The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-05-22
KILLED BY AN IRON GIRDER.
THE FAIL or 4 LINK OF THE NEW
YORK ELEVATED ROAD.
six Thousand Pounds of Iron Crashing Into
the Pavement OF the Bcwery-Thc Break
Ing OF - ChnIn-Some NnrtDw Escapes.

Ing OF % Chnin-Some NnrtDw Escapes.
Several hundred persons were gathered
ut the lower Bowcry yesterday watching the
process Of hoisting the immense girdcrs Of tho
New York Elevated Railroad. large steam
derrick is used for the purpose. is mounted on
the completed portion OF the track. and pushed
forward MS rapidly rs the growth OF the iron
superstructurc will permit. BY noon the work
on the eastern track had proceeded as far as FL
Bowcry. Five sets OF parallel girders. agGrc-
eating a total length OF 200 feet. had been placed
in position. and the right hand one Of the sixth
pair remaining to be raised before the men
knocked Off for dinner. The girdcr itself. 40
feet in length, and Weighing more than 5000
pounds was suspended in the mir by chain.
the iron in the links Of which is stated to
have been three-quartcrs OF an inch In
diameter. Three men worked the derrick
from above and four more James Will
llams. Bayard A. Bergman. John II. Robert
son. and Edward McKenna. remained on the
pavement below to steady the hosting mass by
twenty feet from the pavement, the iron frame-
work swung out OF place and rested at right
angles across the sidewalk. suspended by
\ throng OF persons-men, women. and chill.
dren-stared up from below unconscious OF
any danger The upper end still swung
six feet clear of the truck. and the worKmcn
tugged at the guy ropes in order 10 drag II into
position. suddenly and without note OF
warming the chain snapped and the ponderous
mass fell To the ground with tremendous
crash. indenting the pavement to the depth Of
Bcrryman '% and Rober son"'" In It's iai
For moment nom the Ran,biesiricksn crowd cNM
fusion. Then followed rush which threat
ened to smother those who had escaped. II
was with extreme difficulty that the police, kept
back the thrOng sufficiently to allow the girder
TO BE- pricd and lifted from the wounded and
bleeding men. McKenna. who had been stand
ing Just beneath the upper end OF the iron. was
mangled terribly. The whole Of his right side.
from the hip down, was shattered and lacerated.
several ribs broken. md the scalp cut open.
Robertsons right thigh was dislocated. aad no
received a liberated wound on the scalp Berry
man was struck on the left leg and sustained
liberated wound rcaching down the inside Of
the limb TO 'he toe of the loot. Cornelius Sweeny.
lad OF IL. hnd "A narrow escape. one edge OF
near the heel. taking portion OF the stocking
with II. Jas. Williams. the fourth workman.
was even more fortunate. He was standing
gave way, but the ;hrong pressed so close upon
him that he could not work. and. in pushing
iron when IL fell. y lady and child. who were
about To walk under ii. were pressed back by
him Just IN time to prevent their being crushed
also. There were fully 100 persons damned
into the narrow space in front Of II and %
Bowery at the time. and the, wonder Is that
at the second link from the pullv. The fracture
Is supposed 20 have been caused by the twisting
Of the chain in hauling the girder around into
The wounded were carried into Corcorans
drug store. II Bowery. where they were ten.
porariy cared for 10y Drs. T.. W. Thompson and
II. D. Harrington, and atterward taken to the
Chambers Street Hospital. On the advice Of the
doctors, Acting Sergeant Mungin OF the Four
teenth. Precinct sent the following despatch to
Mrs. Mckenna;
NJ. Eiaani " Ksnna. Il5 Elm frs,f.
Your husband dying at Chambers street Hospital 100
Chambers street Come immediately II you would see
him alive.
Mrs McKenna is the mother oi three chill
dren. the oldest only three and half years OF
age, the youngest "a baby OF few months
She was almost crlzed al the news and hurried
10 the hospital. where one Of the priests OF St.
administered the last rites to her dying hus-
band. bergman will live. but his leg will have
10 bc anpulaed below the knee. the bones be-
ing crushed into n shapeless mass.
Much Indignation II expressed by working
men and others who We're present at the sizr OF
the chain by which the girder was raised. 1t is
asserted by more than one eyewitness that the
the other hand. the chain is said TO have been
used In hosting n number OF trusses on the
western track without accident. Kellogg X
Maurice ar" the contractors by whom the work
WAS being done. L. W. Partridge. the foreman.
was on the sidewalk experimenting the Job.
but lett soon after the accident.
The following are TIL full names and adj
gine"r. aged SO. as Elm street fatally injured.
Leaves a wife and three young children in des-
titutH circumstances.
Buynri \. Bergman. machinist. aged IS. So
East Third street crippled for life. Family Of
three children. and wife in Il critical condition.
John II. Robertson. aged 81. 222 East Thirty
ninth street; wife and family. Will probably