The morning call., 1895-01-28

A BROKEN HiWSER'S TERRIFIC SWING.


parting while removing the case OF the
caisson from its position at the drydock at
Mare Island on Saturday afternoon, died
at tie Naval Hospital at o'clock this
morning. The sad accident with its fatal
termination has cast a feeling of gloom
over the entire community, not only at
the yard but on this side of the river.
Further particulars OF the accident We're
learned to-day. 1t appears that the new
cruiser Olympia was expected at the yard
about noon. 1t is customary for the naval
constructor to superintend the docking OF
ship. Constructor Armistead was ON
hand with his assistants and had the
caisson out of the entrance of the dock.
When the accident occurred team of
horses was in the act of towing the caisson
alongside the Monadnock, where it was to
remain until the cruiser came up, and was
fioated into the dock; then it would be
replaced and the entrance closed.
To facilitate its being towed rope
bride, extending from one end of the cals-
son to the other, had been made fast, and
over the center of the bride a two-inch
hawser had been passed, which led through
large block, the end of which was at
tached to the hawser and by which they
were hauling the gate through the water.
The constructor and his quarterman,
John Shean, were standing near the line,
which had an immense strain upon 1T. OF
a sudden, and without warning, the line
parted near the bride and came swinging
around with a terrific force, the end strlk-
ing the constructor and quarterman APP
parently at the same time and across the
face and eyes. The constructor was hit
directly across the eyes and about the
head, fracturing the skull and raising
large lump on one side of the head. The
quarterman was hit across the nose, tear
ing it up and knocking out several front
teeth. As the two men fell those standing
in the vicinity of the accident at once ran
up and found them to each be in an I'M
conscious state.
Commandant Harrison was at once mott
fed of the accident and as quickly as pos
sible the constructor was conveyed to the
Naval Hospital and Quarterman Shean to
| the yard dispensary, where number of
| stitches were taken in his nose and his
other injuries attended to. 1t was not
long before he camp to and it was found
| that he was not as seriously injured as at
/
Armistead On arrival at the hospital
| Assistant Surgeon NJ. r. Pigott and DR.. W.
| Anderson of Vallejo attended the injured
| officer. About o'clock in the afternoon
! Mr.. Armistead became conscious, and it
was for a time hoped the chance for his re-
covery would be favorable. But within
| few minutes it was found and pronounced
| by Medical Inspector Woods that there
was no hope for the constructor to last the
night out.
All during the night the constructor
failed and at o'clock this morning he
| died from fracture of the skull and inter-
nal hemorrhage.
! His body was embalmed to-day and it
will be sent to Norfolk, Va, in charge of
Lieutenant Halstead. His widow will not
be able to accompany the remains owing
to severe illness.
| Mr. Armisted has been Naval Construc-
| tor with the grade of promotion to the
rank of lieutenant, and his death will
probably precipitate contest. His assis-
tant, Snow, will occupy the position of
Naval Constructor temporarily.
| Constructor Armistead was assigned to
duty as head of the construction and re-
pair department at Mare Island,on May 1,
| 1894, having relieved Naval Constructor d.
| w. Taylor who was assigned to the
Bureau of Construction and Repair at
Washington. Since being at the yard he
has made many improvements, and has
done all in his power to increase the work.
ing plant of his department and was par
ticularly careful to see that everything
would be in perfect readiness to safely dock
the cruiser Olympia when she arrived at
the navy-yard. He was appointed from
Virginia as cadet engineer October l.,
1879, and promoted to cadetship August s.,
1882, an assistant naval constructor July l.,
1887, and Naval Constructor March IA,
1892. He was considered one of the
brightest Naval Constructors in the SER