Morning journal and courier., 1888-06-04
A HORRIBLE DEATH.

John CurnOW Crushed in an Elevator
IN the Atwater BIock-His Neck IL
Caught m an Iron Rar and His Head
Cut on.
A horrible accident occurred in Atwater's
block Saturday morning shortly before nine
O'Clock, when John Curnow, an engineer liv-
ing at SO Grown street and employed in the
block, was crushed to death by an elevator.
Mr.. Curnow was in the cellar and he step
ped onto the elevator and as has been his
habit he lay down with his head looking at
the machinery under the elevator, in the
meantime starting the elevator upward. He
misjudged the distance to the first floor and
when he looked upward he saw that he was
near the first landing and that he was almost
sure to meet instant death. He probably
tainted at the sight and the sharp-edged bar
that runs along under the first floor caught
the neck of the victim and severed the head
as clean as If done by guillotine. Only a
small piece of skin at the back of the neck
| connected the neck and the body.
No one saw the scene. The head swung
| from its bloody resting place, and as the ele-
| vator assembled few feet it was dragged
through the floor, the blood pouring out from
| the body in a perfect stream. Frederick J.
Il
/ Something attracted his attention to the rear
/ of the building and turning he saw sight
| that almost chained him to the spot. The
| elevator was already near the second landing
/ and in few seconds the head of the unfortu-
| nate man would have dropped off into the pit.
| Mr. Rice jumped forward and caught the
1 chain just in time to prevent the final act OF
the horrible tragedy.
DR., Cremin soon arrived and so did Coro-
ner Mix and his deputy, Walter Pond. The
statements of several of the employees were
| taken. Undertaken Blair took charge of the
| remains and they were taken to his home.
The news of Mr.. CuIaow's death cast 8
| shadow over his household. His daughter,
| at the time of her fathers death, was at home
| making arrangements for her wedding in
| three weeks. The deceased was about 81
| years old, and was faithful and sober en-
ploye. At one time he was a locomotive en-
gineer on the Consolidated and Derby roads.
1 He leaves a wife and three children.
In the course of the hearing by the coroner
/ it came out that possibly some one on the
| upper floor started the elevator, but this
| does not seem at all probable. The coroner
| evidently did not like the elevator, as it had
i no safety arrangement. The coroner came to
| the conclusion that death was accidental.
l He will urgently recommend that every own
| or of buildings with elevators in the city be
compelled to provide them with all safe
guards possible, and whenever a person
| wants to put in an elevator he must obtain
permission from proper authority. The Ger
oner believes that an inspector of elevators
should be provided to see to it that all ele
vators are made perfectly safe and surround
ed with all possible safeguards and that the
law should be obeyed.
/ THE FUNERAL YESTERDAY.
| The funeral took place yesterday Afternoon
l from his late residence on Crown street
Rev. Mr. Lines of st. Pauls oficiated. Their,
was a large gathering of friends of the de
ceased present. The Odd Fellows ana
Brotherhood of Engineers, of whom deceased
was member, attended in body.