New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-06-25
CRASHING THROUGH GRACE CHURCH ROOF.
A DERRICK FALLS FROM THE NEW sPlRE-I"o
MIN INIrRED-OTHEE MARROW ESCAPES.

Excitement was caused at Broadway and Tenth
ST. yesterday afternoon, by the falling Oh ueIIIch
ON The spre of Grace Church. and the consequent
injury OF two men. Since April about dozen
men have been at work rearing marble SPHe on
the square tower in front of the church. III place Oh
the wooden splrc which was removed nloIC tn"u y
year ago. The square towF is lO6 feet hlgh. Az
noon yesterday the marble spire, OF intricate ue-
sign. had reached the height OF % Icet dp9Nc iho
ton of the tower, or / 70 feet above tho sdcW3lk;
4 II the blocks for the spire have been 1nrhished
Inv inc Vermont Marble Company, Mt Rutland,
VT and David Greer, a contractor OF TINS cllN mas
had the job of setting the blocks III place In order
to raise the blocks from, the ground boom
derrick was used. 1t has been necessary 10 cIc-
vate the derrick frequently.
At 3 p. m after a course of blocks on the spre
had been set in place. the workmen began TO RAISE
the derrick. Greer was on the splre, superint3hd-
ing the work. and with him We're Joseph Mchee,
rlgger, of No. 240 West IhirtyslNth-st ana
Robert simpson a stone-scttcr. of ThiTd-aVe and
Seventy -fourth-st. OUher men were managing the
guy-rOpes which kept the derrick mast III position,
or were Juggling at the pulley ropes TO raise th9
mast. Suddenly the bottom of the mast slipped
out of place, the derrick tOppled over toward me
east, and the mast broke. The upper part, WIN
the spar attached, lei 10 'Hg 'omTa uhicb fnti
crashing through the roof and the moor OF me
church. Mckee and Simpson were caught by the
falling mast and injured, but were not dragged
from their place on the spre. Greer had a narrow
escape. He fell upon the staging when had sup
ported the derrick and was not injured. Mchee
managed TO eXtricate himself and to make ms way
down the ladders to the ground without assistance
He Law on the lawn in front of the rectory, much
exhausted ana 1llSnteuctl, untIl dH
rived The police sent him to the New-l York Hos
pital where it was asceTtained that he had been
bruised severely on the breast. SIMPSON was hcid
fast on the spiTe. His left arm had been broken Ill
two places and the broken mast of the derrick lay
across his breast. WOrkmen, who were called mp
the ladder by Greer, eXtrlcaed hun alter delay
of several minutes, tied up his broken arm, ana
carried him down to n staging where there was an
opening in the tower, about 100 feet above the
ground. There they placed nm III sing ahH
lowered him by ropes outside the tower. 1t took
an hour and half to get him down to the ground.
The injured man bore his sulerlngS with foTttude,
and rolled tobacco quld IN his cheek Whlle ne
gave advice to the men who were assisting hm.
When he was removed 10 the New YORK Hospital,
II was thought that he would recover. although 1t
not possible to tell how serious. were HIS III
ternal injuries -,
A great throng of people watched the lowering of
Simpson and renamed III front OF the chlfcn LOT
an hour after he was removed to the hospital,
eagerly asking for information about the accident.
Within the church the damage amounted 10 ABOUT
50 900 Two large holes had been broken through
the roof of the nave and one opening III the roof OF
the north side aisle. The pews occupied by ax-
Frederick Prime, X. G. Remsen, Mr.. Bancker, Mrs;
Bowdin and Mr.. Dillingham;, the publisher, mad
been shattered The flooring had been cut away,
and the carpets were rddled where the blocks OF
marble had gone through to the basement.
stained glass window the north side was broken
in several places. Dust and mortar were buried
over the cushions books and carpets, as lar as tne
chancel Mason Partridge, the janltOr OF the
church. was cleaning the Chancel when the acc
dent occurred. and his wife was beside hin., lhcy
cscaped unhurt. but were frightened badly. ;.
W. Gillian the sexton, summoned, ana ne sent
for Mr. Aspinwall, of the firm of Renwlck ASpln-
wall ~ Russell, the architects OF tine church, Late
in the afternoon meeting OF the tTp@lces was
called to take measures to repair the damage. MT
Aspinwall said that the height OF the tower ana
completed SpiTe will be II feet.