The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-06-30
CRUSHED UNDER AN ARCH.
street Caves In at Hecsnd A venue.

street. Caves In at second Avenue.
Fast Forty-sccond street rises perceptlbly
from Third avenue until, at First avenue. II
springs no abruptly 10 the summit OF a rocky
BLUM Until about year ago Prospect place. q
street that reaches only from Forty first to
Porty-third street, and has on either eide
flno brown-ston houses extended over the
lovelled summit OF the BLUM To this open,
breezy spot. affordinR view OF the river. nurses
were accustomed to take the children OF the oc-
cupants OF tho houses in Prospect place. An
iron railing. based upon granite. Mt the edge OF
the bluff was q SUFFICIENT safeguard against
falling. This breathing place. however. was
regarded very unfavoraby by tradesmen there
about They complained much because. when
they desired to deliver goods In First avenue.
they were compelled TO make wide detour 10 get
down TO the avenue. or to get up from It, They
urged that continuation OF Forty-second
street should be blasted down from Second ave.
nue. to First avenue. to make n direct route.
aS and IN August xtT is Tho Aldermen sa
authoriT,d ne extension OF .For!y-second
brick arch, and that earth should be hcaped
upon the arch until II rose to the level OF Pros
Jeremiah n. Byron contracted to do the work.
The blastnR was finished about the last OF
reasonabiy EVEN desccnt for u. carts ga laden With
brick and fine Tor the masons. Next the ma
sons laid an abutment Of buestone for the arch.
feet long The masons then began to build the
arch. beginning at Second avenue. They
Of the arch yesterday at about noon. After
dinner dim, thG mas99s resumed her T9rx out at
aid adm in Clearing Some debris out Of the way Of
the carts. A few minutes later Inspector Pat
rick 0'BIien. Of the Department q Public
fulfilled his contract. passed under the arch.
walking from First avenue. Near tbs, Sec
sitting on a stone. and reading an evening
newspaper. " Come. old man." Mr.. Byron said.
you had bette, go outside 70 read your paper.
You may be in the way here
The old man looked up. smiled. and seemed
about to obey the injunction, and Mr.. Byron
mouth OF the arch and looked at the men who
were shovellng the debris into the carts. AT
who was putting NJ, the wooden lining Of the
arch: came out. and said that he had fallen
sn1 OF nas needns Sny two
rupton of his work just then Jeremiah
RSnOvIp wheeled Wheeled barrow Of mortar rita.
row entered the arch there was seen an im
mense downpour OF brick and timber, and n
great white cloud. Donovan staggered back.
The cloud rolled upward. and then it was seen
that fifty feet Of the Second avenue end OF the
arch had fallen. A messenger was sent to the
Fiftyilrst street police station. and a strong
force Of police officers. under Inspector McDer-
mot. Capt. Mount and Sergeant Vredenbergh,
reinforced them with u score Of laborers. and
provided all with pickaxes and spades. In;
So Se When 6e Sse @nh
| out 1t left wide gap. This good example en-
| Outraged the men about him. and they fell TO
At about quarter after o'clock they reach
| cd the bottom. and found the old mans body.
| The head was crushed. and lay over upon the
| right shoulder. and the body was fiattoned. The
| clothing was torn and rumpled No one could
| identity the remains. and they were sent to the
| MOrRnp- IusppptDr OHripn fold IusneCtpr
| McDermott that no one was under the arch
| when he walked under IL. excepting Cartwright.
| the carpenter. and the old man. and the former
| came out Just before the arch caved In. Mr..
Byron assured the Inspector that no one in his
| employ was missing. and that he believed that
| the old mans life was the only one lost. In
| spector McDermott and tho iromen then left
| the work Of clearing away the heap 10 Mr.. By
II you were a Judge, sir" - Inspector o BrIen
| said to Sun reporter. and was on trial be-
| fore you. could give you no other reason for
| the caving in than the .natness Of the arch.
think now that ! lo9k At i here Inspector
weight that e has to bear The mason work
haS oeen wen aope' fnu ,ne very pest maeras
| thirty-six years. and ought To know. II il. in
my opinion. absolutely presidential that the
| completed. and street had been laid over it
and beneath il might have crnmbled 70 pieces
and then there must have been an appalling
loss Of NE
A hhorcr, VINO was lOud IN nOusc ~ contract
| ors as n class said thnt the old man who was
| killed was Patrick Lynch, who lived in Forty
second street. Lynch; he, said was quiet old
| man. who drov- truck. In his leisure hours
| he wandered about the neighborhood with a
| book or q newspaper IN his, hand. Whenever
! he found quiet nook he sat down read. This
| habit won for him the title Of " The Scholar"
| and he was regarded ~ n learned man.
| Keeper White OF the Morgue said that two
| boys. who said that they were Patrick Lynch's
| sons, had visited the Morgue but they could not
| identify the body as that Of their father. The
shirt and undertaking were Of cotton, and the
| outer clothing was Of coarse black cheyiot the
coat being Of the sack pattern. The shoes were
| laced. In tho breast pocket Of the coat wore two
rosaries Of the kind that the poorer Roman
| Catholics use. In pocket Of the trousers
| there was a brass door Key.
At q late hour last evening no more bodies
| had been found IN the ruins OF the arch.