The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-06-30
ONE MAN KILLED.
appearances that Point to an Ill
Performed Contract.
COMMISSIONER CAMPBELL'S VIEWS.
He Thinks The Disaster Was a
Pure Accident.

rose slowly and Goated on on tho light sum-
mcr breeze, inth, after two O'Clock 7. u.
Yesterday, startled thousands in that vicinity
/, was also the death knell or an unknown
man, who reading newspaper under the arcliway
n course OF construed ion, between First aud Second
venues and who had hardly to that no
In peril be fore ne wat buried the OF the
arch aud crushed out OF all human appearance. In
yestigatiou VIII doubtless reveal the true sfthe
deplorable event, but 1t was freely charged on the
,pot Yesterday that to ill-performed con-
ract work--that is, At crime and not an acct
lent.
East Forty second street the edge OF q blun
ineer which First runs, and there has boen
~ay OF passing through from First to Second avenue
along forty street except by a roundabout
Journey In order TO ayoid this it determined
some time ago establish graded cut that should
divide the cliff and afford carriagcway through from
one avenue TO the other. This cut which Is In the
middle OF FortY-sccond street. Is forty feet wde and
for about two hundred from First avenue toward
Second, 1t was have bee bridged over. The De-
partment OF Public Works tsome time ago invited bids
from contractors Tor the construction OF this
bridge. and the lowest bid put in was that
OF Mr. j. X. Byron, OF No. TAI FIRST avonuc.
He offered to construct The brick arch which
would rest above, the BRIDGE in reality
IL was for the sum of $40 900. There consi1era
ble competition, but the Lowest BID, with tho excep
lion OF Mr.. Byrons, was s2s, 600. and Mr. Byron was
awarded the contract. The work was begun about
three months ago. and yesterday morning $50 feet Of
II were completed.
THE
II was an arch resting solid looking stone aout
nents, and consisting OF six layers Of brick. The
man was forty iee tho of the arch feet
rhe line OF the arch good, and II the
material had been s.roRg enough no fault
could have been found, though to noppro-
fcssionai eye twelve layers OF brick would
have seemed safer. Under The usual system OF the
Department OF Public Works inspector. one Patrick
uprien was detailed to that the work was prop.
ory done by the contractor and it was HIS duty to
have kept a careful and constant watch. Whether no
ala not could not be learned yesterday,
Tor the reporter unable to fina him. The work
went on ana after one length OF the arch had been
constructed the wooden moulding. or sc nolding, on
which the bricks had been laid. was taken away.
Some OF the earth which was TO form the street
sbove had already been dumped on the arch, aud
moro AS the building OF the second
,ection went the dirt that taken from the cut
vas carried around and dumped above, the prep
ation thus made for remaking its orgi-
nal level
Yesterday morning, as was said, the second sec,on
Of the arch complete. and The workmen were
busy removing the moulding preparatory TO scsing
Ii up again laying bricks In the third section,
which to have been the last Meanwhile the
dumping was going on, and portion OF the weight
that the arch was Intended TO bear was already upon
It, About eight inches OF his filing had been nid
the of the arch and was noticed and alter
ward remarked, some Jour leet had been dumpea on
either side that the weight resting on tho nps Of
INC arch much greater than that on the centre.
COLLAPSE STRUCTURE
At two P. NJ. the work gong as usual The
last At mo Ind bee
workmen were all busy, but none OF them, excepting
ono Courtwrght, carpenter, happened to DO directly
unccr the newly hnished section He was mcnding
whcelbauow that had been broken IN tho work.
Near him sat a stranger, who mad been in the habit
Tor some days OF sitting in the tunnel where Il was
cool ana reading his newspaper. No one knew him.
but his presence exciiea no remark and he sat read
Ing as usual Cartwright put hts hand In mis- pocket
Tor nail, and not andlng there he stepped out
IRON under the arch with an impatient exclamation
TO get IRON his nail, box which lay at somo dis
lance As he stepped out the arch fell without the
iaintest warning.
Those VINO saw IL fall said II seemed to them that
the crown OF the few inches before falling,
and n together with the OF SO much greater
weight on the hips than on the crown is held to ex-
PLAN the immediate cause OF the break
Roundsman Golden, Of the Nineteenth precinct
was on the OF Second avenue and heard the
srash. He looked down toward the scene, and seeing
the dust what had happened ne nc once sent out
are alarm, which brought to tho spot one company
Of No. Truck and In lew minute more sections OF
policemen were present IRON the N ,netccnth and
twenty -nrst precincts fire line once formed
hnd amid the hystericai sbrieks Of tho women and
clamorous talk OF men and boys, VINO crowded rs
close possible to Whist they could the work Of
search ng Tor the dead was begun. IL known a
lew minutes that all the workmsn safe, and the
stranger mentioned was, the workmen were positive,
HE only one buried Wild rumors bad gone out, how
ever Al once ana the reported loss Of Ave men
brought crowds TO the scene, 50 that the street was
blocked up with people
~ nj
AS a. the nremen began digging 10 the debris
10 una the dead BODY the cause OF tho disaster be-
bricks held together. Adhcring 10 the sides OF
some OF the bucks dark substance that looked
like wet mortar, but which. when ernmoled IN the
fingers, seemed to be nothing but wet sand. The
bremen we're at nrst astouuded aud Jailed 10 under
stand n, aud come OF them went, as the HERALD
reporter aid the broken edge OF that portion Of
the arch winch was still standing. Here they found
that the bricks could be lifted from another, and
that the stun which ooged like mortar would crumble
In child's hsEd. No further explanation was needed
The remains Of The stranger were found Not bone
IN nis bouy remained unbrokeB, and his ncsh was
crushed to- bloody pulp The saas,iv o1lsc, vas
hired into an ambulance and taken 10 the Morgue,
where II awaited Identification last night Tho best
absorption that could DO obtained Of hm that no
was about iorty ave years old, VITA lair bar lie
plaid cashmere trousers, n gray woolsn coat
and common CATER shoes. 10 ms pockets we're louna
two keys, one 81 which was broken ana too so.pu.
lars. After his remains hAu been refn1yed The wufk
of clearing away the debris wss begun, and ~ niKht
considerable portion ci u had been removed
rHE PRACTICAL cosrRAcroA
Mr. Byron, The contractor, was asked " reporter
II ho would explain the accident bat he refused
80 saying that be knew % no reason for u nnd that
would be time enough 70 talk about a. Ne sid
mat he was an oiI contractor, but that h. baa no
theory OF the accident lie was practical, sos a
.ncoseticai man.
~ our practice does not 10 have worksa VERY
we'll - said a bystander, bitterly. but Mr. Byron
greatly agitaed and paid no need TO the remark 10
said, however, 10 reply 20 one question ihai be hsa
been at work about ninety Gays and Was allowed
about ninety days more w the terms OF hts
iD winch TO compete the work.
NEITHER LINZ cENENT
Mr. Law, OF No 343 East Forty street, Who
has been tnirty years builder, was present ana
expressed his great Indignation a. the manner 10
which the work had been done. Alter gong down aud
resting the s.m0rtarn between his fingers he seemed
lost an amaxemenL There Is neither lime nor &C.
ment In it, ne said. BENG questioned, he said that
Uviug so near the place ~ no did he had ~atchsd
,bs work rom the bcgin inning carefully anu with no
ANAL anxiety. lie had from the nrst sus-
pectcd that IL insecure ana had thought
OF demonstrating about ~, but did not