New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-11-26
AN AWFUL DEATH AVERTED.
NEARLY BURIED ALIVE ALL DAY.
Piled WITH wBrsKEY WHILE Hrs REscuERs DU0

NEAhLf BURIED ALIVE ALL DAY.
Piled WITH wBTsKEY WHILE Hrs REscUgRs DU0
HIM OUT-A CAyE-rN ALMOST FATAL
Let tho good people OF Ncw-York stay for five
minutes their Indignation over the delay Of ,ustlcs In
inc broadway bribery cases. and give thanks that
'hey nave at least one alderman OF whom any city
might be proud James A. Cowie. vino represents
the xIitth District ate turkey yesterday. but he
went dripping homo last night with the inner con.
sciousness Of having done deed far more worthy
than the consumption OF fowl In big boots AMI
rubber coat he spent the entire day In an heroic effort
70 save the life OF laborng and when his
work was done. five hundred hearts had warm place
for him, and as many minds willingly Acknowledged
that something good had come out OF the Board Of
Aldermen
Several days ago William Vail. plumber. Of No.
GA University place, wishing TO make certain pirs
connections underground in West Twenty st.;
between Eighth and Ninth aves., hired three old men
TO dig hole twelve feet deep beside the cursstons
on the north side of tho street. The diggers began
their job by taking up the pavement in q space msas-
uring five feet by ten twelve. piliDg the cobbls
stones in rows on either side. As they dug down.
ward their excavation grew smaller until when tho
proper depth had been reached there was hariIy
room for a man to pick and shovel. BUt tho
three old began to burrow under the sidewalk.
and in the simplicity Of their minds neglected to
timber the tunnel it decpcned. The srbson was
sand and gravel, and leaking water pipe had mads
it soft mortar. When one shoveful was thrown
out another slid into its place, and II was all tho
three could do to keep the tunnel clear Of loose earth.
Soon after a. IN. yesterday. three shouts cams
from the mouth Of the pit.
"HelDi belp somebody. helpi helpl"
Persons within earshot ran TO the place and assisted
two to struggle out of the ground. One of them
Patrick Rooney. had a bleeding shoulder the other.
William Mcdonald, limped II wounded.
"Cal the police and be quick about IT, be quick
I fell Hell ed Vit AL
"Patrick McIaughllns buried. he is." walled Mo-
Donald pointing to the hole. "iIes dead man by
this time"
Officer william Gray. Of the Sixteenth Precinct.
climbed down Ito tho pit and climbed out again.
his face white.
Giles being buried alive" he shouted. and telling
boy to go to the police station for help. he picked
up shovel and hastoned into the pit. Officer VIII
liam Ketchel Joined him. shovel In hand. An alarm
sent to Police Headquarters and call for an
ambulance to the New-York Hospital. In ten MIN
utes Sergeant Polhemus with q squad OF reachcf
the spot and five minutes later DR.. Adams drove up
IN tn, ambulance. Twenty minutes later several
hundred men and women surrounded the place. Then
Alderman Cowie arrived and descended INTO the pit.
where the two officers digging at the peril OF
their lives to rescue poor Mclaughlin. whose moans
coud be heard above the buzzing voices Of the gath
cring multitude.
sudden rush of gravel had forced Mclaughlin TO
bis knees ono foot slipped under a leaen pipe which
hold 1t like vice. and the sand poured down upon
him from tho four sides OF tho pitt Death stared
the man In t. face. Slowly but rcssessly the re-.
morseless earth closed in upon him. rising inch by
inch Now 1t reached his thigh, now his waist; higher
still it came and In another moment his chest was in
its cold embrace. With despairing cry the pris-.
