The sun., 1897-11-28
NAN KILLED IN A COLLAPSE.
/ Falling Floor Kills James 7.
Smith.
EHREE. OTHER MEN INJURED.
accident at ArmouH's Packing Es-
tablishment, Due to Faulty
Construction of
Ceiling.
FHREE. OTHER MEN INJURED.


lrmour's Meat Depot, yesterday.
1.-THE roof of the great ice loft on Front
rect near West, fell, killing one carpcn-
and injuring three others.
The dead man was identified as James
Smith, aged 81 years, OF No. 9O4 Madi-
n street.
The injured are:-
ELwocD CALDWELL, No. SO3 Poplar
rect.
GusrAvus ScnorIELD, No. 6l3 West
inth street.
TlLLMAN Roe, No. 8 Lord street
Daran Darlington, another carpenter,
6caped unhurt by gaining place OF
fetv beneath a trestle that fell in such
,nanner as to afford him h en- Of safe
trcat.
Thc ceiling fell on these men because
was improperly constructed, according
the statements of men who claim to
now.
The ioists we're carried on three inch
,,ds and did not rest upon the walls.
his fact was vouchcd for by competent
echanics.
Nh Had the ordinary rules Of safe con-
Sfrnction been followed by the persons
Tho erected the building, all would
ave been well.
Tt was the packed ceiling OF the ice
ii that fell. The building had been
amagcd by fire, but according to the
atcmcnts made by those on the ground,
lie fire in no way brought about yester-
hy's disaster
kNThev make the unqualified assertion
Shat the heavy ceiling fell because it was
Improperly erected and not because OF
IN damage done by the recent fire.
l#Thc ceiling was composed OF heavy
.;sts held aloit by 3x3 studs. Between
kch joist, resting ON ordinary floor
bards, was a tightly packed bed OF saw
,st. On top Of the saw dust was a
Kick covering Of ielt-likc paper, fastcn-
to the joists in layers. A rough board
Dor on top of these layers OF paper com
|bleted tie ceiling Of the ice loft and it
WAS beneath This that Carpenter Smith
|pos crushed to death and it was the
Irecll Of this ceiling that pinioned. three
kbcr corpcntcrs to the floor beneath.
M sIIad the joists in this heavy ceiling
s15 ss1l5estcd upon the brick walls as the work
j1en supposed they did, there would
have been 10 trouble.
a moments warming beyond
te crash ofialing wood, the floor ofthe
loft gave way. The dead man is
Smes r. Smith, whose head was crushed.
wood Caldwell had his hips and legs
&dlv injured; Gustavus Schoiield had
|kis back and neck slightly hurt and
|Nillman Roe had his leg slightly hurt.
ESe fter the noon hour the men returned
heerfully to work. Their work for the
kernoon was located in the ice loft on
q second floor of the building, just over
g refrigerator, in which great guam
les OF meat are usually stored. The
ea that There was any danger from the
Hing of the ceiling, however, never
btered the minds of the men. When
bev returned to work, at noon, they
bmmcnced tearing out the sides OF the
(e box.
For a while the work went merrily on,
he men talking and laughing, and
king among themselves, with never a
bspicion Of the dire calamity so near at
and.
IT, was at $50 o'clock and nearly all OF
he regular employees OF the Armour
lant had completed the work, and lett
I'm home, when, without moments
Il asisarning, the ceiling OF the ice loft gave
aSay, and sank with dcaicnlng crash
| the floor below, burying four of the
: torkmen under the debris.
#2sEThose, who were in other parts OF the
Smaged building at the time, rushed
|3|b 3|ibstairs to ascertain the, cause OF the
Rsh.
BsSEDn' reaching the second floor, they
Ilized at glance what had happened.
S Men were procured, together with
ieh implements as were nceded,-lah-
rms, hatchcts,' saws, ETC., and then
bran the work.
syssTo save Il life," work-that another
|l1Ea |lEsan might live, work, which no matter
Nv sickening or horrible must always
Iyolve upon the survivors of such dis,
ers-that of recuingcthe dead OF and
lnded.
was wierd scene, the lanterns carrl-
by the men, flashing here and there
Idst the darkness and gloom OF
wrecked building, the flying
Ids of sawdust, the ring of the axe,