The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-05-26
BURIED UNDER AN DAT BIN.
WoRKHEN FAM THROUGH TWO FLOoRs
WITH GRIN IND BE1Ms.
Two Men sufocated md several Embedded
In the Ruins In the Ceiinr-The strength
of TIn,bers MIscnIcmlnicd by BulIders.


Two Men suGoca,ed mud several Embedded
In the Ruins In the Ceiinr-1hc strength
of Timbers MiscnIcuintcd by Builders.
The third story Of tho third ear house in
the Sixth avenue railroad depot is used ~ n big
bin for the storage Of fccd for the horses. 1t is
the width Of the block between Forty-thiri and
Forty-four Streets 200 feet in length and Is
feet i'm width. At different times $4,000 bushels
Of oats. weighing 80 pounds to tho bushel. have
been stored there The oais have not been piled
up to any great height. for tho grain heats"
and spoils when stored in mass. but have been
spread out so as to nearly cover the whole floor
On Thursday and Friday. fifteen or twenty
men were hosting the feed to its storchOdse
and spreading it over tho floor. An ordinary
rope and block formed the hosting apparatus
at the Forty -fourth street end of the building.
and bag after bag Of tho oats were elevated to
tho third story. over the floor Of which the men
cmptiod them About ten men were hosting
the oats. and the rest were employing the bags
and spi cading the grain about. When they be-
gan work again ut A. NJ. yesterday. an
area Of SO feet by pa space being left between
the feed and the wall on the sides Of the room
was covered with nearly 10000 bushels of oats.
This quantity had been considerably increased
when. n few minutes past eight o'clock. the men
who were spreading the grain suddenly heard
n muflied crash and felt the floor begin to give
way in the middle, forming n shallow V. As It
uld 50, the oats that were near tIo side walls
slid down the inclined planes thus formed. and
Increased the tendency of the contre to break.
The men slid with the grain. Before they were
conscious Of moving. however The floor gavc
way with a great Swapping OF the supporting
beams. and cras he'd down into the story below.
eight feet distant The nOOr II that story wis
empty, but was unable TO sustain the combined
prcisurfpi ne 32nUuo pounds oi oats and the
It went into the ground story the nuor " which
in lis turn gave AWAY. and the mHss " mingled
men and oats were poured into the cellar.
THOSE VINO wcr" ~ or 4 ar the euriar" made
haste 10 cNtricatc thpms~V"s. and found that
they were mono the worse for their fail. the
grain having acted AZ cushi ion. Only two
were injured, not by tho fail but by having
been hi 10y railing beams. Hugh Murtha and
John Cariin. however. were missing.
By THIS time the noise OF the breaking tim
beers had brought the other employees Of the
company 10 IN" rescue. and the work OF digging
The grain in the middle To- the depth Of IA few
feet had b", n cleared AWAY by hasty shoyeiling
when Mutthas shoulder was seen. A space
was cleared around him. and he was found in a
crou"lling position. with the broom with when
=" had been sweeping the grain IN his hand
II" was dead. Neither marks nor bruises were
found on his body. but his right knee was dis
located; The top OF Carin's head was next un
covered. He face was speedily freed from the
oats IN which il was embodied. He was breath
ing. His body. which wns IA standing posi-
ton. was quickly dug out and taken 70 the SUI
already on the floor. Carlin continued to
breathe for moment or two longer. hut when
medical assistance arrived he was dead DR..
Miller when he arrived with Coroner Moltman.
said TINT dcnth had been caused in both eases
Eighth avenue between Foriy-siNth ana Forty
seventh str"ris, was an unmarried mnn of be-
tween 70 and 30 years Of age. Murtha. who
wife who will shortly become n mother but no
children. He was 81 years Of age. The wound
eel men are Hugh Dillon, one or two of whose
John BurlsslSs
wrist WAS fractured.
The men Who escaped said that they felt the
floor give way beneath them. and they inVOlun-
tary throw out their hands 10 catch hold OF some
thing. The next instant they felt themselves
poured down into the cellar with the grain. The
sensation was rather pleasant one. resemh bling
that produced 10y swinging. ana there was no
shock on striking the bottom. the grain acting
Ike So much padding. The men in the other
part OF the building who saw the pouring Of
the immense mass OF grain through the differ
ent nOOrs rs through rs many sieVes. and
heard the Swapping and breaking 81 great
beams as II they were straws. were differently
impressed, and they dislik,d To recall H. They
We're also afraid to answer questions. lest ii
would inlnrc them with their employers.
When the SuN reporter visited the scene. not
long after the accident. the 10000 bushels Of
oats not only filed the cellar. but had piled
themselves ynrd or more above the floor
Jagged stumps piercing the air, penetrated the
grain here and there. In the brick partition
walls grcnt holes We're broken wnerc the cross
beams had been torn out Everything had
threatening look. and the mass of debris in the
second story seemed about 10 precpitHte itself
on the worKmen who were clearing away the
rubbish below. To prevent this. braces and
supports wgr" Immediately put in position. and
q" entrances 10 tho car house al each end were
Inspector McGinnis. 81 the Building Depart
incnt, was promptly IN n" ground, and alter
brief cal 'uiatIon he decided that the Moor had
been overloaded. Ii could bear. he said a
pressure Of only 100 pounds 20 the superficial
loot. whereas n WAS required To sustain from
thirty To- fouy-hye pounds more than that. The
building he sud, was Inspected last IN 1873,