New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-07-19
KILLED IN A ACAVING TRENCH
SEVEN MEN BURIED BENEATH A RUSH
OF EARTH AND SAND.
TWO OF THE LAsoRERs DEAD AND TWO MORE
FATALLY HURT-THEY WERE DIGGING IN
BIG DITCH IN HARRISON " 1.-THE
WARNING OF A WEEK AGO TO PROP
UP THE THREATENING SIDES
DISREGARDED BY THE


CONTRACTOR.
Two men were killed and five injured through
the cavng In Of a sewer trench in Harrison.
Hudson County, just across the river from New
ark. yesterday afternoon. Two OF the Injured
are 80 badly hurt they will probably die The
accident occurred In Jersey-st.. between Fourth
and Fifth SITS. A sewer was being put In. Inc
contractors were Thomas J. Regan Co. The
formation there Is Of sand and very treacherous.
The killed are Anthony Ryan. thirty years
DID, OF No. IS Bowery-st, Newark and George
viadne. thirty-fve years DID, of No. SO River-st.,
Newark.
The fatally injured are Edward Lenedy forty
six years old. of No. 10 Monroe-st. Newark ana
James Mcdonald. thirty-hve years old. of Phil
more and Market SITS These two men are In st.
Michaers Hospital. IN Newark Thomas Bren-
nan, Of No s Wall-st was taken to the hospital.
but was able to leave 1t later In the evening.
Cornelius NJ Engrene Of Raroad-ave., Harri-
son. was injured. but was taken home and will
be able to be about In few days. Another man
whose name was not learned was taken out. but
ne appea red unhurt as he set TO work TO help in
the digging and when the excitement was over
he had disappeared.
NO HEED TO TIE WARNING.
II
place a week ago. and two men were buried be-
meath n mass Of sand and gravel Chiet OF
Police Callahan at that time warned the foreman
and superintendent to have the sides OF the
trench supported properly. This precauton was
NOT taken and the result was the terrible acci-
dent Yesterday The trench was ten feet deep
by four feet wide There was gang OF twenty
men AZ work In the trench. The section which
gave way caught ten Of them but two managed
To free themselves and one was lifted out without
difficulty The cave-n occurred without any
warning one side OF the trench tumbling In sud
denly.
There was big crowd at the scene within ten
minutes after the accident happened ana the
police had their hands full. The work OF rescue
although pushed forward as rapidly as possible
was slow because there was danger OF more ear'h
tumbling in. and OF the shovels, II pushed iofci-
bly, into the dirt injuring the buried men lhose
In the trench were known to have made rusn
for safety when the first mass uf ear'h le,', pus W
no one knew Just how far they had succeeoeu III
getting and the chances were that some OF them
were not more than half way to the bottom OF
the trench. This proved To be the case wiz. win
brennan and Engrene, who were found WITHIN
half an hour The unnamed man was also near
the surface. After these three were taken Out
II was a long time before any more were reac"eu'
The two men fatally injured were found some
distance apart buried under the sand Botn
were stiil alive. and the ambulances hurrleu
away with them to the hospital
THEIR HANDS OVER THEIR MOUTHS.
The two dead men were the last taken out Ihey
=, IRE found almost exactly In the middle OF the
cavc-,n. at the bottom OF the trench. Both mad
been dead some time and II Is thought they
were killed at the first shock. Their heads
pointed In opposite directions. and 1t appeared
th.v had run toward each other when the earth
began 10 give way. and running bliniiy through
,h, shower OF earth had stumbled across pipe
which was under them. Each man had ms rieh'
hand TO his mouth. as though when tne eaItn
ratned down on them he put II there 70 keep the
dirt from his mouth and nosirlls
II was an hour and nftecn minutes from the
was finally released The workers had t. pro-
cccd with extreme care as the earth about them
threatened to give way At any time To Nc
Donald were given frequent drinks OF brandy 10
keep him up Hs back is injured and ne couid
NOT SUPPORT himself the earth was taken
away This rendered the work harder. ms thoS"
shoyell!ng had 10 work about those supporting
the injured man.
ARRESTS TO BE MADE.
The Harrison police at once set about hnding
Daniel MCGEE and John Hicks. the superntend-
ent and the foreman. who week ago were
warned 10 have the sides of the trench sup
ported with braces and planks. They VIII be
placed under arrest pending inquiry INTO the ac-
cdent By the Coroner