Evening star., 1896-03-31
FROM A DIZZY EIGH T
Another Victim of New City Post Office
Methods.
Daniel Beach Falls From the Third
Story of the New Structure
Lack of PrecautiOn.

Another victim of the negligence of the
authorities in charge of the construction of
the new post Office building and the COIL
tractors working under them was added to
the already long list this morning, when
Daniel Beach, an iron worker, residing at
ia R street northwest, received fractured
skull by falling from the third story of the
structure to the basement beneath For
several days Beach and some fellow work.
nen have been engaged in removing girders
in the 18th street wing of the building, mid
way between c and D streets, to make room
for the vaults that are to be placed in posi-
ton there. These girders were attached to
chains, which In turn were joined to the
pulley rope Of derrick, and, when their
fastenings were removed, they were low
cred to the basement. This morning shortly
after IL o'clock Beach was standing on a
four-inch iron girder in the third story,
keeping his balance by leaning against one
of the iron upright columns. 1t was his
duty when one of the girders which was to
be removed had been loosened to push it
out SO that it could be lowered without
striking the stationary Sirders on its way
down. When he saw that it was straight
he would give the order to lower away. At
the time mentioned he leaned forward and
pushed the rope holding a suspended girder,
and in doing was compelled to move
away from the post by which he had kept
his balance.
He swung the girder into space and gave
the order to lower. and, in attempting to
recover himself, lost his balance and fell
forward. He made a desperate effort to
grasp the gfrder and threw an arm around
1T, but the beam gave beneath his touch
and he could not retain his hold. APP
pre- aching the first story his body turned
and went down head first, striking with
terrific force upon an iron girder in the
basement below. When assistance reached
Beach it was seen that his head was split
in no hna
back. The injured man was taken at once
to the Emergency Hospital. where an ex
animation was made by Dr. Peralto, and
it was found that he was suffering from
fracture of the skull. Preparations
were at once made for an operation to
stop the hemorrhage and relieve the pres
sure upon the brain by trephining.
The accident had a very serious effect
upon the other men engaged in the dan
gerous work upon the building. and the
general query among them was who will
be the next?" 1t was learned that many
men had given up employment in the past
three months because of their inability to
work with any degree of satisfaction with
absolutely no safeguards to protect them
while laboring upon the dizzy height of the
new structure. In all the ten stories of
the building there are but two OF three
small temporary platforms made of boards
carelessly thrown across the iron girders,
while the workmen are compelled to go
about their duties on the precarious footing
afforded by the girders alone. The acci-
dent to Beach, occurring as it did at
time when the avenue and the streets ad-
jacent to the new post office were crowded
with people, caused a great deal of COM
mant and the opinion was expressed in
two or three quarters that the attention
of the grand jury would be called to the
conditions and action secured similar to
that in the case of the other government
death trap. known as the government
printing office.
Mr.. Beach is a young man about thirty
roht Of
He is a native of Baltimore and has
young wife, to whom he was married seven
or eight months ago. His recovery is
extremely doubtful.