Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-01-07

A Frishtfai Accident nj the Center Marie,
To-day.

Today.
A frightfnl accident occurred % the Censr
Market this morning which resulted in the al
most immediate death Of Albert s. ssker.. q
young man employed by Walter Brown. one q
the butchers Of the market The mans IN.
was crushed out while his friends stood arou.d
powerless 20 do an ything
About 100 this morning a STAn reporter
was walking through the Center Market the CIV
OF help" resounaed through the building. IN
. moment signal Of distress was sounded On a
police whistle and there vas q rush for the
door leading into the court at the angle where
the 9Th street wing Joins the main building.
TIE srAk man was among the first 10 arrive.
TERRIBLE sioH-.
As he pushed open the door a sickenine sisht
met his eyes. Lying at fun length ON ~.
ground. with his head under the elevator dour
and the blood squirting in all directions ~ ne
door pressed down. WAS a man. ..Stop the
steam" some one cried. VIM. J. oapner ran
TO the engine room and. grabbing a crowb@r
hurried back. breaking the door in the help-
less man was tenderly lifted and CARRIED 20
one OF the produce wagons near by. The hor.e
was whipped into gallop 30 the Emergency
Hospital. Here DIR. Middleton rendered what
aid he could 20 the injured man. but ne
breathed his last just twenty-five minutes from
the time he was hurt
The elevator which IL responsible for the
death Of young sakers Is one Of peculiar o0o-
struction. IL Is a hydraulic elevator, made e
the Technical Institute az Worcester. Mass.
The door at the entrance 90 IL il automatic,
sliding M and down. When the elevator go-e
mp TO tbs cold storage rooms the door descenas
and closes automatically and sscends and opens
when the elevator returns 90 the ground foor.
The elevator Is operated by boy nAmsd
Charles Riley.
now THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED.
According TO the statements Of the eievatsr
boy and others who were near by SAkers. con-
trary TO instructions, in the absence IL
the elevator boy went up alone on
the elevator with a piece Of meet
While on the return trip. in his endeavor 20
reason unknown, he pulled the rope, which
caused IL TO stop when within three feet Of the
ground. In his inexperience of the workings u
the elevator and IN the excitement he gave
TO start upward instead Of downward M he DE-
| sired. Had the boy remained on the elevator
he would have been unhurt but in his
excitement he endeayored 70 jump OF and b.
tween the ascending elevator and the descend
ing door he was caught Riley, the elevator
| boy, who is regarded as competent and trust
| worthy, was within two feet of the els-
| vator, inside the baize door, and came oat
| too late 10 prevent the elevator going up On
| this unauthorized Grand He with two others
correct the mistake they at once saw the bov
had made. but il was beyond their control
The officials Of the market company say that
il has been their constant effort 90 do ali pOs-
| sible TO prevent accidents and the improper
handling Of these elevators They run 20
smoothly and apparently 90 simply that
many OF the men and bows On
| and about the market think that in one trip
they can learn all that is TO be known in refer
ence 10 their control The elevator was In per-
feet running order. The woodwork about the
elevator had TO be cut awRy 20 release the boz
who was unconscious when removed from the
ele: ator and taken TO the hospital.
| The victim OF the accident had not reached
his majority. He Ia a native Of MARYLAND and
lives. when at home. at Savage. Since he has
| been learning his trade he las resided with he
employer, who lives on the heights Of George
town. An examination Of the body disclosed
| the fact that the base Of the skull was frao-
| tured-in other words, the neck had been
| broken-while the cheek bones and nose were
also broken. DIR. Kerr made the examination
Later in the day the body was taken 10 sAbers'
| home in Georgetown.
Coroner Patterson today examined the els-
vator boy, the engineer and Others and do
cided 20 hold an inquest at O'Clock tomorrox.
RILEY's STATEMENT TO THE CORONER
In his testimony before the coroner the ele-
vator boy Riley stated that he was in the mar
ket house when he heard the elevator going IN.
Running TO the elevator door he kicked ana
called for the man TO come down. The maa
replied that he would be down in a minute. He
waited for the elevator 70 come down and -
the door raised the man started to get out
he still kept hold of the rope which runs
the elevator, and almost at once the elevator
changed its course and knocking him down the
| door caught him.
Coroner Patterson stated 10 a sraR reportsr
this afternoon that he was Of the opinion that
| the death was due TO the mans own CARELESS
ness. He also stated that the death was in hl<