oner struggled free himself, but his mlsntcst enors
was In vain. The earth had him fast. lilo raised
his arms above his head for an Instant then folded
them calmly and awaited the end
1aafor p11 Ql
Ketche welded theirs but it was to little purpose For
every cubic foot Of sand removed dozen poured In
warning cry from the surface told that the pave
ment was sinking, and an instant after the ofncers
sprang back the heavy hagstoncs came down, brng-
ing fresh carloads of earth. summoning assistance
"a hundred hands were ready at wori-M-
derman Cowe dashed into the breach
ollowed by DR.. Adams, Sergeant Polhemus'
Oicers Gray, Ketchol aud Aikens and Patronan VIII
son. FlagstoDes thrown oct by main srent thmore
suoyes we're brought and the work OF rescue went on
Men nerved TO fresh ererton. h the noans OF Tue
prisoner head. now just visible above the sand
" rolling from side 10 side Another minute must 20
his lsst. o,,yns o,,so
Every eve turned toward hun. An unlucky blow from
q pick had severed the coupling Of leaden pipe aud
stream OF cold Water poured dp0n the prisoner aaIihk 70
the leak aud the agony poor man. who was now
chilled through and through WAS prolonged uhti tohss
and pliers n wers hs wnuts drink . Warm n ana tac old
man willingly swallowed three myers o. eooo
W
whcu was fast leaving hn Tor he began to tell tue rcs
cueIs what they should do. contractor wlinaG Z.
Sergeant LOnsae who had relieved SERGEANT fohenus
took personal charge OF the work, Iaouas Enls, ~ i
nlumher OF No. Isl Niutn-avc. Furnished relay oi men
and the removal OF the falling earth was cohunuea sys
tcnatically. one man took shovel ieii OF sa" h ho
t was taken ur and passed by series OF steps Until
carried ton feet from the mouth OF tne PIT As .ns
work advanced retaining walls were unit OF nsaly
tin uers that the excavation could grow no "aer Ny
canns ~. ,chsd the progress of the work until
the falling sand blinded nln when c.otl was hfown
his head AT intervals tns aocto., " %istsssS
whskey beef tea to the sunerer Father Murphy "
ST. Couubas Catholic Church, offered his presly ser
don't want you now, father, but stay close about;
P send fol- YOU when tho time comes. aud with tba'
iniuncllon tue priest remained on the grouad all aay
Mira Langry passed by tue spot inquired tDe cause VI
the INV Wonei excitement and expressed her sympathy
Windn" on botu sides OF the street hiIed with
heads from the OF tho accident unilI ths success
ending the work in which SO many were 'n''res'''
After seven hours OF excessive eAerlion 'nc ,
reanned the prisoners thighs and TWO etfons men uco
TO pull hu from his cell They could not ino'o nni
the enort male him moan pi,ooasly rom palm s,nsd
ins street Jared the ground aud more sann sepee
down Sergeant Lonsdsle thereafter made drivers Htae
their cars oil the rails and make detour atouu ,uo Wv
Tne work went on Ii Logan TO rain hard, Dut not q
man quit the place. Night settled down wet spd COLI;
the crowd grew sna oacsy wno live s 10 s
Wes, Twenty invited tue ressues oy & y" % ~
th,sss Into ns dnne Of men Tue prison
er was regacd with chicken soup ala tho'e go
tn all observers appeared w 10
20 O'clock a tremendous shout told that the man
was released aud when the shivering ngure WIN coc
so,Isd an TORN and hair eyes and mouth all fu ot
sand was borne to tho surface the ar WAS ren, IN
cheer upon cheer for the old laborer no nsd
nearly fund living death. cheers of the men WHO hsa
saved a fellow man, cheers for Alder man Cowia "a
Al the hospital Patrick McLaufhiln grew suss ~s,sr
hacsn sIowIy 70 recover tue hot bottles anu
Slsnksts were pressed to his Icy skin no rallied opoa 20
ns VINO had worked heroicaily for ten tours 70 sssS
his life The OLD Lan will get over his pains IN ~
two ana 60 hack to digging pits IN the s"o<@ a"
o. 70 Tas Jonn. ana wasn't plucky to stand alr