New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-12-08
MORE AQUEDUCT VICTIMS.
FOUR MEN KILLED II FATAL SHAFT NO. 3
A FIFTH BADLY uURT-CRUsHED By THE FALL OF |
A HEAVY BEAM.

A
HEAVY BEAN.
Shaft No. of the New Aqueduct is sit
uated in little hollow among the westchester hills
abont three miles back from Sing Sing. few houses
rudey constructed OF Imprinted boards cluster around
the black Of the shaft and serve as lodging lor
Of the worknen, and as shelter Tor the TOOLS ana
engines No work was being yesterday and in one
OF the tool houses, stretched on rough board
benches lay the bodies Of the last four victims
who have met their death in the fatal No D.
The idle wOrkmen fingered about the shart and IRON
time to time glanced with approach to awe Into the
sombre cavern where OF their comrades had al
ready been killed Three men were killed there ten
days ago. and yesterday morning at o'clock as Tour
men were descending in a bucket. the follower"
which should have descended with IT, caught at the top
shaft aud then when the workmen were nearly AT
the bottom. fell upon them from height OF 300 iee
breaking rope that supported the bucket and crush
ing four men as they landed upon the sharp. broken
rocks. fifth narrowly escaped death, and was found
by the roller party upon OF the panks of the crib
work near the bottom OF the SHAFT.
Brown and Howard are The contractors for this por-
ton Of the aqueduc. Their contract extends about
thirteen miles, from the mouth OF tho tunnel at Croton
Lake TO SHAFT No IL b. The work at Shaft No 3 has
not been lot out to a subcOntracor but Is being carried
nm by the principals the direction OF foreman or
"walEng boss" named John Dorsy Dorsy Is consid-
cred "a competent man, and was formerly employed III
the construction OF West Shore tunnel. at Weehaw-
KEN No deepest Of all the shafts along the ne
OF the aqueduct From the surface to the bottom Is
distance Of about 3S5 feet. On account OF the
great depth OF the shaft the horizontal tun-
nelug has not as yet male great progress. About
fifty feet has been drilled In ohO drec-
ton and sixty in tho other This is the reason
why the which have often proved fatal TO the
workmen are still used a OF communication
between the surface aud the bottom. IS soon ~ the
tunnel has been completed for 100 feet In each direction
the buckets will DO superseded by cages which are
closed frames At present however tho blasting In tho
tunnel, at a short distance from the cages would
soon render them unnt for use Tho buckets are AT
tached to heavy iron chain and this turn - Joined
to a wiro rope which with the engine In order
prevent the dangerous swayng OF the bucket as 1t
or descends through the long shaft. wooden
crossbar, known as a"foOwor," n " cross-head,
or dummy" IL placed just at the june
ton OF tho chain and tho wire rope,
and running in bearings opposite sides OF the shaft
follows the bucket and down and keeps II steady In
the middle OF the well Tho follower" however, IL not
attached rope but IL kept place by Its own
weight the bearings do not reach the bottom OF
the shaft The horizontal tunnel II sixteen feet high
and the bearings do not descend below the top VI this
tunnel when therefore, tho follower" has guided the
bucket safely within few feet Of the bottom. It stops
and the wiro rope running through hole in tho fol
lower" allows tho wOrkmen to reach the rocks below
The might gang made their last blast abont o'clock
yesterday morning. Some little time Was occupied In
clearing the fragments OF rock, ana then they
jumped into the bucket and reached the
surface about G:3O. The follower" came MP
with them and mp the top OF the scanod-
Ing the mouth OF tho shait. as was necessary In
There the follower" remained for about half all nour
unt 1t time Tor the day worktnon to descend The
half hour Of the dampness OF the nght might have
frozen this heavy bar Weighing 900 bounds TO ITS
bearings. AZ all events, when the bucket started down
Sayd tbrougb the hole in IN" mGdI" Of IT, Six rn
lDt L. lie
Patrick moran. m uudrr-for, man. who wa ~
charge OF the day work branch OF the horizontal
tuaue. lie was the brother-in-law OF john
Dorsey. the general foreman John Boariman. Frederick
Dresser Francis Carr and lorenzo Dohbins were also
bucket Just before tho signal given TO lower.
the sixth man remcmber"d that lac hai not his oskiu
coat and uinped nnt say g M ne WOMB come u""h
by the uext Trip H. probably saved III NE by forget
uix a., Oh sAt 'a. 5rG - & -, '' r,fh
~ shaft watch the working ~ tho hoi-rF ra
next puckrL III accordance sth these or!cr- H"ylan
icf hl- post ana went Tor the hoe dozen workbench
doomed men were lowered out - sight into tho grim
inc. cIapping their hands and stamping Their
feet t" keep up Sif'ni''i"mm' pat but tG' ore
the bucket bat ike the axe guilotiuc. hanging
hy thread over t.c heads 81 The men below. Inc
lowering continued Tor erEo.h mimi os lDrn one 81
fan rom the scanoldng above and p'nns" into The SHAFT
looked al ono an'tntr with horror on thor faces. A
ouu rambling sound came uP from the dep b. "i no"
shalt ana ih"y knew thar ir.hi"I 1sht await!
those who shnnld next descend The rope was hauled
10,
tlched and John Dorsey ana relief party went down.
Al the bottom they found Moran, Dresser. Carr and
Bubhus dead ant frigltfuHy mAusel Thr heavy
" dummy" had fallen uufl n Wts stopped IN IT.
ordinary position of few feet above the bucket" The
shock had snapped wire rGze This point aud men.
mass. How near the Wrf ~ The bottom when tie
accident took place. cannot De- eIacfy determined hut
the mako OF blood tho sde Of TIE -htu would seem
Indicate that they nat already drsorHdri about 300
feet John BOArimau had o. some way managed 90 md
a lodging the rib work not lar from the bottom HIS
right Lex broken hut he did not know Il and al
tempted 10 lump ~ the bucket a. 10 approached him.
Luckily FOR nm he rau-ht and saved from falling.
The dad bodies taken 10 the surface. Coroner
sutton soon arrived. mpdnecd jury aud held In
were completely crushed. Mortu's neck dislocled
and he had received inter all luTca The jury returned
"a verdict Of death caused by tie caiccssncss OF the
victims.
watch the fol over ana II NJ any time Il should
catch 20 pu, the alarm rope at once. How II came
thatuO ~ the i've men noticed that the fol-
lower" not IN IL. place IS unexplained Tho strange
Of this neglect T. the more striking the last acct
dent at the shan vas cduscd Ia the way. The
that a. long the dummy" Il In ia place there Is
absolutely danger IN going up and down the well.
The chief blame Is laid on Moran himself,
who sent nvay the man whose special
duty 81 sas To- see that everything should
work well rs the buckets lowered aud ra srl.
Some Of the workmcu who standing al the SHAFT
when the accident occurred wondered how It had hap
pcned that one OF them noticed that the dummy"
had not gone down.
you scr," sad man. 4" tho dummy WAS up above
our heads aud get into Way ~ looking down Into
the shaft rather than up Rt the sky"
OF the dead men Carr, DObbns and Moran leave FAINT
lies Bpardnan brought to New York the after
noon and taken to 81. Vnc"nts Hospital.