New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-02-12
BTRIED UNDER TONS OF STONE.
FATAL ACCIDENT IN A VERMONT QUARRY
NEARLY DOZEN MEN KILLED AND MANY IN
JuEED-TlIE SCENE OF THE DISASTER
FAR UNDER A HILL-PUsHING
THE WORK OF RESCUE.
TpY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.]


Rutland VT, Feb. 1.-The worst catastrophe
in the history of this part Of Vermont occurred a.
West Rutland yesterday afternoon, when section
of stone sixty feet long and twenty feet wide fell
into a marble quarry operated by the Vermont
Marble Company. burying many quarrym"h'
several of them being killed instantly. Those
known to bc dead are: William Lukas and Frank
Sutn. Poles; Edward Powers, American: ANel
Rumqucst. Swcdc, and Gently. There are
AZ least six other bodies in the ruins and large
crew of men are hard at work removing the
bodies
The injured so far as known, are James Boory,
leg broken: Frederick MarchaHd, arm broken ::
John Dunn, Charles Anderson, Anton Ractic John
c. Anderson, Peter Grcnier. John Meehan and
Michael Cupps Many others were hurt. lhe
victims were a gang at work N channelling ana
taking away refuse, and were all midde-aged
men,
As soon as the accident happened the electric
danger signal was rung in at the companys once
and the mills and work everywhere was stopped
at once All the doctors in West Rutland ana
Rutland were called by telephone and responded
quickly Scores of men were also sent down into
the quarry Soon the news spread to the streets,
and hundreds of men, women and childred hur-
ricd 10 the quarry. People from Rutland ana
Pittsfield began to arrive, and by o'clock tne
vicinity of the quarry was crowded In thc
crowd were many Of the relatives Of the Killed
or njured men, and they were frantic with griet'
Many Of the women tried to rush down INTO the
quarry. but were prevented by the more cool
| headed people.
The quarry is known as the Sheldon Covered
! Quarry" or quarry No 3. 1t was Orened by
Sheldon & Slausson in o6s, and operated by
| Al Cl,oII
leased By the Vermont Marble Company. which
las run it since then. Depth and surface con-
sidcrrd il is the largest quarry in the world
| It's perpendicular depth is over 80 feet and IRON
| thi, the quarry rurs eastward and downward
under the hill 300 feet or more. The accident
was near the extreme end of the quarry, iai
under the hill.
Tho killed and some Of The injured were buref
under TONS Of rock, and the work Of rescue wa
necessarily difficult but scores OF men, IN charg'
of competent bosses went at 1t with VIII. lh'
loose pieces of stone were removed, and blast
were put in to remove the larger pieces som'
OF which weighed many tons. soon one dea'
body was found and taken from under the sheI
into the open part of the quarry. III" poN'
which is usrd for letting down coal, etc, wa
thcn lowered by steam and the body put IN II
An awful stiffness fell over the crowd as I'M
! SIGNAL hog sgnallrd the engine up, and SLOWLY
the box WAS raised 10 the top of the quarry
| The, body. which could not then be recognized
WAS horribly mutilatcd. In a short time tn
second body was brought up in ule box. 1t, also
WAS so badly mutiated that it could not b
| recognized.
Reforr any more dead could be found larg
o.ss of rocl; had to be blasted away, which tool
somc time. Under the middle Of piece Of rocl
a. fro
bodies of two men. so closely Jammed tosethe
that they looked like one. Neither body coul'
bo ,ecoonizrl The fifth body removed was tha
., Alex Rlumouest Swede. who had been II
| this country only two weeks. II was horrb.
monClcd. having lain under mass of marble q
i"'st twcn,v feet thick The sight TO all VII
haJ the courage TO 90 down the ladders, was
di.mal one About forty miners were al w9r
rnn,nvinr the masses of stone from tie Douie
| nf Tho dcoI and injured. and half hundred iilr
wore standing Ground looking on
The cause of the caving-in Of the quarry !
NOT positvely known The mass Of stone ie
without the least warning, ahh all VINO VT IT. a
work there were at once covered ErioII ii'I a.
- tho Vermont Marble Company, SAYS that IN
c,u.. of thc accident is not certain. though IN
scolc or part of the rcof, thht Iell. WaS prUrr
lilly loos.ncJ by freezing. lie said thar u
comnanv has always left a large numncr OF SUI
norts TO prevent accidents OF rms klnd anu .n III
tbis r,rt If the quarry was we'll protected In I'M
respect There about eighty men ao "or
in tn" quarry u,,, ,roi,;rc clork i
trying TO cntcr tho quarry iell from tiie i'""'
forty feet, being injured seriously