The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-09-14


wounded rrosa the Ruins OF building I'm
the Heart OF che Ci,y-Either Faulty Plan
OF Bad Construction the Causs-A Really
sad AHaar.
Soon after O'Clock yesterday afternoon
an accident occurred at the building OF the
Richmond and Allegheny Railroad Comoa.
ny, near the southwest corner OF Twelfth
and Cary streets, resulting In loss OF life
and serious wounds.
The building is intended for the general
Offices OF the company, and was 7fx4O feet.
and had basement and two stories-that
Is, from Cary street it looked 10 be three
stories high, from the basin bank II
appeared to be two stories. 1t had a
common gable-Iooi, which had been
partially covered with slate. The east
end OF the building was run up on It's
own wall close to the old Warwick building
iuOw {. l.. Todd'sl, which stands on the
corner (southwest) OF Cary and Twelfth
streets. On the western end there is a mar.
row alley dividing 1t from the block OF
buildings running from that point TO Ele-
venth street, and ibis one would have tiled
the only gap In the square.
The walls OF The building in question, on
the ends, were thirteen inches thick to the
top floor; above.that, nine inches. On the
sides they were thirteen inches TO the top.
THE ACCIDENT.
At 5 O'Clock yesterday evening there
were three men on the roof finishing the
stating. There were one or two carpenters
about the building attending to the recep-
tion OF flooring plank, and a white plumber
and q cOlOred laborer ut work In q trench
in the alley, making connection for water.
pipe.
Suddenly there was noise, but 10y no
means extraordinarily loud, OF swapping
timbers and crushing bricks; the roof sunk
in the middle and spread over the walls, a
portion tumbing into Cary street, another
part going over towards the basin bank,
and another portion into the aley-wsy
aforesaid. The 5all OF the new building
was considerably crushed In at the alley
corner on Cary street, and on both sides
several courses Of brick had been forced of
By the lateral pressure OF the collapsed roof.
HIS LAST GLANCE.
There were a number OF persons passing
up and down Cary street at the time, but
only one was injured. A young man named
Edward Smith was on that side OF the street
and heard the tlmbers and bricks comm <
down from above, at which he so quickened
bis pace that he escaped with one shoe
pulled off and bad bruise on the back.
A carpenter standing in or near the shop
| on the opposide side OF Cary street saw but a
moment before the crash came and the dust
clouds arose a man appear at the alley-way
entrance and look out into the street. This
was Mr.. William W. Warren, the plumber.
| He glanced down the street for second,
then turned back into the alley, resumed
work, and in an inconceivably short space
OF time thereafter wss buried beneath an
immense mass of brick, mortar, and timber.
DASHED FROM THE ROOF.
There were three men on the roof. or
these George KiDgstrey received injuries
that were very severe. but not likely to
prove dangerous.
Mr.. KiDgstrey's injuries are in the back
and legs mainly, with cuts on the nose, re-
ceived by falling slate as he was thrown from
the roof. Mr.. s. ii. Liggan, the contractor
! for the stating, was also on the roof, but he
was thrown off or got off withOutany injuries
OF consequence. So, too, George Scott, a
eoored labOrer.
A great deal OF the roof only sunk down
as far as the raiiers OF the top moor. Other
portions protruded over the walls, and still
others came down to the pavement.
ANOTHER INJURED.
Mr.. f. w. Kelley. carpenter, residing at
| 1Of0 west Broad street, who was handling
some flooring plank when the accident oc-
CURED, was very painfully injured. lie
was cut on aud about the head. Two OF his
! fingers were nearly severed from the hand,
and he was bruised in several other places.
He was in the house. His son, young
man OF about twenty, was out on the street,
and escaped unharmed.
TIE ALARM TURNED IN.
For some time after the occurrence oil the
accident nothing was done by the crowd at
tracted thither. Nobody seemed TO know
whether any person had been buried in the
ruins. 1t was not until Mr.. Charles Il. Todd
had made inquiries and became convinced
that there were men in there, either dead or
dying. that it was determined 10 call lor lDe
Fire Department. Mir. Todd turned IN the
alarm at Box "a, Thirteenth ana Cary
streets.
PARADE BROKEN UP.
The alarm was sounded at 5:l2 O'Clock T..
Nj. At that moment the Richmond FIRE
Department was moving down Broad street
hotel the members of the National Associa-
fion of Fire Engineers were drawn up IN
line TO review the procession. No sooner,
however, did the firemen whose duty 1t was
10 respond 10 alarms from that quarter hear
the bells summoning them TO duty than
they darted from the line and went dashing
down towards Thirteenth and Cary.
RUN OVER.
Near the corner of Tenth and Broad
streets Third Assistant Chief Ed. Snead fell
and was run over by the wheels OF the
.Church-Hill hose-carriage. 1t seems that
she was moving forward with considerable
sDePd, when u colored citizen crossed his
track, throwing him down right under
tbe wheels of the bose.carrlage. wonderful
ito say, his Injuries were slight. he was
present at the scene OF the roof'accident
and rendered good service.
PULLING DOWN WALLS.
when the accident at the Capitol occurred,
In f8Te. many lives were doubtless saved by
the promptness with which the firemen
were summoned there with their ladders
and hooks and axes aud organized compa-
mics. They were Just as prompt IN respond
gag to the call yesterday. For time, II IS
bnae. their strength and energies were
vCsSted in tearing to pieces that portion OF
tie slate roof which hang o~eT on Cary
street. But that was owing TO misinf0rma-
tion. They we're told that man bad been
seep lbere d0st as the fal 0ecNrred, and
they 4anted 10 get bin out. Probably 10
was there that goung Mr.. smith, before al
Iuded 10, was burt.
AS sO0n, however, as Assistant Chief
WinpGeid. who was in command, was ap- |