The herald., 1897-07-07

bluff a distance of three or four feet and
give fall of earth which could be used
to form another embankment. This
work was carried on until noon and by
this time the face of the bluff had been
undermined for distance Of probably
thirty feet.
At IL o'clock Collins drove up town,
leaving Barney Bruggenmann to over
see the work. Bruggenmann also went
to his luncheon. and not returning at
o'clock, Reinchild got up and told the
men that it was time to go to work, and
they all started to the ditch. Before
going beneath the bluff one of the work
men remarked that he did not think it
was safe to work in the place. Reinchild
picked up a crowbar, and after working
at the top of the bank for awhile, as
sured them that there was no danger of
cave in.
"Why, it's as solid as granite" he
said, land perfectly safe. We can e asily
dig another foot and a half under the
bluff without any danger"
With that the men again went to work.
John Mcmahon was very much afraid
that the bank would come down and
repeatedly warned Rheinchild tha the
work was dangerous. Hedecided to take
another look at the bank and started
to walk to one end Of the excavation for
that purpose. At that time Rheinchild
was using a pick at the north end or
the work, and he was down upon his
knees and ntirely under the overhang-
ing bluff At his right about six feet
distant C. w. Myrick was working with
a shovel A few feet further south Da-
vid Scott was also working with shovel.
When McMahon neared the end of the
digging he saw that the e arth above
the men had begun to move, and gave
a warning by shouting at the top OF his
voice, Look out! the bank is falling!"
| On hearing this all the men jumped
| up and started to run. Reinchild whirled
around and leaped over the ditch, but
was too late to escape the avalanche
which bore down upon him, carrying
tons of earth and burying him beneath
| it. Scott was also buried, but Myrick
was more fortunate. He, too, leaped
over the ditch and fell under tree
which broke the force of the falling
earth and saved his life.
The whole length of the embankment,
which was about thirty feet, had fallen.
The strip was about three feet thick
and five feet wide. This huge mass
struck the wall and canted there and
rolled on over, breaking into numerous
clodls three or four feet square.
One of these large clods had struck
Reinchild upon the head and knocked
him against the plank side of the ditch,
killing him instantly. Fine dirt had
then rolled down upon him, covering
all of his body except one of his arms.
AS soon as the men sufficiently recov-
cred from the surprise to realize wha.
had happened they went to work uncov-
ering the man, and had him out inside
of three or four minutes. When he was
uncovered it was seen that his back had
been broken in several places, besides
other bruises which had been received
about the body.
Up to this time no thought had been
taken of Scott, and it was not known
that he. too, had been buried. When he
could not be found the men began dig
lying around in the mass of earth to find
his body. 1t was soon discovered and
ten minutes later was uncovered. In
his case, too, death had been instanta-
neous. A large clod had struck him in
the face and completely crushed in the
front part of his head. His right leg was