Evening journal., 1890-11-19
LAST EDITION
CRUSHED BY ROCKS.
SIX MEN HURLED THIRTY FEET
DOWN a PIT.


serious A Accident at colt & McKendrick's
ouarries Pinned on Rugged
Rocks by Heavy slabs of stone-The
Injured Ones Suffer Intense Pain.
A serious and perhaps fatal accident
occurred in Scott g. McKendrick' quarry
on the Brandywine. near Bancroft's cot
ton mills at o'clock last evening. Six
men were thrown over the edgs of an en-.
bankment 10 the bottom of the quarry
and seriously, and perhaps fatally in
jured
The quarry is situated on an elevated
piece of land near Union street, and
about 800 yards from Delaware avenue.
A deep excavation has been made In the
steep hill side, aad the north side is a
breast of almost solid rick, thirty five
feet high Rough and irregular pieces
of stone cover the bottom OF the deep pit.
The bottom is reached by small read
way which gradually inclines from the
surface, about $50 yards from the quarry.
The two remaining sides are of rugged
and broken stone and very irregular.
On the eastern side Of the top ledge,
William Scott, the superintendent and
five Italian laborers were al work, at
tempting to pry off large stone slab.
8 feet long, 8 feet wide and feet
inches thick A heavy iroa bar wss thrust
underneath the stone to loosen 1t as
pressure was brought against two
assures on the outer edge. The
men stood on another stone, about
one-third larger than the one which thsy
we're attempting to fell. This was SUP
70 hO tlrr oil e
solid rock strata. Two Italians held
crow-bsrs in each fssure, and the other
one used rope attached to the heavy
b underneath.
By powerful and united effort the
big stone was started from the breast of
the rock, aud In an instant fell with an
awful crash. In falling, the stones
pressure on the heavy bar started the
large slab on which the men were stand
ing and which was only lodged in clay.
Before the terrified workmen could re :
cover themselves. The rock was falling
over the precipice toward the pointed
rocks below. A cry of anguish was all
that could be heard, and then the slab
slid over the stone which had just lodged
about half way down to the rocky bot
tom, distance of nearly thirty feet.
A smaller slab was also struck in the
descent and it followed that on which
the men were and breaking into pieces,
fell over their PROSTATE bodies The
heavy slab fell on two of the Italians,
but huge boulder ia the centre of the
pit, saved them from a horrible death by
supporting nearly all the weight of the
slab. piece of stone weighing over 400
pounds fell on William Scott, and the
heavy bar was hurled against the right
leg of an Italian.
reseuing party soon arrived and the
injured we're dragged from beneath the
mass Of rock and pieces of stone one by
one. Three men were required to lift
the stone from Mr.. SCOTS body. Medical
aid was at once summoned, and Or, John
Palmer was the first to arrive on the
scene. The men never lost conscious.
ness, but their sufferiggs were Intense
The Injured wOrkmsn.
The fact that nobody was killed seems
hard to realizs on a glance at the quarry.
An examination of the injured was at
once begun, and they were removed to
their homes as soon as bandages could be
applied Mr.. Scotts right thigh was
broken two inches below the groin, there
were several bad contusions be-
tween the shoulders and a blow
on tue hDQOmcu 0aQ injured
him internally. Nicholas Gerard had been
struck by large stone on the right leg
and the flesh was torn from the bone
clear to the hip. The other injured
Italians wers known by their first names
only, and were as follows: Louis, back
injured, ribs broken. and several contus
ions on the head; John. head badly in
jured Paul, several contusiens on his
body; Gabriel, forehead severely cut.
The injured men are all improved this
afternoon, although Mr.. Scott, Nicholas
and Louis are yet in precsrious condi-
tion. The former stated, this morning
that he was suffering great pain. he
was also troubled with a severe scslt
wound, and the injuries in his stomach
prevented him from breathing without
great difficulty. when the rocks wen
down" said he, 81 gave W everything
and had not the slightest idea that
would be taken out alive The bottom
of the pit is spotted with pools of blooC
aud presents sickenlng appearance
An extra force OF workmen was engaged
at the quarry this morning, to fill
pressing order from Contractor Simmons
Mr. Scott is 65 years old and it ia though
that he will never entirely recover from
the effects of the accident