Evening journal., 1897-11-29
DEATH GANG INSTANTLY
TO JAMES T. SMITH AND SERIOUS
INJURY TO HIS COMPANIONS.

DAY Ar EtN4NOOAN- o4hi II w Ao
CAUGHT BY A FALLING FLOOR
AND KILLED INSTANTLY-HOw
THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED.
The falling Of a stanchion from un-
der a refrigerator roof at Armour's
Chicago dressed beef establishment, on
Front street near West street, Satur-
day afternoon, resulted in the instant
death Of James T. Smith, carpenter,
aged GO years, living at No. 904 Maui-
son street, and the injury OF three
other men.
The injured are:
Augustine Schofeld, of No. 613
West Ninth street, back and shoulder
hurt.
TiIlman Rowe, of No. Lord street,
body bruised and cut.
Elwood Caldwell, of No 805 Poplar
street. leg and hips cut and bruised,
hurt about the body.
Saturday morning a week ago fire was
discovered in the beef establishment
and before the flames could be gotten
under way the place was much dam
aged. After the fire an investigation
followed and result was that the entire
south wing OF the building had been
burned by the flames and would have
TO be rebuilt In this end of the
building is the large refrigerator,
which measures about 20x30. When
the buildings were built the walls were
constructed on the air-tight plan. The
roof consisted OF three foorings sep
arated by heavy joists measuring in all
about three feet in thickness and
Weighing nearly three tons. In be-
tween the iOists as a protection against
.l.s. rtr.fr ftt.I
dust were put. The ends of the ioists
were boxed in the walls of the build
ing. but il seems that the fire Of Sat
urday last had eaten the ends from the
holes which held them. leaving moth
ing to support the heavy-weighted
roof.
CRUSHED TO DEATH.
Early ON Friday morning Tillman
Rowe began the work of rebuilding the
burned part of the beef house. Smith,
Schofeld and Caldwell were engaged by
Rowe to help in the work, and they
had The necessary arrangements COM
pleted TO remove the charred debris
with the exception Of the refrigerator
roof That they left until his after
noon. At each end of the joists were
huge stanchiOns. These supported the
roof. Smith was standing in the CEN
tire Of the ice box, while Schofield was
working on the north side OF the box.
Caldwell was standing near Schofeld.
One of the workman, ii is said, was d1-
rected to pull the stanchion from under
the roof. 1t was DONE The burned
iOist seemed to bear the weight Tor
some time when, withOuJ>a a warming
it cracked and FELL splitting in the cen
tire and throwing the ends high in the
air. When the roof fell It carried
Smith with it, pinning him to the
earth. crushing the life out of him
The roof in falling caught Schoiield
and Caldwell, throwing them to tht
ground. The crash of the falling ROOF
drew passere-by to the place, and SCOT
the building was surrounded by q
large crowd
The crowd rushed into the place
from all sides, and tho work of rescue
begun. Axes, crOwbars and saws wer'
used by men unacquainted with th'
handling of them, but all worked witt
a will The roof is about three feet II
thickness, and it required at least an
hours work before the body of Smitl
was reached. Several of the rescuer
called to Smith, but received NO an
swer. Search was then made for Scho
field and Caldwell When the roof fel
the side near the north end fell on
small trestle, saving Schofeld fron
sharing the fate of his fellow work
man. Underneath the flooring
small aperture had been made previou
to making repairs TO the refrigerator
and through this Schofield and Cald
we'll crawled until they reached the ali
Schofeld then tainted. He was carrie
into the office and laid on. the foo
Dr. Bloclsom was sent for and rC
vived the unconscious man. Then ID
Spruance arrived. The physician
waited until the rescuers release
Smith and turned their attention to th
injured men.
Rowe, fortunately. was working nea
the south end OF the refrigerator room
and as the roof cracked he ran from III
der it, Rowes escape saved him frol
almost instant death
When the body OF Smith was lifte
from the debris life was extinct II
face was bruised and cut. and his bod
was horribly crushed. Nearly ever
bone in his body was broken. The III
fortunate mans relatives were sent 4,
and their actions at the sight of d
crushed body were heart-renderin
Deputy Coroner Chandler arrived {
the scene, as did Undertaken SimpeI
who took the body in charge. An Il
quest will be held at another time.
Smith leaves a wife and sever
children. His son, James r. Smit
conducts a drug store ait Front al
Jackson streets. Who is responsih
for the terrible accident no one know
j. S. Adams, general auditor for A
mour & Co., was in Wilmington II
morning, and he. together with Ma
ager Penly, of the local establishmel
made an investigation as to the dire
cause of the accident. Manager Pen
told an Evening Journal mar that [
blame was entirely due to the neg
gence of the wOrkmen.
The injured men were at the see
of the catastrophe this morning wi
ing to go to work. Building Inspect
Grubb, who was at fault, according
the morning papers, for the accident
III. n.