Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-10-12
ANDCRUSHED.
Terrible Fate of Henry G.
Hansen at the Fries
Building.
HE DIES IN TEN MINUTES.

Csr.lsssness In Handling the Freight
Elevator, the Awful Couseq aenoes of
the Catastrspne-chs Coroner's In.
qlest.
Another distressing and fatal &C.
cident bappe ned in connection
with the erection Of the Peter Fries
building for Young & M,Combs this
morning. when Henry e. Hansen, for
20 years In the employ of the late
contractor, c. j. ". Schriener, mes
his death in most shocking manner.
Hansen's life was crushed out in the
freight elevator, which he was hand
ling OF the time, and the accident
was due to the fact that he was in
different t" his own safety.
Charles Heidemann, the contractor
at present in charge Of the build
ing operations, was directing the
workmen, who are employed in the
interior OF the building. Heidemann
Was on the upper fl ,or Of the build
ing just before the accident occurred,
when Thomas HARE, one of the
workman, came to him for another
assignment. having completed what
he had to do. and Mr.. Hsidemann
got Into the electric freight elevator in
the extreme north end Of the build
ing and started TO the floor below
with him. Just q. they started Han
sen, who was working in another
part OF the building, came running
toward the elevator and jumped in
while 1t was moving, failing against
Haire IS he did SO. Al the second
floor Heidemsnn and Hare left the
elevator and Han sen went on down.
In each story OF the building is
what is known as half floor or bal
cony. and as Hansen reached one
Just below the second floor he found
1t nearer evidently than he had cal
culated, and seizipg the con
troller to stop the elevator he
seems to have reversed the
current, and the car started up.
He then attempted to alight. but
only got his right leg out and the
left one partially 80 when the as
cending car reached the second floor
again, and the unfortunate man was
caught between the elevator floor and
the joist under the building floor.
There was scream Of agony aud hor-
rible cracking sound as the bones OF
the victims legs were ground and
crushed. The great machine stopped
just bolow the floor, and Mr.: Mc-
Combs. who was on the second floor,
grasped the man in the elevator, and
being quickly joined by his partner,
Mr.. Young, they pulled the body out
on the floor. The caste Of death was
on the victims countenance. but
a physician was hastily sum
mmoned and Dr.. F. d. Paul
arrived. The man was dying
when the doctor reached his side,
and soon expired. An examination
Of the injuries showed the right leg
to be terribly lacerated and almost
torn away from the body. The m sin
artery was severed and from this the
sufferer bled to death. The left leg
was broken in several places from
the thigh to the foot.
Coroner Eckhart was at once sum-
moned and impanneled a jury COM
posed Of E. D. w. Holmes, foreman
P. j. Morgart, j. H. Ransom. Phil
Miller, M. H. Sexton and S. r.
Wright. and after the body had been
viewed il vas taken In charge by
Undertaken Knox and prepared for
burial.
The inquest was Immediately held,
the jury returning a verdict that the
deceased met his death BY s.beinp
caught apd crushed bstween the
floor of the freight elevator and the
joist Of the second floor of the Peter
Fries building, in course OF construc-
ton in this city, and we further find
that said accident was due to care
lessness on the part Of the de-
ceased"
The Unfortunate Man.
Hansen was 4S years OF age and
leaves a wife and large family Of chill
dren. He was carpenter and had fol-
lowed his trade in Rock Island for
years. His home was on Ninth street,
South Rock Island. He was an in
dustrious workman, but was known
to be reckless where his own safety
was involved. and only this morning
after he jumped into the elevator
Contractor Heidemann warned him
about such practices.
This makes the third death in
connection with the Fries building
erection, and the first accident like
that Of today might have been
averted by Precausion upon the part
OF one who gave his life as the pen
Atty