Evening star., 1896-08-05
A SCAFFOLD'S FALL
Four Painters Precipitated to the
Floor of z Street Market.
Two WERE SERIOUSLY INJURED
Some Say That the Accident Was
Not Unexpected.
CONTRACTORS STATEMENT

This morning a scafrol6 upon which four
painters were at work at the Northern
Liberty Market broke and dropped the men
to the floor below. Two of the. workmen
were seriously injured, one to such an ex-
tent that he was unconscious when picked
up and had to be taken at once to a hos
pital. The other two men escaped without
injury.
1t was about . o'clock when the accident
occurred. an hour when the big K street
market was thronged with people. and the
affair created the most intense excitement.
RuMors were flying about that half doz-
en- men had been killed, and the arrival Of
several hospital ambulances upon the scene
added considerably to the excitement and
attracted q large crowd Of people to the
place. To those who saw the accident or
have estisated the circumstances 1t
seems almost a miracle that no one was
killed.
For some three weeks past painters have
been at work on the galvanized ceiling of
the market. They had almost completed
the work Of putting on the first coat, and
having started at the north end Of the
building. they were at work at the extreme
south this morning.
How the ScaGOld Was Rugged.
The method of rigging the scaffold was a
simple one. Pieces Of timber, two by six
about twenty or twenty-five feet above the
ground. They ran north and south. and
Upon them ladders were placed, forming a
sort of platform upon which the painters
stood when at work. The timbers were tied
to the iron pillars with wire and wires or
ropes were also strung about them and
ever the iron girders which support the
roof. Half way between the timbers there
was movable stand for an added support
to the cross ladders and planks.
fold when the timber at the east end OF the
scaffold snapped in two like match. They
were Fred G. Harvey. All street; Howard
Marquette, 621 G street southeast: G. L..
Alvey, AL c street. and George Stamler,
723 10th street northeast Two other men
were on the job. but they were not aloft
when the scaffoId fell. Edward McGavern
came down a few minutes before the acci-
dent. and, 1T is. said, that he refused to go
back again. as he thought the structure
was insecure Richard Meagher. who Is
one of the men who have been at work on
the ceiling. also declined to go aloft this
morning
According to Mr.. c. I. Clarke. the boss
painter, who had the contract for the job
he had frequently cautioned the men about
being careful and had said that under no
circumstances did he want more than ore
man at time at either end of the scaf-
fold- However that may be, 1t Is certain
that there We're three men to the east of
center support this morning when the
cross timber snapped In two in the middle.
How il that the three men could fall
without striking some one below or with
out striking the meat hooks or the
marble stands of the butcher stalls Is a
problem that no one can answer now
Remarkable Escapes.
Two of the men had escapes that were
really remarkable. Young Alvey's fall was
evidently broken by some electric light
wires and the framework that divides the
stalls in the center aisle from those in the
east aisle He fell in such a way that he
fairly straddled this partition and with
help from below was able to scramble to
the ground. He was cut about the face,
but his injuries were not at all serious
Stamler was standing near the middle of
the scaffold when it broke. He was thrown
against one of the big iron posts, which he
managed to- grasp with both arms and so
slid unhurt to the ground
Harvey was not so fortunate. He drop-
ped to the brick floor inside one of the
stalIs and was considerably bruised about
the shoulders and also suffered from shock.
He was taken to his home in the second
precinct patrol wagon.
The Worst Injured.
The worst injured Of all was Howard
Marquette who Is about twenty-one wears
of age When he was picked up he was
unconscious, and 1t was thought he was
dying He was at once hurried off To tho
Homeopathic Hospital, but recovered con-
sciousness while In the ambulance. At the
hospital he was attended by the resident
Dr. Higgins. and DIR. Swormstedt They
found that no bones had been broken but
that the man had been badly bruised about
the body, and was in great pain. The ply
slcians expressed the opinion that unless
ne mad sustained internal injuries his re-
covery would be quick one.
The cause Of the accident was not diff
cult TO find The 2x6 plank on which
the ladder rested. had a knot all the way
through II, and when the weight Of three
men was brought upon it-well that A
when the scaffold fell A number of the
market people said this morning that they
Were not at all surprised at the accident
for they had been looking for lust such m
occurrence ever since the work began Sew
eral CT them said to Star reporter that
they had always thought the scaffolding
a dangerous ore.
The Boss Painters Statement.
Mr.. Clarke was not present when the
accident occurred He was seen by a Star
reporter afterward and said that he had al
ways believed the scaffold to be secure, and
that If the men had followed his ins tructions
about being careful not to overweight 1t
there would have been no mishap. At the
other end of the market house there is an
additional movable platform which was
to have been used further brace for
the scaffold, but 1t could not be put in place
owing to the wires which are strung about
the inside of the building. Had 1t been in
place under thc scaffold Mr.. Clarke said,
the accident would never have occurred
Racing Mt Brighton, England.
LONDON. Angus. 5.-Mr. Enoch Wish
in the race for the Brighton cup at Brigh-
ton today. There were six starters Mr..
A Calverts Brad Wardine was first, with
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