Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1898-06-22
RISE AND FALL OF MURPHY.
The Thrilling Adventures of ME-. Murphy
and q Barrel

The Thrilling Adventures of ME-. Murphy
and Barrel.
This is the story of Murphy's
travels. Murphy did not travel for
great length of time, but he moved
rapidly while he was at it, and he
met with a variety of incidents equal
to any related by Marco Polo or
Bayard Taylor.
The true story of Murphy's trav-
els is told by the employee of a
prominent accident liability insur-
anoe company, whose duty it was to
adjust claims
One day he received telephone
message directing him to call at an
unfinished building in the down
town region and investigate an acct
dent which threatened to result in a
lawsuit against the company. He
went to the building and made in
quiries, and the facts, as nearly as
he could get them, will be hereafter
submitted.
1t seemed that Murphy and CLANCY
(lrish) and a third man named
Schmelz (not Irish) had been put to
work to Clear the rubbish and de-
bris from the top floors of the build
ing. They did not wish to carry it
down five or six floors, SO in spirit
of ingenuity they rugged block and
tackle in one of the elevator shafts
and prepared to lower the rubbish
down in barrels. The pulley was
fastened to crosshead beam at the
top OF the shaft, and the rope trailed
down through the shaft to the first
floor, where Murphy was stationed.
His duty was to let out the rope
and lower the barrel. He gave the
rope couple of turns around a pipe
and brought the first barrel down
without any trouble. He emptied it
and sent it up again and made his
turn around the pipe and brought
down barrel No. 2 with great sue
cess.
After the second empty barrel had
gone up Murphy was standing in the
shaft holding to the rope and wait
ing for the signal. AT the top of the
shaft Schmelz and CLANCY, satisfied
that the system was in working or
der and that no further signaling
would be necessary, hooked the rope
to the loaded barrel, which was
pushed off into the shaft. It was a
heavy load, consisting mostly of.
brick dust and fragments of plaster
ing. It started down the shaft very
rapidly. Murphy, in accordance
with the law of nature, started up
the shaft at the same time. He start
ed so suddenly that he had no time
to think of letting go Of the rope or
giving it a turn around the pipe.
The barrel gained speed and so did
Half way up the shaft
they passed each other. Just as
Murphy reached the top of the shaft
with: a slam and a swing the barrel
struck the cement floor at the bot
tom of the elevator shaft. The force
of the blow drove the bottom out Of
the barrel, releasing the loose con-
tents.
AS Murphy was heavier than an
empty barrel, he began to descend
from the top Of the shaft, and de-
scend in a hurry at that, while the
shell Of the barrel started upward.
This time Murphy met the barrel
fairly. It shot up and struck him
from underneath. He kicked madly
and disentangled himself and finish
3D. his descent at a speed which !
would have detied instantaneous
photography. He came down in a
sitting posture on the heap of loose
.shavings and brick. At the
same moment the barrel damned in |
to the top of the shaft and was fur
her shattered, although still held |
together by several turns of rope.
Murphy was so terribly Jared |
hat he let go of the rope. The rope |
being free, the wrecked barrel de-
|cended of its own weight and buried
Murphy beneath a pile of loose
slaves.
Schmelz and Clancy came running
rom the top Of the building and
lug him out. He was in a dazed
condition and had only cloudy
collection of what had happened.
n addition to three welts on the
lead he had received a "jolt" in the
ack and bitten the end of his
ongue.
They took him to the hospital
7here he remained for several days,
rying to piece together the con-
used impressions of his trip. He
id not blame Clancy and Schmelz,
ut he did say that they ought to
ave reached out and pulled him in
lst as he arrived at the top of the
haft.-NeW York Sun.