, 1879-08-08
MUSIC.HALL ACCIDENT.

MUSIC.HALL ACCIDENT.
It Was Duo Simply to tho Rectlsssnesa Of
tho Foromnn-A Remarkable Escape.
A reporter for TIE TRIBUNE Visited the scene
Of tho disaster at the new Music.Hall yesterday
afternoon, and viewed the wreck. Interviews
worc had with Mr. BenIan,fn bulge. the con-
tractor for cut stone; MIR. William A. Barton,
the general contractor; and Mr.. George Car
pentcr. They all agreed IN their statements,
and, through the kindness Of the last
named gentleman, the reporter was takon
below and nloft, md shown the whole
field Of the terrible accident, togathcr With tho
huge Bupcrstructuro upon which the scairol1ing
was supported, sixty feet In the ntr. It looked
exceeding frasl to the newspaper representa-
tive, aa It stood reared upon succession OF
spltccs and braces to the dixzv hight, but he was
assured that II would bear up thousands of
pounds Of dead weight. and away above men
could bo scen wheeling heavy barrow-lonls OF
brick and mortar, looking like daarfs, clearly
outlined against the dcep blue sky.
According to oil accounts there WAS nobody to
blame for the accident
nut CHRISTIAN TAFT u1MsgLF,
the forctnan OF tho work, md ono OF the men
who lost his lfe by his cnrclcs.nese. The iror,
a tie or support for ono o. the main trnsscs.
and was to have been imbcddsl In tho brick
wall as several oillcrs bad been upon the irstda
Ta noss is weGht 5 o' w. between navss1 2 a ID
use the large derrick employed IN hoIsttnc
stonc from tho street to the TOP OF the building
ratstl,. the heavy Iron plato to the top oi tho
two-foot wall, md then moving It along to ifs
plnce by nrars of rollers and Bklds This
would tlayo been the saicr way hut Taft thought
this would take too long, ns this portion Of tho
contrntt should haYe been completed Tuesday
night, and ho was Ia hurry to got the work
rain TO accomplish hi object thing that had
not been done since tho Music. Hall was started.
His ndvtscrs then tried to compromise matters
by Ectt!,tg Taft to strengthen the earpenter's
scHf[otd md thcu use the small derrick. which
was upon the top Of tho building, and II waa
supposed that this was what he was intending
to do. But Taft thought, also, that
THIS WOULD TAKE TOO LONG,
and resolved to resort to the shorter proccAs Of
main strength in p!acing the iron cap. Accord
lngly, no caused 1t to be placed upon the brick
md mortar Nurse elevator and cnrried to the top
In this fratl structure. which Is only warranted to
carry 200 pounds. u roached the top In safety
mud was then 'oadsd epon low, fiat stone bar-
called tho carnenters' scnifo'd:upon the brick
tramway which soans the vast anpitllcatre, sixty
feet from the grottud.
When the men arrived with their load to the
~. ~ - .t, "u!til M pletot
poWtrtnl man, looS the handles Q! thc batroW
ana waeeieu IL upon INC outer sca1ioId, which
fes.ea npon hofses near !1'e "a'l. mus lar inc
Journey ot tilG lron CAP naa necn Safely per-
formed. anu all tllnt remained for thu nun to do
Was TO gct u INTO It's place on tha too Of tho
wan. hut tt1s was no casy task, as inc wall e1-
teRac4 upwara some Elk or egvcn feet from tho
eeaslnlting 10 overcome tllis difficulty TAFT
oE1cFeu rs hon 20 ofttie tnfee TWO ~ tweivc
,pon ti,c Wit tis itea bein~ u a Mskis IA ''e ,ho
i,,nvr ,voirft n fta ninoo Hn ni~,oa .,no ,.n.