Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-08-10
AN INQUEST TO BE HELD
Deputy Coroner Glazebrook to Investi-
gate the Death Of Charles Beach.
Superintcndcnt and WOrklncn ai
Witnesses-Pr0tectio Should
Have Been Given.

Charles Beach, who was killed while
working on the seventh floor of the new
city post office building yesterday after
roon, as told in The Star, was the first
employe on the building whose death could
be said to have occurred because there was
no flooring laid for the projection of the
workmen. The death of Beafh has opened
up an investigation that viii probably re-
suit in better precautions for PIE protection
of life than have heretofore prevailed in
the construction of the building.
Deputy Coroner Glazebrook visited the
city post Office today and determined upon
an Investigation of the circumstances that
led to the death of Beach. He has given
notice of an inquest to be held over the
body Of the dead man at o'clock this
afternoon, and Superintendent John w.
Kinsey, Foreman Elmer Widrig. William
Mckee, William c. Key, Isaac Lambert
and Daniel Benson, employees on the build
ing, are among the witnesses summoned.
The inquest will be held at the sixth pre-
cinct station house.
On a One-Inch Board.
The board upon which Beach stood when
he was launched from the dizzy height was
but one inch thick. 1t is said that Beach's
foreman cautioned him three times about
the danger of using an inch board to stand
on, and told him to get two-inch plank.
Beach, it is said, replied that he was per-
fectly safe, and continued to use the light
board. 1t is said that had Beach used a
two-inch plank the greater weight of the
timber would have caused 1t to be less
easily careened over when Beach stepped
on the end of it and was :see-sa~ed down
the dizzy height. He at least would have
felt the hoard giving way beneath him, and
would have had more time IN which to step
back. e
But whatever was the erect cause of
Beach's terrible fall. there As a very gen.
eral feeling that something should have
been done in the way Of precaution
against such an accident. "A. gentleman
ell Informed on the work of the new city
pest office said today:
The Terra Gotta Arches.
There Is no reason why the terra Gotta
arches that are to be put in all the floors
of the building should not have been placed
in position as fast as the building pro-
gressed. Had this been done the floors to
the sixth story would have been in place
yesterday, and Beach would not have lost
his life. I understand that the work on
the terra Gotta arches for the floors was
rot commenced because it was feared that
iron beams might be dropped and break
holes in the floors There would have been
few instances of that kind, but the con-
tractors could have been made responsible
for such damage, and thas government
would have lost nothing! There was nc
other reas On for delaying with tia work or
the terra Gotta dooring1 and X ttnat was te
be left there should have been provisions
made for temporary plank flooring. This
flooring might have been commenced or
the second floor, and as each story was
added the flooring could have been drawn
up. The post office building has reached
f..
to work up there without adequate protec
ton.
Workmen Made No Complaint.
But the reason there was no safety pro
visions adopted was because the workmer
| themselves made no complaint. They may
| have been afraid to openly revolt agains
working without flooring under them
but if they had refused to do so the con
tractors would have been obliged to pro
vide the flooring
Beach, who was killed yesterday, wa:
paid 81 day, and that wage was looked
formed and was higher than is ordnaril!
| given because of the dangerous character
| of the employment
An official connected with the erection O
the post Office building said today that HI
| thought the contractor for placing the roo
| on the building would place floor on th'
eighth story before he begins his work
The roof is by far the most dangerous
portion of the building for the men wh'
| are to work on it, and if there should be
neglect to put the flooring beneath lit i
| would be strange if there are not severa
| deaths, a misstep would mean certain
| death.
Beach the Fourth victim.
The death of Beach is the fourth tina
has occurred since commencement of tn
work on the post office building. The frs
| fatal accident occurred when the building
bad reached but the second floor. A MAJ
fell to the basement and injured his skull
His wound was dressed at the Emergenc.
Hospital and he started to work again
He was with difficulty persuaded to res
until the following day, and at o'clocl
on the same afternoon he dropped dead
He suffered from vertigo, which wa
thought to be the cause of his fatal fall
The second death was that of a maj
NAMED Nelson, who was buried beneath
pile of stone that fell at the foot of tn
tower, and the third victim was VIM
Fielding, who ventured out on an iro
| rafter when it was covered with frost, an
slipping was inctantly killed.