New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-11-13
ENG TO THEIR DEATH.
rvo ,nKMEN KILLED AND SIX INJURED.

,prAKING OF sCAFFOLD AT THE oNE-HUNDRED-
AND-NINETEENTH STREET scHooLHoUsE.
new public schoolhOuse is building at the
rortbeast corner of Pleasant-ave. and One-hunored
ond.nineteenth-st. The work has reached the
fourth story. 4 scaffoding runs around the entiIe
brIdinc on which the masons work.
shortly after 1 p. m. yesterday, sec
ton of the scaffolding gave way, and elght
men who were at work at this point fell with III
Two of them caught a lower tier Of the scaiiold,
but the remainder fell distance of fifty feet to the
ground. Two of these were killed outright ana the
others Law unconscious from their injuries.
The men had been at work on this part OF the
scatfold all the morning, and just previous to the
accident q stone window sill had been raised up by
the derrick to be placed in position.
The stOne-mason had the assistance of four brick
LAYERS and two derrickmen. But the stone sill was
heavy and unwieldy so he called two laborers'
who had lust emptied their hOds Of brick, to aid IN
lifting the sill. This congregatcd nine men at the
one point on the scaOld in addition to the weight
of the stone and other material The stone had
been set in its place, however, and tho
stone-mason had climbed from the seal
fold to the wall, when the crash came and
the woodwork fell. Patrolman John Eagan, of the
Twelfth Precinct who was in the neighborhood
was informed of the accident and sent the alarm at
once to the station. An ambulance arrived at the
NInety-ninth Street Hospital within half an hour
with aid for tho injured men. A large crowd col
lected around the building, where seventy mea
we're at work. The families OF most
of them live in the immediate vicinity.
By the aid of the police the bodies of the dead men
were taken to an adjoining tool shed, and the in
jured were carried TO the hospital or assisted to
their homes.
THE KILLED AND THE INJURED.
III la+ of tl,a li1la al nd ipiu ia
e1lssooTT. JOIN, bricklayer, hyfour old, who
lived at No. 800 second-ave had his skull crushed
and leaves a wife and three young children.
KESNEFICK. JOHN, single, about httyeght years Old
briekayer, whose home was in Morrisania, was in
BARRY, DAVID, labOrer OF No 237 East Onehundredand
twefthst suffered internal injuries OF a serious char
Hospital.
BRApy DENNIS, OF No 42O East One-hundred and-n nine
teen-st, aborer, had his right hand and arm bruised
He was taken home.
MoSAHAx, PETER, Ono-hundrcd-andfftiethst and East
eTn Boulevard, stOneCuttter. was cut about the
head. He taken TO the hospital
MURPHY THOMAS bricllayer, living In Onehundred
andeleventh-st,, slightly bruised. He was taken
home.
REILLY, JOHN. bricklayer, was slightly injured. He
was taken to his home in Morrtsania.
eYNERs, JOHN derricknan, living in One-hndrcd. and
ffteenth-st., near Firstave, Was injured about the
head. He was taken home.
When the scafolding gave way and the men
were precpitated into the street. Murphy and
ing for the story below. and beyond a few scratches
and bad shaking up escaped without serious
injury. The others were less fortunate and fell
the entire distance. Kennefck and GlasscOtt
fell through the open space between the scatfold
and the side of the house. 1hey struck PROJECT
ing cornice on the second lloQr ana Were DotR H.
pangled, and his skull was crushed. Dr. H. Wei
DON the ambulance surgeon OF the NinGty-nlnth
Street Hospital said that from superficial eXainn-
alton he inferred that Kenneiick had received
no external injuries beyond few bruises;
The other men fell through the scaitodng, and
their fall was broken somewhat. Ambulance Sur
geon Weldon was on the spot. On examlna-
ton he found that Brady and Symers had not sui
fered any serious injury. They were taken TO their
homes David Barry was more seriously hurt and
was taken to the hospital. 1t was feared by Home
Surgeon Ten Eyck that Barry was sui
ferng from internal injuries which might
terminate fatally. lie was not unconscious, but
The nervous prOstration incident 10 the shock pre-
vented an extended diagnosis Of ms case. hoha-
han was also badly Injured and taken To the
hospital. where he lay in a critical CONDITION. Two
other men whose names are unknown caught on
the scaiold and escaped without serious injuries
THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT.
Joseph and William Spears are the contractors
for the schoolhouse The work begun last
spring and the building, when finished, viii take
The place of the present school at One-hundredand-
.ighteenth-st. and Pleasant-avc. The work was
under the direct supervision of the foreman,
Robert j. French He was IN the building
az the time OF the acClucht, hdNlhB
only few minutes before given some instructions
about placing the stone SILL He said that he could
rive no reason for the accident. The scaholdlng
was constructed Of the very best material used for
such purpose and was built with tho view OF sup
porting five times the weight that was upon it.
at was put up" said French, by kcnnehck,
who was an experienced man. and he was one OF the
nen killed by the fall. L was surprised
10 hear that so many men were together
at one spot but i should not have Thought their
weight would have caused the scaffod to break
The timber used was all new, and had never been
used before for anything" oc
An examination showed that one of the foot
locks or supports for the scaftOld platform was
broken. These supports were nine feet long, ana
four inches thick Every section of ten feet OF the
platform was sustained by three OF these loot
locks" that extended from the windows 70
without. The cTOsspieces were securely lashGd 10
the poles and the foot Jocks rested upon them
The fractured piece Of timber appeared perfectly
sound and of green wood that must nave Deeh SUD-
eeted to heavy STRAIN before breaking. e,
In speaking of the men Foreman frcnch salu
At noon poor John Kennefck came 10 mo ana
asked TO be et off from work IN the afternoon lie
said he did not feel well. refused to let HIM on
! wish to heaven, now, that had let nm go.
symers is an unlucly fellow. He has fallen more
times than can remember, and has been more than
half killed two or three times. lie was on scaloId
that fell from building in Madison-aye. about Two
Years ago, and three men were killed then" :,
The body of GlasscOtt claimed by ms
| family and by permission of Coroner Martin was
| removed 10 their home. Kenneficks body was un-
claimed, and was removed TO Shettns undertakers
store at No. 2O56 SecOnd-ave cursory examllia-
ton was made to account for the accident, but
nothing was elected. The police handed the case
over TO the coroner number of the woTkInen tho
/ contractor and the foreman VIII be summoned 10
Il testify at the inquest.
ii %
III .TyU