Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-07-30
DEAD UNDER DEBRIS.
Three Men Killed and Several Badly
Injured at Elba Works
WHILE ERECTINGA NEW IRON ROOF
The Building Collapsed Without Warning,
Burying the Workers
UNDER A WEIGHT OF HEAVY ORDERS

Three men were killed and five injured at
the Elba Iron Works, Frankstown, yester-
day morning, by the collapse of an iron roof
in course of construction by Ritter & Conley.
The names of the dead and injured are:
AT THE MoRGUE.
B. CORKIN, Italian, 40 years, residence un-
known.
HUNGARIAN, laborer, name and residence
unknown.
HUNGARIAN, laborer, 80 years, name aud
residence unknown.
INJURED.
GEORGE LEMON, bridge builder, "a years
old, resided at 80 Franklin street. Was con-
veyed to the Homeopathic Hospital, and
discharged during the afternoon.
FRANK SCHMIDT, 25 years old, no resi-
dence. Was conveyed to the Homeopathic
Hospital. and will recover.
j. COBEN, Hungarian labOrer, was not
much injured and carried back home.
j. PARKER, % years old, resident of
Homestead, hurt about head and back, but
not seriously.
GEORGE BAKER, native, single and 25
years old, badly cut about head, but may re-
cover. Taken to his home on Williams
Hill.
The roof whose fall ended so disastrously
was being constructed over the finishing
department of the works, in lieu of u wooden
structure, a portion of which had been
taken down. 1t was 1876 feet long and 106
feet wide. The accident occurred at 9:30
o'clock.
CAUSE OF THE DESTRUCTION.
Two of the glrders spanning the building,
at height of 20 feet from the ground, had
been erected and third had been swung
up in two sections to the proper level. They
were so held by two derricks, composed of
timber, and supported by guys. About so men
were engaged OH the work. Some were
placing in position the timber purlins;
others were raising other timbers to those
the accident was brought about by piece of
timber in process OF being rnised striking
portion of the work and unsettling it.
While some Of the injured menwere straining
on a rope attached to this timber the whole
construction suddenly gave way, bringing
down with it two stacks of the finishing de-
partment. Two of the men killed died in
stantly, and the third lived but short time
after being removed to the hospital. The
injured were helped out after the roof had
fallen, and sent to their homes or to the hos
pital in patrol wagon Previously they
were given attention in an adjoining dwell
ing by DrS. Holman and OfBrien, OF Hazle-
wood.
Daniel Baldwin had charge of the work for
w. A. Mallaney. who was executing 1t for
Ritter & Conley. Mr.. Baldwin could not as
sign any cause for the occurrence. He was
experienced in that class of erection and
everything had been properly attended to.
with the machinery lying around. We
have been rushing this week and thought
we were getting on WELL"
CANNOT EXPLAIN THE ACCIDENT.
Baldwin said he was standing in the mid
ri 10 Of he tha aff MI n6
He was seeing to the erection of a derrick
for use in the mill. Everything seemed to
be right, when he heard a shout and
jumped for his life. He said the derricks
used to raise the girders, which weighed
four tons and half each, were strong
enough for the work, and so,was the one and
a half inch rope used.
William Fogarty, Il lad who carried water
when the roof fell in. They were raising Il
beam, which, striking against temporary
brace, showed the wall plates out of place
and allowed the girders TO fall in q
The Elba Iron Works went into the pos
session of the Oil Well supply Company
last May. The new roof was being bulls
over the finishing department., which it was
This has been postponed. The work of re-
construction was Immediately begun from
the street end, men being placed at tearing
down the old houses there Among iron men
the Elba it notorious for its misadventures.
Accidents at the works have been frequent,
and before the present owners came into
possession the property was regarded as
being "unfOrtunate"
The three men who were killed have not
yet been positively identified, so the morgue
officials say although Michael Della, Hun
garian, who lives in Joyce's row, Four-1Iile
Run, identified the man who died at the HOi
meopathic Hospital, as Andrew Zidfk, q re-
cently-arrived Hungarian, 45 years of age,
who boarded near where Della lives.
william Maloney called at the norgue last
night in company with Timekeeper How
ard, but they could not positively identify
the dead men. Howard thought their names
were John Bul. B. Corkfn and Michael Sha-
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