Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1890-11-20

a 4nAGIo ouAEnY AccrDEyT.
'he Near Escape From Death of Super
intendent Scott and Five Italian EN-

Tho Near Escape From Death of Super
intendent Scott and Five italian EN-
ployes.
A serious accident happened at $3.50
o'clock Tuesday afternoon in one of
the Kentmere quarries, when six men,
including the superintendent and five
employees, were dashed headlong over
the brink of the quarry pit and precipi
tated 30 feet to the ground.
The quarry in question is the property
of the Brandywine Granite Company,
and is leased by McKendricl1 g. Scott,
the firm which supplies slab and curb
stones for the city streets.
Superintendent William Scott and
five of his Italian employees, whose un-
pronounceable names have always been
unknown to their employers otherwise
than by the Christian first names of
Louis, Nicholas, Gabriel, Paul and John,
were engaged in an attempt to dislodge
an immense granite boulder, over 80
tons weight, which stood on its end up
right against the quarry walls. The
men were working away with their iron
levers and were standing upon what
they supposed to be the solid granite
wall of the quarry. The big boulder
commenced sliding down as expected,
when suddenly the mass of granite upon
which they were standing up ended. All
six men were pitched headlong into the
quarry pit. What they were stand
ing on was an immense stone
cap loosely superposed on the
key to its retention in position being the
big boulder This was of course quite
unsupported by the workmen. The
great capstone, itself weighing some 90
tons, made clear somersault in its way
down. Fortunately the victims were
pitched clear ahead of it at an angle to
the rocks course. The capstone fol-
lowing the boulder in its flight down
wards was DETECTED in its course by
striking a projection of rock. This
threw it clear over the men who lay
prone at the bottom of the pit, bruised
and smashed by the jagged stones and
rocks at the bottom. One man, how
ever, was partially caught and but for
a large rock that held it up, the Italian
Nicholas would have been smashed to
atoms.
All of the six men were more or less
hurt. In the debris that followed the
fall of the rocks, stone weighing half
ton struck superintendent Scott break
ing his left thigh. He was otherwise
badly cut on the head and it is feared
internally injured. Nicholas, who lives
at Seventh and du Pont streets, had his
right leg horribly lacerated, all the flesh
along the lower part being torn to the
bone. John has serious wound on his
knee cap. Louis, who lives next door
to Nicholas, was badly bruised and
wrenched in the back, and it is feared
may be fatally hurt. Paul and Gabriel
are also bruised about the body and re-
ceived cuts, but not of serious nature.
There were four other Italians who es-
capped unhurt.
cries of the wounded attracted the atten-
ton of the stone cutters at work in the
adjoining sheds. They Immediately ran
TO the assistance of the victims. Scott
was found with the large rock across
his body. 1t required the most delicate
and careful work of over half an hour
before he could be extricated from his
fearful position. A handcart was OBJ
tanned and he was gently carried to
dearborn and then slowly driven to his
homo at 20l2 Delaware avenue. Prompt
succor also was given the Italians who
lay moaning and scared with fright.
They were all driven to their homes
and medical attendance Immediately Oh
tanned.
Mr.. Scott was seen yesterday morn
ing by representative of the GAZETTE
He Is in excellent spirits, but it is feared
is not aware of the gravity of his con-
dition. He is lying in bed, of course
unable to stir from the fracture of his
left thigh. Drs. Wales and Palmer are
in attendance.
On account of the complication of
injuries they have been unable as yet to
make a thorough examination of Mr..
SCOTS injuries.
Superintendent Scott has been for 43
years engaged iu quarrying work. No
one, he believes, could have foreseen the
cause of this accident. Apparently the
capstone upon which the men were
standing was an integral part of the
solid granite walls of the quarry.
Standing in the pit of the quarry, and
its walls stretching So feet
up, with the big 30-ton boulder on one
side and the huge cap-stone, which
made its strange but fortunate somer-
sault, in the rear, the looker-on can
form some idea Of the great escape from
death that Superintendent
Scott and his employees luckily expe-