The herald., 1898-04-13
KILLED BY A CAvf-IN
YOUNG CONRAD COBB SUDDENLY
MEETS HIS DEATH
BURIED UNDER TONS OF DIRT
He and a Companion Were Playing
in the Green Tract When the
Fatality Occurred

An unfortunate accident occurred yester
day afternoon about $3.50 o'clock which re
eulted in the death of the S-year-old sol
of Mrs. Charles L. Cobb and the slight in
Jury Of two others. The child met MS
death by the caving in of high bank II
the Green tract on Union avenue, between
Eighth and Niuth streets.
E. K Green owns considerable trac'
there, and he is engaged in cutting 1t into
aots. A street is being cut through the
property, and it was on this that the
fatal accident happened. gang of men
has been at work for some time cutting
down the bank, which is about twelve feet
nigh. The workmen dig under the bank
q few feet and the top caves in, thus saw
ing the extra work of digging down the
entire bank. Yesterday Floyd e. Green
was engaged in superintendlnS the cuutrS
away of the bank. Conrad Cobb anu an-
other companion, young Potter, both ABOUT
8 years of age, were playing around the
bank. The boys have made 1t hapit 10
play around the workmeu after school
hours. and young Cobb and his companion
were there as usual. Green warned them
TO keep away from the bank, which the
workmen under his orders had dug into
and were to cut down. The top of the
ground in the tract is very hard and in
c,,,1es many stones. while the under strata
"a of sand and crumbles very easily. Green
did not expect that it would cave without
some extra force from the top, which had
been done previously by driving wedges
and crowbars into the ground. 1eunS
Cobb and Potter persisted in remaining
near the place. Suddenly the top layer
dropped without the slightest warming,
burying Cobb completely from view ana
pinning Potter and Green by their legs
= Young Green managed to extricate him
self and at once gave the alarm He hur-
ried I'D to the house and warned his father
who followed Immediately and began TO
try and get the poor little Cobb child out Of
the earth. Seeing that Potter was not seri-
osssly injured and would not be incommoc-
Cd by remaining pinned down for snort
time, Mr.. Green did not try to dig him loose
but turned his efforts to save the other boy.
He had been buried by at least couple of
tons of earth and his life had been squeezed
out Of him. The body was badly crushed
and bruised when taken from the earth.
numerous bones being broken. 1t is
thought that the force of the falling earth,
which dropped probably six feet, killed
him instantly. The Potter boy was also
dug out and bu, for few bruises on his
legs was not much injured. The broken
little body was carried TO Mrs. Cobb, at
The corner of Eighth street and Burlington
avenue. The lady was left widow but a
comparatively short time ago by the death
of Chas. L. Cobb formerly associated with
Thos. Beatty Of the Richelieu and the
latest affliction all but proved fatal. She 's
sHbject to heart trouble and so terrible
was the Shock TO her that X was feared
she would not survive it. Later in the
evening she rallied somewhat and was
thought to be out Of danger. An inquest
will probably be held this morning. at the
residence of Mrs. Cobb.