New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-02-09
SMOTUERED IN SAND.
AN ELECTRICIANS DEATH IN A BROAD
WAY BUILDING.
NOBODY KNOWS HOW HE GOT INTO THE SUB
CELLAR WHERE HE WAS WORKING.
AND THE POLICE SUSPECT AN
ATTEMPT TO TAP WIRES.


ATTEMPT TO TAP WIRES
Winfield S Mcdowell, forty-ive years old,
electrician of Flatbush. lost his life yesterday
afternoon by cave-n of sand under the side
walk in front Of Nos 40 and ~ Broadway. Nc
Dowell not in the employ of any electrical
company, but worked for himself. putting in
wires repairing breaks wherever he could
find job. Who was to pay him for the work
upon which he was engaged when his death oc
CURED. what that work was no seems to
know. The police think he was trying to tap
the telegraph wires under Broadway for the
benefit of some poolroom bucket-shop, when
he met his death. The building at Nos. 40 and
AZ Broadway IS the old Commercial Building.
John V. B. Garrison is the agent and has
Office on the first floor. He said last night that
he had not given Mcdowell permission to work
there, and all the employees about the building
declared they did not know he was there.
Nevertheless. the man had been working in the
sub-cellar which abuts on Broadway long
enough to cut a hole two feet square in a re-
tanning wall sixteen inches thick and made OF
undressed stone and cement. 1t must have
taken him several hours.
There are two retaining walls between the
suo-cellar of Nos 40 and ~ and the street one
is at the outer edge of the sidewalk. This is the
old one that was put up when the building
erected. When the Stevens Building next door
was put up several years ago. it found that
me arch OF this retaining wall was cracked,
so another one was built near the inner edge of
the SIDEWALK leaving space of about three and
nall feet between the two walls. This space
was hlled with cellar sand packed tight The
inner wall was sixteen inches thick
The front part of the sub-cear Of the build
ing is empty. In some way Mcdowell gained
access to this vacant sub-cellar-the agent, Mr..
Clarkson. thinks through the connivance Of some
one Of the buildings employes-and succeeded
in cutting a hole in the inner retaining wall suf-
nclentIy large to get his body through. He
evidently knew nothing OF the existence of the
outer wall for he was trying to drive two
inch iron pipe through the sand to what it is
holds the wires which run under Broadway. The
pipe struck against the outer wall. Not know
inS what the obstacle he decided 10 nVes-
ugate. so making a tunnel in tEe sand large
enough for his body he crawled into the hole.
The sand loosened by the tunnel he had made
and by the jar Of pedestrians on the sidewalk
overhead, came tumbling down upon him. sew
eral cubic feet Of IL. Caught as he in the
hole, with the weight Of the sand on his head
and body, he was unable to extricate himself
and smothered death.
The first that was known of his death was
when William NJ Peck. the engineer of the
building coming, II Is said 10 inspect the tank
which supplies the water for the elevator and
which is situated in front Of the sub-cellar.
the mans feet sticking out from the hole in the
wall. lie called for assistance. and the body
was pulled out,
The engineer ran upstairs and informed the
janitor, John Mccain. who summoned an am
buance from the Hudson Street Hospital. Or.
Holmes. who responded. pronounced the man
dead. but said ne had been dead only little
while. Coroner Fitzpatrick viewed the body
and sent it to the Morgue. Fffty-eight dollars
in the mans pockets. He leaves a widow
and two children.
Mr. Clarkso, the agent. said last night that
ne would make full estiSation of the case,
and If he gould find who gave Mcdowell per-
mission TO work in the suh-cellar or through
whose negligence he gained access To IT, he
would certainly discharge him. All the
ployes declared emphaticaly they knew nothing
Of his presence there.
The portion OF the sidewalk underneath
which the sand caved has been closed to pedcs-
trans and wOrkmen will begin early this morn
ing TO tear II up and If the inner wall has
been weakened by the hole Mcdowell made in it.