case the works oil winch had been tax ell out
Sl13 81 IN currency number OF printed circusrs or
planning the merits OF the ire escape and giving the
address OF Hardman as No. llG Pine street, Prov
dence. X, L. He was aboat thirty years OF age,
and iasOA IN nd VnstnU rh Al Hun
eight miles irom Providence. Several irienas Of tho
deceased, some OF wnom came down on the boat with
HIM, az the station house to about the
position oil tho remalna The family were Immediately
notified by telegraph OF the sad occurrence From
three weeks ago acquired the right 10 manufacture
aud sell the invention IN the states before named,
and had, SO far. been very successful Tho apparatus
weighed but Ave pounds, and was sold Tor $40 Many
han been sold to hotels. Hartman had descended
many times successfully from great heights. On tho
day before he arrived New York he bud successfully
let himself down from third oor OF large factory
IN Providence. he hal lot sevon men down with Il
IN little over q minute
Coroner Croker gave certificate that The deceased
camo TO his death from fracture OF the skull by fall
ing from window Of the Astor Houss. while expert
N charge OF ". DUFFY undertaken, ut No. 80 Green
wich street. and the necessary permit having been OBJ
tanned from the Board OF Health wero taken TO his
iathsrs house 10 Providence on the nine
train last night IN chargo of Mr. Balou. the deceased
mans friend.
An examination oil the shrve and ropo which. being
attached 10 the belt fell With the unfortunate man.
showed that Il rolled on caroIessly and had evil
IDENTIFY got iouIcd, and the swayIng Of the body
had AIDED the accomplishment OF the fracture.
The rope broken of some
According 70 tho prospectus the rope
calculated to stand strain OF $40 pounds. There
tany have been evidence OF careicssncss on
the deceaseds part In that he did not place piece OF
cloth wood tho sharp stone edge of the sill,
instead OF allowing the small threc-sxtocnth wiro
rope the nvo strands OF which only consisted Of four
small wires each, to rest ON II
THE HOBOKEN TRAGEDY.