The Portland daily press., 1893-02-13
FIVE WERE KILLED
By the Gazing in Of a Vermont
Marble Quarry,
AND MANY OTHER WORKMEN
WERE SERIOUSLY INJURED.
1t Happened at West Rutland-A Great
Mass of Stone Fell Upon the Men-ihe
Victims Are All of Foreign Birth.


Mass of Stone Fell Upon the Men-The
Victims Are All of Foreign Birth.
RUTLAND, VT, February 11.-Onc OF the
worst disasters in the history of marble
ouarrying occurred at West Rutland
little after O clock this afternoon, IN the
quarry operated by the Vermont Marble
Co.. with which Senator Proctor is con-
nected. A great mass of stone fell lnto
the quarry and five men were instantly
killed, one probably fatally hurt and
eight others injured. The victims were
crushed so some could not be recognized.
The victims were gang at work chan-
nelling and taking away refuse. and
were all middle-aged men.
AS soon as the accident happened, the
electric danger signal was rung in at the
company's office and mills, and WORK
everywhere was stopped at once.
Ali the doctors in West Rutland anu
Rutland were called by telephone and
responded quickly.
Scores of men were also sent down IN
To the quarry. Soon the news spread to
| tbe streets and hundreds of men, women
and children hurried to the quarry, and
bv o'clock the vicinity of the quarry
was crowded. In the crowd were many
| relatives of the killed or injured men
and thew were frantic with grief, the
scenes being heart rending. Many wom-
en- tried to rush down into the quarry,
but were prevented by the more cool
headed people.
ssCoyered quarry" or quarry No. 3,
was opened by Sheldon d Siausson, IN
1868. and operated by the Sheldons 4ntll
January /, 1892, when leased by the YER
mont Marble Company Depth and sur
face considered, it is the largest quarry
in tbe world. Its perpendicular depth is
over 25O feet. and from this quarry 1T
rms eastward and downward under the
| hill 900 feet or more. The accident was
near the extreme end of the quarry Tar
under the hill
The killed and some injured are buried
under tons of rock, and the work OF
rescue is necessarily difficult; but scores
of men. in charge of competent bosses,
went at it wit. a will.
Two bodies were quickly sent up from
the pit, Then a large piece of rock, sutfl-
cient to fill two freight cars, had to be
blasted to release two bodies that were
so closely iammed together as to appear
hut one. both being horribly mutilated.
| The fifth body removed was that of Axel
| Blumquest, Swede, who had been IL
this country but two weeks.
All the bodies were horribly mutllated
Perhans two score of miners were al
work removing the debris from the
! bodies of the dead and wounded, and hall
a hundred men were standing round look
ing on.
The cause of the caving in of the quar-
ry is not positively known. The mass o.
stone which covered the men who were
at work close by was, as near as can pe
estimated. 60 feet in length and ~ Tee
wide. 1t fell without the least warning
and all at work there were at once GOV
cred. g
R. R. Morse, treasurer of the Vernon
Marble Company, says the cause OF thu
accident is not certain, though the
ssscaIe'' or part of the roof that fell wa
probably loosened by freezing. About y
men were at work in the quarry
T. A. Mcclure, Herald mailing clerk
went to the scene of the disaster under
took to go into the quarry and fell iron
a ladder 40 feet, and was injured yer,
seriously, He is now unconscious ano
may die.
The following is the list of killed ant
Killed-Alex Blumquest, (Swede) sin
ole: Flexis Bellaire (French) married
large family; Ed Powers Qrish) married
family; Frank Sulig, (Pole) single; Will
liam Lukas, (Pole) single.
Injured-Peter Grenier, (French) bae
fracture of skull and both legs crushed
probably fatal; James Dooley,. Qrish
ieg broken at ankle and may lose hi
foot; John Dunn, Qrish) slightly injured
Charles Anderson, (Swede) finger broker
and head cut, not seriously; Fred Mara
chaud, French) right arm broken an
head cut; Anton Roski, (Pole) head Gu
hack and ankle sprained, not serious
Michael Cupps, Qrish) slightly injured
John Meehan, qrish) head cut, not seri
| OuS,