The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-05-05
BURIED UNDER BEAMS.
Terrible Tragedy in a Ho-
boken Lumber Yard.
MAN AND CHILD. VICTIMS
The Wind Swayed the Tower of
Timber Under Which They Took
Their MONDAY Rest.

A terrible accident occurred in Ho-
boken at half past twelve o'clock today.
A young laborin0 man and his year old
niece. a pretty child, were eating
their noon-day meal between two piles
OF lumber. when. without a moments
warning, one Of the great piles, swayed
by the high wind. fell on the luckless
pair. The falling beams crushed the life
out Of the little girl and her uncle was re-
moved to ST. Mary's Hospital in a dying
condition.I
The name Of the dead child is Nellie
Wilcox. She lived with her parents fn
humble apartments at the corner Of Sixth
and Jeffe rson street. The man was Henry
Wilcox. He boarded with his brother
Nellie's father.
Henry worked on the docks OF the Po-
cohontas Coal Company at the foot OF
Sixth street. At twelve o'clock the men
knock off half an hour for dinner.
Some of the men who live near by 90
home to their dinner those who live
any distance away have their dinners
brought in baskets or diuner pals. VII
cox was one Of the latter. Every day at
twelve o'clock little Nellie, HIS twelve
year old neice, brought his dinner to hun.
HOW 1T HAPPENED.
Adjoining the docks of the coal COM
pany is the lumber yard Of Charles
Schultz 1t was the custom Of the men "a
sit beneath and between piles Of lumber
in this yard and enjoy their moo nday
meal
At noon toiay Nellie was on hand with
her unce's dinner, as usual. They went
into the lumber yard together.
All around the yard were
workmen eating Nellie, who by
her pretty face and winning ways had
made manS friends among the men
spoke to several Of them as she passed
along.
Wilcox aud and his pretty niece went
in between two piles of timber. The
timber was piled about fifteen feet
high on each side Of them. They
sat down on some logs that were
about three feet high, and Wilcox
opened the dinner can and commenced &c
eat. Occasionally he would give his niece
some OF the goodies in the can and they
were eating and chatting all unconscious
of the terrible fate awaiting them.
The wind was blowing at a great rate,
aud the timbers above them began TO
sway violently. Some of the other
workmen noticed the timber sway
ing aud yelled for Wilcox TO look
out. But the warning came toe
over and fell With crash. A cry OF nor
ror went up from the other workmen,
and they ran TO the spot.
WILLING HANDS.
The groans of Wilcox could be heard
and his hand could be seen sticking out
between two large beams. The men
worked like beavers hustling the lumber
to one side, and pretty soon the dinner
pals were found. They were bent and
twisted.
Then Wilcox was found. The heavy
timbers rested on mis- chest and he was
bleeding from u cash under the eye
He was as white as sheet
and unconscious. He was tenderly laid
one side and the men started to find the
girl, although there were not much hopes
entertained of finding her alive.
It did not take long. Her head was
caught between two large beams. She
was dead.
The news Of the accident spread like
wildfire and soon there was crowd upon
the scene. The mother of the dead child
was told the news by someone and came
running down the yard. Her grief was ter
rible. She fell on the body Of her child ano
sobbed as though her heart would break,
1t was with difficulty that the police sue
ceeded in allowing the child to be taker
to the morgue wagon. Wilcox was taken
10 st. Mary's Hospital He cannot live.