The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-12-16
SMOTHERED BY SAND.
Four LabOrers in a Brooklyn
Trench Killed by a CaVe.In.
Without Warning the Conduit
Collapsed and Covered Them.

Loose sand caved in upon a trench at the
corner of Crescent street and Liberty avenue,
Brooklyn, N. Y, a few afternoons ago. -Four
men were killed and three injured. 1t was
Thought that the accident might cause a
water famine in Brooklyn.
One Of the men lost his life while attempt
ing to rescue his fellow laborers. The
others were smothered or drowned in
the water which poured into the e1-
Long Island Water Supply Company. The
dead are: Philip Askoni. twenty-five years
old, an Italian; Joseph Coslne, twenty years
old, an Italian; Hugh Murphy. thirty-one
years, OF Crescent street, near Liberty
avenue; unknown Italian.
The men who were caught were forty
eight feet below the surface OF the street.
Valentine & Crawford lave the contract for
building the new conduit which Is to supply
water to the new reservoir, located along
side the old one on Ridgewood Heights. The
new conduit, consisting of forty-eight inch
pipes, is being laid beside the old brick
aoueduct, which is eight feet in diameter.
The trench crossed Liberty avenue at an
acute angle. Through Liberty avenue run
the pipes of the old New Lots Gas Company
and the Long Island Water Supply Com
pany. They are eight-inch pipes, are only
four feet below the surface and were
completely undermined by the laborers. The
soil Is Of a sandy nature. An immense pile
of dirt had been thrown up on either side or
the excavation, which was about fifty feet
in length. On the west bank was a small
shanty, with q derrick which was used to
lower the iron pipes.
There had been fears for several days that
the bank would ave in and the laborers
worked with reluctance. The contractors,
however. assured them that there was no
danger, Men were bracing the banks OF the
excavation when the landslide occurred.
Foreman Hughes was experimenting the
strengthening Of the ranges and one of the
pipes was being lowered by means OF the
derrick when at half-past one o'clock, with
out any warning, the east bank caved In.
The majority Of the seventy-fve laborers
were at work on the tot. OF the oank ana
only seven men were at the bottom. They
we're buried under the immense pile Of sand
and dirt.
Six men were looking after the braces:
The majority Of them were near the top OF
the trench. They were the victims.
It came in the twinkling of an eye. Few
people saw 1t. Almost before one could turn
bis head it was over.
Some of the laborers turned and an 1t
looked to them as if the bottom had dropped
out OF that part Of the earth.
Fred. Crawford, the son of the senior
member Of the contracting firm, and the
superintendent of the work, was looking to-
wards the excavation when the cave.tn
occurred. With startling suddenness the
snoring seemed to melt away and the sand
rushed together like mad waters. There IVA
no cry Of warning, no scream Tor help.
EVERYBODY was dazed. The Italians trembled
and many ran away trembling with fear.
The fall of the east bank weakened the
support on the west side and that also caved
in. The Long Island Water Supply Comp
any's main wa broken and there was a rush
of water which quickly filled the cut. The
gas pipe also parted and the gas escaped In
volumes.
Word was sent to the Office of the water
company and the supply was at once cut or:
The gas company also turned of gas, and
within half an hour the work OF digging OUT
the buried laborers had begun.
The Italian laborers went to work In a
half hearted fashion to rescue their fellow
workmen. They acted as II they were afraid
that there would be another cave in, and
few Of them could be induced to descend to
the bottom of the cut. They worked with
difficulty on account Of the nature OF the
slide. which filled the excavation to the
depth of ten feet In a slanting direction. On
the day after the accident only one body had
been recovered.
BROOKLYN was on the verge Of q water
famine because of the break In the conduit.
Manufacturers in Brooklyn were warned not
TO use the city water, and householoers we're
told to use IL sparingly.