Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1895-01-19
Drowned i'm a
.....SilVer Flood.
Millions Of Dollars Float Down
ON Mint WOrkmen.


Philadelphia Press: II is not a
pleasant thing to be killed in an acci-
dent. but the novel experience of a
narrow escape from being crushed to
death by $4,000, 900 in silver dollars
came to James l.. Garrett and Thomas
Kennedy, two smelters at the United
States Mint, few days ago. Garrett
and Kennedy have been engaged for
some time past in counting the silver
coin stored away in the vaults. When
Colonel Bosbyshell turned the Mint
over to DIR. Eugene Townsend, it was
necessary that s5,00O,O0 in silver
dollars should be counted. This count
ing began last April and has been
pushed along rapidly.
On Monday the last vault of silver
TO he counted was reached. Il Is in
the central part of the Mint, and there
were in it 9,000,O 900 silver dollars.
stored in bags. Each bag contained
1000 pieces one weighed 60 pounds.
Kennedy and Garrett have the duty
OF clambering into the iron cage of the
vault and carrying the bags of silver
to he counted. Shortly before noon
ON Monday. Kennedy and Garrett
went into the cage 10 get two bags of
the precious metal. The former was
standing in front of Garrett. Near
the door of the cage was a table, on
which they were to place the bags.
While Kennedy was about his duty.
Garrett, whose back was turned to the
huge pile of silver, heard the clink of
a silver dollar fall on the stone floor.
He turned quickly, and then in an in.
stant gave his companion shove out
of danger. He did not have time to
push the table away, and was forced
10 leap over it. The man did it with
a vengeance, for he had no time to
spare.
Look out !" he shouted to his com
panion.
At that moment more than 100 tons
OF silver went crashing through the
cage, and the cash was thrown about
the floor in every direction. The iron
bars of the cage were smashed as if
they were so much paper. The sup
ervisors Of the counting, Messrs. Oliver
VI. Bosbyshell. Samuel 4. Preston and
Frank SaxtOn, heard the noise and
turned their backs to the vault. They
did not want TO see any person killed,
and felt sure that Garrett and Ken
nedy had been buried under the silver.
When the two men appeared there
was general jolitication. An elder
ly laboror, who stood near by. and
saw the big pile of silver crashing
through the iron cage, was so seized
with fright that he tainted. Then he
had hemorrhage, and had to be TAX
Ell TO his home in cab. Last night
he was still in a critical condition and
there is little hope of his recovery.
The fall of the silver began at
height of IA feet. Ii demolished
everything that was in its wa, and
only when il settled into an inclined
heap, did the work of destruction cease.
Ii Garrett and Kennedy had been
caught in the avalanche OF silver. il
would have taken a day at least to re-
move their bodies from the pile. That
the accident would have resulted in
their death is unquestioned
IF it had not been tor that silver
dollar said Garrett last night to a
Press reporter. II would not have
been alive tonight The strange ex-
perience of being buried with wealth
all around me never occurred in nv
mind, but now | am not anxious to be
provided with wealth in that way.
The bags were in the vault 50 long
that they rotted. ! suppose that one
Of the upper bags burst so that one
coin dropped out. That coin was our
warning and it is lesson TO be very
careful in the vaults. Inever thought
that would be nearly killed by mon
ey."
How to Make n Town.