Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1893-02-16
MAMMOTH SCALE
Loosened by Frost Falls From
the Closed Quarry's Roof.
Excited Throngs of People
Gather About the Fatal Spot.

RUTLAND, VT, Feb. IA cave-in oc-
rurred yesterday afternoon in the Sheldon
covered quarry at West Rutland, owned
by tho Vermont Marble company, instantly
killing five men and wounding nine others
7. a. Mcclure, Herald mailing clerk, at
tempted TO go down ladder into the pit
and fell 40 feet, receiving in juries that may
prove fatal.
AS soon as the accident was reported
work Immediately stopped in all the com
pam works and willing hands at once be-
gan the work OF rescue, while hundreds of
people, including the friends of the quarry
men, hocksd to the scene from ell drec-
tions
The scenes as the dead bodies and the in.
jured men were brought to the top was al
most irdescribabie, the grief of the afflicted
being most painful! to witness. All the ply
sicians in the vicinity summoned and
they rendered all possible assistance.
The treasurer thinks that SCALE or
part of the roof OF the quarry that fell must
have been loosened by freezing. The bodies
OF the dead were horribly crushed and man
gled being in most unacceptable, but
by calling the roll of employees the list of
dead and wounded was made out as follows:
The Killed.
William Lukas Pole.
Frank Suiig, e Pole.
Edward Powers, Irish.
Axel Blumberg, Sweds
Felix Bellaire, French.
The Injured.
James Dooley, Irish; leg broken.
John Dunn, Irish; slightly injured.
Charles Anderson, Swede; slightly MUIR
ed.
Fred Marchsud, French arm broken.
Anton Roski, Pole; slightly injured.
John G. Anderson, 6wede; slightly in
jured.
Peter Grenier, French; slightly injured
John Meehan, slightly injured about the
head.
Mike Cops, Irish; slightly injured.
Details of the Disnster.
In special edition issued on the after
noon of the accident, the Rutland Herald
gives the following account of it: AS soon
as the accident happened the electric danger
signal was rung il at the company's Office
and the mills aud work everywhere stopped
{ ct once. All the doctors in this town and
West Rutland were called by tho telephone
and responded quickly.
Scores OF mon were also sent down into
the quarry. Soon the news spread to tho
streets and hundreds Of men, women and
children hurried to the quarry. People
from Rutland and Pittsford began to ar
rive, ana by o'clock the vicinity OF the
quarry was crowded. la the crowd were
many of the relatives OF the killed OF injured
men, and they were frantic with grief. the
scene being heartrending Many OF the
women tried to rush down into the quarry,
but were prevented from doing so by tho
more cool-headod people, who took extra
precautions to prevent accident.
Scsne ofthe CntaGtropLe.
The quarry is Just north OF a big saving
mill OF the v rmont Marble Company and
is known as the Sheldon covered quarry,
CT quarry No. g. 1t was opened by Sheldon
4 Slausson in 1868 and operated by the
Sheldons until January /, 1892, when il
was leased by the Vermont Marble compa
ny, which has run it since. Depth and sur
fac, considered, it is the largest quarry in
tho world. Its perpendicular depth Is over
2JO feet, and from this the quarry runs
eastward and downward undor the hill 500
feet or more. The accident was near The
extreme end OF the quarry, far under the
hill.
Removing the Dead and Injured.
The killed and some of the in jured were
buried under tons or rock, and work oil
rescue was necessarily dilicut, but score:
Of men in charge Of competent bosses went
at 1t with will. The loose pieces of stone
were removed, and blasts put in to remoy,
the larger piecss some Of which weigheC
many tons.
soon one dead body was found and taker
from under the shelf into the open part Of
the quarry. The bog which is used ioi
letting down Goal, ETC.. was then Lowered
by steam and the body put in it. An awtu
stiffness fell over the crowd as the sigma
boy signaled the engineer up" and SLOW
ly the box and body were raised TO the tor
Of the quarry.
The body, which could not thea I, cog
niIsd, was horribly mutiated, tho Leaf ant