The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-02-28
workman N'SAWFUL Plunge
Sickening Accident to Rigger on
the Hotel Jermyn.
FELL THROUGH SIX STORIES
When Picked Up for Dead the Blood
Flowed from His Ears and Mouth-Ly.
ing in Stupor at the Lacka.
wanna Hospital.

An iron worker or trigger" fell from
the sixth floor of the new Hotel Jermyn
building yesterday afternoon at 2
O'Clock. His name is James Jordan,
known as Sailor" and he has a wife
and three children living at Carbon
dale. After being treated by DR.. j.
f.. Hayes, assisted by DR.. Snyder he
was taken 10 the Lackawanan hos
pital. At late hour last night he had
not gained consciousness and the opin-
ion was that he would not recover
Jordan was working with several
Others putting iron trusses in position
on the sixth floor, over seventy feet
from the ground, and i'm the center of
the building. Their support was Il
skeleton flooring of heavy planks.
Jordan stood erect and shuffled back
ward along plank in order to get "A
better hold ON a small piece of iron. He
backed off into space and exclaimed
MY God"' as the true nature of the
horrible accident dawned upon him.
That was probably his last conscious
moment.
As he shot downward his body turned
slightly, bringing his feet uppermost
For the first two stories of his fall moth
Ing impeded his progress. The body
had gained Il frightful velocity when,
as the fourth floor was reached the
heels and lower legs struck an iron
truss which sent him whirling round
and round like a circus tumbler.
striking Beams and planks.
In the descent through the remaining
space JOrdans body struck either a
plank or an iron beam on each floor,
not squarely but in such a manner that
the whirlng motion was either reversed
or increased.
The awful flight through space ended
with sickening thud on a small pile
OF iron and heavy stones. Jordan fell
on the back of his head and shoulders.
but the force was so great as to flop
him over on his stomach and face. In
this position he was picked up for dead
ana carried to the small engine room,
where it was found that blood was
flowing from the ears and mouth.
Dr. Hayes responded in less than five
minutes and gaw hyperdermics of
strychnia and morphia and admins
tered ammonia and brandy internally.
Rev. Father Millane, of the cathedral,
had been sent for and administered
the last sacraments of the church.
Jordan was barely alive when placed
in the hospital ambulance. He had sus-
tained many internal injuries of a ma
ture which could not be exactly de-
termined; his right arm and left leg
were broken, and his skull is fractured
at the base.
This is the first serious accident that
has happened in the erection of the
towering Hotel Jermyn structure.
About six weeks ago a workman fell
but caught his arm over rod after
descending about fourteen feet, and
was safely helped from his perilous
position.
Councils May Take Action.
The horrible fall of a workman on
the Hotel Jermyn building yesterday
has suggested an important addition to
the building laws. Several councilmen
and city officials informally discussed
the incident, and it is probable that
at the next meeting of select council
Mr.. Manley will offer a building laws
amendment providing that in the erec-
ton of steel framed buildings tenn
porary floor of heavy planking shall
be laid on each floor as the structure
progresses upward.
If the planks are left unfastened they
can be removed in certain spots when it
is necessary to hoist heavy iron or
timber. 1t is explained that the amend
ment will give the workmen more con-
fdence and protect those on the lower
floors from the occasional falls of heavy
material.