Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-04-22
DOWN TO DEATH.
TIRE Men Burisd Beneath Several
Tons Of Dirt at the
Wafer. Works,
The Treaohsrous Earth Caves in q
Second Time Importing
the Resouers
Two Horrible Deaths from strsngulation
While Third Man is
Severely Injured

The watCr1orks were the scene Of u
terrible accident yesterday morning
about 5 o'clock, in which George Con-
well, white, and Bill Harrison, col
ored, were killed, and George Wetz.
ley, colored, was severely Injured.
The stoppnge Of the suction pipes Of
the works with mud neceasltated the
laying Of another pipe, in order TO
temporarily afford water supply,
and fifteen men were placed at work
Monday evening opening the
trench between the engine-bOuse and
the river. They worked all night and
had reached n depth OF fifteen feet,
almost finishing their task, when the
accident happened, The ditch is
about three feet In width and the end
nearest the house passes through made
earth, which the recent rains have
rendered very soft. In their great
haste the men neglected to put down
braces az they went, and were vigor-
OuslY plying heir picks when with
a DULL THUD
several tons of dirt caved In on those
working IN the upper end Of the ditch,
burying the three Victims beneath
three feet Of clay. Harrison was
working next TO the wall, and was
caught IN STOPPING positiOn. He
was Imprisoned near the aperture In
the wall through which the pipe is
run, and by thlg-t4+eaHs- ATTAINED
breath, Conwell was near the other
end Of the part which caved, and the
dirt fell upon him while bending side
wayF, lniuFlng, II Is thought, his
spine Wot2ley was working between
the other two and was piniOned In an
upright position, to which he owes
his life. Immediately after the acci-
dent, all the men who could work ia
the email space covered by the
trench, rapidly shOveled of the
art beneath which their COM
rades were buried. Wetzley was
reached 1rst and given breathing
space In few minutes after the cave.
1'he dirt hsd hardly been removed
around the heads Of others, when
A SECOND GAVE
piled up four feet Of the earth upon
both victims and resclers, piuioning
some OF the latter to their waists
Harrison had thrown back his head
Al the aperture was opened from
above, and was thus removed from the
hole ia the wall, which before had fur.
niehed him breath. Wetzley was
quickly taken out, with the result 80
stated Con well was not reached IN
twenty minutes and when removed
was alive, but lived only short time
He became conscious five minutes
before his death and complained of In.
tense suffering. Harrison remained
IN the ditch about three hours, and
when taken out WAS OF course
spAilS AND STIFF
in death The bodies OF the decCnsst
were taken TO Fakes n Co., and pre-
pared for luterment,
a reporter visited thesceno o
the disaster and found very
innocent looking trench, from whicl
no ono could ever have apprehendet
danger Although the earth was iillel
IN where il caved, the soil looked VERY
compact, having been in place wv,
years and suffered mn overflow OF I'd
river. The dirt which wa
taken out of the trenol
WAS left too close to the banks ant
lumbled in with tho first cave, addlnl
TO It's gravity. Mir, Monday, super
intendent Of the works, stated thai il
had retired several hours before iron
sheer exhaustion, and awakened bu
few minutes previous TO the ace
dent He slarted TO 60 out to see hoy
the work was progressing when
occurred He thinks the me
would all have been saved II il ha,
not been for the second cave. A heaY
force was az once placed on the ditul
and yesterday evening every vestlR
OF the accident WAS removed, Sron
braces protected the wOrkmen an
they were pushing matters rapidly
MIR, Monday promises that II nothiu
further goes wrong the water suppl
viii be renewed by II o'clock TO-DAY
THE VICTIMS.
Conwell the white man, who wa
killed, Ia an entire stranger in Ga
CITY, and is supposed 20 have recent
arrived from Georgia lie has been |
the employ OF the water. works abol
ten days, In appearance he W.
stout, and rather ta
nlau, with sandy hair an
moustache and about thirty years oh
He will be buried here to-day. III
body OF Harrisun has been shipp,
back 10 Jefferson, where he resided,
response 20 a telegram from his viii
IL had been working for the waite
works but one day, Wetzley Ia We
sore aud stllf from his bruises, but u
tess internally injured will quickly !
cover.
Justice Ilnn held an inquest yests
day evening which resulted in v,
dict IN accordance with the facts
stated