Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1888-10-22
Terrible Accid nt this a fter-
noon at the insane
HOspiGa'.
Several Arches Give Way Buryins
Four Men in he Debris
Christopher Thompson Killed,
Jacob Lee Fatally siur5 aud
Superintend, mt Kean and
Michael Curry Inj sred.

afternoon there was an accident OF the
insane hospital by which u man was
killed, another fatally hurt. another
severely injured and sill another less
seriously hurt.
From mesgre information received by
telephone i, appears that several brick
arches upon the second floor OF the
northwest corner of one of the wings
under construction fell in. Above these
arches about on the level of the third
floor ware three men at work and with
them was the superintendent OF con-
structlon. The anne of these men are:
D. 81. Kesn, superintendent, Christopher
Thompson, Jacob Lee and Michael Curry,
carpenters. These four were precipits-
ted to the lower floor by thu accident
and partially buried in the debris Of
brick, mortar and TIMBER.
Christopher Thompson was taken ont
dead, q timber having fallen across his
chest, crushing it in.
Jacob Lee is probably fatally hurt.
though this ives not definitely known at
the time OF our information.
d. Fl. Kasn, though badly hurt, will
probably o
Michael Carry's il 1rles srs not deem
ed dangerous.
Mr.. THOMPSON has long been a resi-
dent of Yankson and lea yes a family con-
sisting OF q wife ard two married
daughters. of whom, Mrs. George
Hobson resides in this city, aud the
other, Mrs. George Smith, resides at
Pierre.
Mr.. Lee is also an old Yankton,an,
residing in lower Yankton, on Burleigh
street. He has u large family OF young
children and a wife.
Mr.. Keap, the superintendent, Is q
resident of Gam on, where he hiss q
family.
LATER INFORMATION.
At four o clock this afternoon Jacob
Lee. the N ost injured OF the survivors of
the accident, was alive, but no hore of
recovery was gwen. The exact nature
Of his injuries cannot be ascertained this
afternoon. Some workmen who came in
from the asylum said he was hurt all
oyer--was bruised and. lacerated from
head to foot, but as to the vital Injury
they could give no information. Mr..
Kean was doing veil at four O'Clock and
no anEisty is expressed relative TO his
condition. MIR. Curry, was able to walk
from the ruins into the hospital, so his
injuries are only slight.
The remains of Mr.. Thompson We Q
brought to his homo on Pine street this
afternoon.
ROTTEN WALLS.
After the accident occurred all the
men employed upon the two wings quit
work. Two of them were %encoun-
Tered by the reporter. They said
the northwest corner of the east wing
had fallen 10, taking with it nearly all
of the end OF the building and a portion
of the side. 1t was their opinion that
the entire building would have to be
taken down before the work Il recon.
struction could be commenced. When
asked where the defect was, they said
the walls were all weak but that the
cause OF this accident was o cracked
foundation. It was their opinion that
the walls were weak from the ground mp
and in an unsafe condition. They said
that either two or three arches were
involved in the wreck. These erches
are above the foundation, on the upper
floor and are of brick. The two workmen
said the arches were poorly made.
Twice before during the past few
weeks arches have given way in the
building under construction. This fact
sustaine the theory of the two workmen
OF the general unsafe condition of the
work.
woRKMEN.
A little talk with three other workmen
this afternoon produced some additional
particulars. One of them was on the
level occupied by the victims of the cat.
%astrophe, q little distance away. he
says that Thompson, Lee and Curry
were standing on top the large aroh
which first gave way--thst Lee noticed
the arch spreading and called Superln.
tendept Kean from another part of the
building to show him its weakening JON
dition. While the four men were looking
at the archway and giving their opinions
regarding Its condition, it suddenly
went down, carrying with it five other
arches on the third floor and fou.
on the second floor. The men
went down with the wreck
and interior BRICK partitions nenr by
were pulled in upon them These meu
attribute the disaster to q failure to
anchor the arches strongly enough.
They say the tops # the arches gave
way from the weight upon them and
this pushed THE W lis on ward on both
sides. These men are all of the opinion
that Superintendent Ksen is dangerous.
~ hurt. Lee. they say, had his chest
crushed in and his head badly hurt.
H INVESTIGATION
OF this disaster is this duty OF Corpne,
Metiiumphy. He is out of town this
afternoon. hnt whea he returns be will