New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-11-17
about Washington. Every commissioned officer N me
city without regard TO rank received an lnftatou anu
the attendance was large.
FALLING OF A WATER TOWER.
ONE PERSON KILLED AND TWO INJURED.
FATAL ENDING OF TRIAL BY THE FIRE DEPART

ONE PERSON KILLED AND TWO INJURED.
FATAL ENDING OF TRIAL BY THE FIRE DEPART
MENT-THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT.
While new water tower manufactured by Abner
Greenleaf OF Baltimore, Nd was being tested in
the open space near Pier No North River vester-
day morning, it fell over killing one man outright
and seriously injuring another man and boy Ii
was manned by four men from Engine Company
No. z, under command of Chief Engineer Bates,
and there were also present President German and
Fire Commissioners Van Cott and Purroy. There
a large crowd present TO witness the testing OF
the apparatus who needless of the repeated warn
ings of the police closed around the tower until
there was barely room for the fremen to work
When all was ready the tower was elevated to
height of about fifty feet and connected By four
lines Of hose with the fre-tug Havemeyer, which
was mOOred to an adjoining pier. The water was
then turDed on, and the volume gradually increased
until the pressure registered ninety pounds, when
the tower careened and fell upon its side with
loud crash, dragging down with it telegraph poles
and wires Arthur Thompson. of No. 437 East
Seventy y-eighth-st. was struck upon the head
by the iron pipe of the falling tower and In
stantly killed. His head was crushed, and his
brains were scattered in every direction. He was
apparently about thrty-iYe years of age, hye
feet seven inches in height and had dark
hair and goatee and moustache. He was of
stout build. anl was dressed in a blue suit and
brown oyercoat. The body was removed
to Duffy'5 undertaking shop IN Greenwich
st. JOHN Hutton, stevedore of No. rs Leroy-st.,
the superintendent of the coal carriers of the ee
yatcd railroads, Knocked unconscious by
a telegraph pole which was broken by the falling
tower He sustained q severe fracture Of his left
shoulder, and is seriously injured about the head
and left side. The same pole also struck an IN
known boy in the skull he was taken to the New
York Hospital. The house surgeon said last even
ing that be would probably die before morning. A
letter was found his pocket addressed to George II.
Saxer jr, No. 233 North Tenth-st, Philadelphia,
Penn but 1t was thought that it had not been
written to the injured boy.
The cause Of the accident was a defective
"chock,' plate of iron used in steadying the
tower when in use Cnef-Engneer Bates, who
IN charge of the tower at the time of the accI
dent. was met by reporter Of The TRIBUNE in the
afternoon al the repair shops of the Department. in
West Third-st., near Sxth-ave. The broken tower
had been taken there to be repaired. but Mr.. Bat ;
thought that it would be necessary TO send lt TO
! Baltimore, where 1t made When asked how
! the accident occurred. ho saId " After the pipes
had been connected and raised, tho hose attached
| and the water running about fifteen minutes with
! out the slightest warning the truck overturned,
the pipe fell against "a telegraph-pole, 0eakIng 1t
/
| the crowd. There were present at the
| time, | presume, 30 persons. had
instructed my men to keep the crowd back, but
1t Is almost an lmpossblty al such times. he
cause OF the accident was probably piece OF bad
! irOn and 1t is difficult to place the blame any
| where. The carriage. upon which the tower rests
| when not In use, and which supports 1t when
not working; Is Oh heavy springs TO Keep them rom
| vibrating. When the water is turneu on pieces OF
iron, called chOcks attached to the bed OF the
carriage, whcn connect with plate fastened to
| the mud axle There is one each side. When
the pressure Is on side 1t deDresses the chock on
that side ana tends 10 raise the Olher one lO-uay
one of the plates gave the eye holding the chook
swapping OF. here were four streams OF water con-
/ uecCed with the tower, which fifty feet high.
here has never been an accident with the old
tower, which has been in use since June. 1879 and
has 6een OF great value IN many important hres IL
has been stationed at the engInr-LOuse III Chambers
ana Centro-sts, and We have run IL up town as lar
! as Prlnce-st The one was designed tor The en-
glne-hOuse IN Tnrteenth-st., near tOurth-aye. The
increase of hlgh buildings IN thdt part OF the city
| has made necessary another tower. The one we
were testing to-day has many improvements over
the CID one & l. can pc 90 Used de a, tour tour
80 feet, while the old Is limited
! to distances OF 80 and 90 feet. That ls the
! height winch the pipe reaches, but the water can
Oe brown from 20 to 70 ieeJ higher Dy means OI a
movable nozzle worked by CHAIN. The stream can
be forced by twO three or four engines, AKA on
the new tower should any of the IOur lines OF
hose break, The valve connecting with that line
closes matlcay, leaving the other three free 10
| WORK az before. In the Old tower we have TO shut
Oft all the water when one pipe bursts Again The
new tower be used in lower buildings than the
old one Bu perhaps IJs eatest advantage 10 that
| the hremen able to connect the engines with
| the hose al tached to the pipe OF the new machine
while Others raising II, which IS saving Ot time.
do not how the accident could have been
avoided so far as the upsettIng OF the tower is
cernod. Ol course, the people would not have been
! hurt II they haa not crowded around to see the
| working OF the machine"
AT the building OF the Fire Department in Mercer
ST. the reporter talked with Assistant Chief Engl-
| neer shay ABOUT the new tower. lie said that Its
cost was "a OOO but that t had not been purchased
| by the Department. Ii mad been III the CnamOers
| street Engine House for two weeks and OH several
occasions uad been taken out on hre-aarlnS out II
had been found necessary To use IL. An actual
test was the only way III which the delects OF the
machinery could be discover ed. DE thought that
the accident wholly unavoidable.