The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-07-27
4 RJGGER HEErs rNsrANr DEarH.
william williams Falls From the Phiia-
delphia city Hall Tower.

william williams Falls From the Phiia-
delphia city Hall Tower.
one Of the most daring risgers IN TINS
country was accidentally killed on the
his, tower al the Public Buildings ycster-
dav In the person OF William Nililams
fftv years old, SO Lombard street. hiit
wording about thirty feet rom lne MAJ"
slanold on the big tower, just under w
Penn statue. the lace on one OF Nllilai.a
shoes caught on bolt and nc ieli pa. ~
ward striking the back OF bis mead on we
main scan0li His skull was Itdt'"ie'
and ne died almost instantly t.t,,.,
The figgcrs had been placing aiu'i.',, .,'',
mates and cornice pieces on the 'oHei
anJ the first iItimatiOn his comrades La'
of the accident was when lAty htd'u a., "
crash coming from the direction on W.
engine house near the northwest '" 49,,
Of the big scan0ld. The other men peeit
81 down ana saw that somebody ma.
fallen there on haslcnins 70 lhe sPo
they found Williams dying ana u"'"'0 -
speak. - ia, rigoers
f,rtivelv wiping his eyes, 10 tilnN -, "a
al Inc perils he has safely paast1
through ON land and sea 20 de TINS Wa.
rre bodv was lowered on the low ,'~
,-s+or and sent to Williams late hvii,ll.'.,
Williams friends, o ana F Ssl,s'a OF
Tohnstown." and IL is a mat ol is,,,is
emonr tho documents OF lna' tc' rs,
eood which swept Iohus135N ~, e,,. and
~. .sst William Williams rshed TOT an,
t,,', 80. a,.,r - drowned persons IN ~.
49, su,ont streets and valleys 20 10,
,rair rsiaiives were able 70 CIV. e,
c ,,i burial as long as ideh'ihc"''0''
Stout OF heart. strong OF noa9y ,i,,s "r''
scarcely knowing "n ,,.,, LII and dangerous
cork when the big statue OF ne he
penn was raised into position an, ~,
worked easily and quietly az a. ,nir." hut
ovsr 40 feet. with scarcely any inns ,,,.,Is
a small board Tor lov'''7 az"
I'm The day following the placing OF ,le
statue into position Williams sSd',l ILL.,, 49,
self on the brm Of the good oie |H a~H,ted
creos1 Watched this event, ana Wneh w ~
| ii,ns ar length came down from ~, LIE
di1zv uerch a friend asked; wv IN, DIN,
how do YOU like eating your dinner Oh
fa al Nv 30 looked for that event ior
,,c.rs'i Williams remarked with PROBES
sional enthusiasm. Il feel 'ha' 4 0o''' 1'
now" ,,.,,,,...... moi, , eailor
and IN was his boast that nc hal s1leu
three times around the world. BOT ~
! Bucks county. he made his home IN mn
! adelphia as soon as he was aDle 70 "olh
! When the project TO place the pHpl'
| buildings I'm Penn Square TOOK uehlll,'
! shane Williams was one or the many
| workfnen who saw their oppofiu
and he assisted in fer cling the EfounH ~
allow the excavators 10 beslh opei i i'a.
| lie had begun what was nearly INC
work. and he was engaged IN many c'pd.
cities al the big marble pile unul the
! day OF his death.
During the war he was a united states
! government pilot. and he showed MS sIl
! on one occasion when sailing on a Ne77t
called the Electric Spark, which sailed
from this port 10 point In virginia, "a.
! The vessel and crew were captured py VIZ
! COnfederatcs. but Williams had previously
Invested himself Of his coat ana hah wrap
| ped the ships flag around his body.
Boys, wen save the Old fldS yet, ne
rOared. as ne buttonef MS COAT oFr.
the precious emblem. OF course ne dno
| his mates were Imprisoned, but, Win MS
| usual luck Williams managed 10 regain
! his liberty, and he lost 10 time IN speed
Ing North and presenting the nag 10 the
! owners Of the Electric Spark.
When the terrible Hood oy -rtoOk job IS
town. in 1883, Williams asked ana obtain
/ Ell leave of absence from me iupic
| Buildings COmmlss on and LETT Tor johns
| town with a dim idea that he might be
useful In rigging appliances ior the puf-
| pose Of clearing away the debris and re-
J covering the bodies. He went there I'M
! heralied, and with very little money, anu
! id not expect fee or reward. one or the
! officials OF the Red Cross Society saw
| Williams at work. and wrote this about
| him. Williams is a man, every inch OF
! him. yet bashful as a girl IN receiving
praise l have watched him recovering
| bodies from the first with mingled ad'
| miratlOn and honor
In recognizing Williams labors al
| JohnstOWn a public committee. consisting
| OF Davis l.. Sylvester, David I. Dawes
| Alfred q. Stub. and Edwin Matthews
presented him with an illuminated AZ
| dress in which he was thanked for hs
] heroic services The address conclude;
| with this sentence.
I'VE place on record this token OF ow
| high appreciation OF the unSelnsh cndr
acter and true Christian spirit displayed
by our brother, and We nope what be
has done will stimulate others % th'
performance of like heroic deeds
Then Williams quietly went back 10 M
work az a 1gger. and took charge o.
| many difficult operations In this city, liar
risDurg. and Richmond Va An especial
| ly dangerous JOB was done on the tOWe
OF the church AT the southeast corner o
Broad and Arch streets during the wlnte
OF 1888. The blizzard had weakened IN
tower and IL seemed as II the beaGtifu
marble pile was 10 tumble into the street
Williams undertook 10 strengthen ~, an
he climbed aloft on his dizzy errand am
performed the work, while good people o
the cOngre cation stood on the sdewah
and prayed for the daring risger's safe
~.
on one occasion when a plague rage
| al Savannah, Ca, he assisted In landin
provisions there and spent his evening
visiting the sick at the hospitals.
| williams was a thirty-secOnd degree
Mason. an Odd-Fellow. and a member o
| Oriental Lodge. No. -. Knights OF Py
thlas; Philadelphia Council, No: IL, CORN
THAN chasseur CCmmandery. 4. T.. NO
50. Philadelphia Consistory; No. 81. A.
s. r., and Lulu Temple Williams leave
a wife and nine children-fiye boys an
four girls.-Philadelrhi Press. July 2Sd.
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