The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1891-12-10
IN A DEATH TRAP.
An Awful Fatality Caused by a
Falling Wall.
THE HORRORS ACCUMULATE
Fifteen Laborers Buried Beneath Tons of
Brick and Mortar.

Many of Them Killed Outright, and
Others Nearing the Dark, Dread Val
ley-some of the Poor Fellows, After
Hours of Toll, Were Dug Out by the
Noble Band Of Resouers 49, Pathetic
Scenes That Occurred During the Re-
moyal OF the victIms-The City of st.
Paul Visited by a Shocking Catastrophe.
ST. PAUL, Dec. 5.-The most horrible
accident that ever occurred in st. Paul.
took place yesterday, when the center
wall of the west section of the Shepard
building, recently occupied by Farwell.
Ozmun &c Kirk, fell in, buryihg the
workmen beneath the ruins. There was
supposed to have been fifteen men be-
meath the wall at the time, aud the ma
jority Of them were killed or received
injuries which will probably prove fatal.
Laborars Panic Stricken.
All the patrol wagons in the city were
at once summoned, and Chief Clark,
with Chief jackson and Assistant Mar
tin, made an attempt to organize the
4L10rers who were not under the wall.
ana gGs them to work removing the
ruins. The men we're wild with excite
ment, however, and it was long time
before half a dozen could he induced to
go TO work. The others ran back and
forth around the building, shouting to
each other and uttering imprecation7
against the contractors or stood gazinl
blanltly at the ruins. The group thar
went to work in less than half an hour
had taken out ten men, five of whom
were killed and five injured, one so Sc
verely that the physicians on the ground
stated that he could not live until he
reached the hospital.
BY this time larger gang had been
put to work, and the work Of removing
the debris went on rapidly. Finally the
contractor, Wilcox, was taken out, dead
and mangled beyond recognition. His
head appeared to be mashed to a pulp.
Two injured were taken to the hospital,
and the dead, with the exception Of one
man, were laid out in the Great North.
ern freight house.
Bodies Terribly Crushed.
It was sight never to be forgotten as
the dead and injured were taken out,
some of them crushed almost to a pulp.
One of the men, supposed to have been
sub-foreman, was taken ont in his fur
coat, nothing but his feet and limbs
being visible. His head and body ap-
peared 10 be crushed out of shape.
There were men with their limbs
broken, faces bruised, and crushed out
of all resemblance of humanity. Other.
were not so badly mangled, but had evi-
IDENTIFY been instantly killed by the brich
falling on their heads.
The wounded had to be taken or
stretchers and handled very carefully in
order that the little life remaining
might not be shaken out of them.
There were no groans or cries from the
injured, as the poor fellows were extri.
Gated from the ruins by their fellow
workmen. Not one had retained cor.
sciousness, however.
Cause of the Accident.
The cause Of the accident, as near as
can be learned, was the wall, which
was much weakened by the fire, became
| top heavy from the large amount Of
| debris removed from the bottom, and
fell over of its own weight. For some
time it had been considered dangerous
by people who frequented the place, but
the contractors who examined it pro-
| nounced the wall sound, and the men
| continued to work without fear of acci-
dent. The wall had appeared firm and
gave no sign of weakening up to the
| time of the fall, when it came down in
heap without a seconds warning. The
excavations about the base have been
carried on very rapidly and the greater
part OF the debris has been removed.