New-York tribune., 1899-04-13
ANOTHER FATAL COLLAPSE.
STATEN ISLAND PIER WRECKED AND
ONE MAN KILLED.

FOURTEEN OTHER MEN AT WORK ON THE
STRUCTURE SAVED THEIR LIVES BY A RUSH
TO THE SHORE END-THoUGHr TO HAVE
BEEN CAUSED BY TIDAL ACTION.
One man was killed and fourteen others had
narrow escapes yesterday afternoon through the
collapse Of a newly built pier at Port Richmond
Staten Island. The men who escaped death
rushed to safety through falling timbers and
with the deck of the pier sinking beneath them.
and how they escaped without even serious In
Jury is hard to explain. Many or them were
struck by the collapsng house on the pier but
the worst injuries skin abrasions and
bruises.
The pier was recently built for the Jewett
White Lead Works. at Port Richmond and ex-
tended about one hundred feet into the Kill Won
Kull 1t was built upon spiling and was de-
signed to sustain heavy weights. On the pier
was built a shed and over this was coal rum
This was used to lift coal from barges moored
to the outer end or sides of the pier, ana then
carry the coal into the works.
Yesterday afternoon c. f. Bssenger. fore
man. and fifteen men were at work unloading
barge load Of pig lead and storing 1t in the sneo
on the pier The barge was moored alohssiue
the pier Foreman Bissenger says that IN tne
afternoon he and the men noticed frequent
roisas as If wood were cracking, but tney ulu
NOT suspect that the pier was giving way, ana
continued TO work. About 4:30 o'clock Mr Bis
sepeer had occasion to go to the land end OF the
rier and while there heard a rumbling sounu
and noticed that the pier was trembling Inc
MON at work further out did not appear 10
notice the noise or the vibration of the structure
A favr seconds later the noise was repeated anu
tbere WAS a more perceptible trembling Oh lhe
structure and the framework or the mouse coui
be heard 10 strain and creak. The men iei' anu
heard this. and stopped work just as MT Dis
senrer started toward them, calling 10 'henh "
come in. A., .hora ond
Tho fifteen made a rush for the shore enu'
and as they started the pier colapstu 80 the
eha outer end The weight at the pom. w 49, r
Sst coIlanse Is said to have been almost ho''iie'
vhile at other points it was consioerapIe' ,ad
As the men ran shoreward the pier ,otnra
TO collapse under them ana tne upp ptphav reached
tumbled in around them. Wnen tney yr,aso a
49, Iand end they found that John DuIaoo, =
pole twenty-four years DID, or foIt NJ pissen
was missing The men, headed o. ni. .,,ins and
va rnrked their way out through the runs an
$50 81, ~ Y,issine man. He had been cauehs
beneath falling timbers and pinned oomi,' M was %
,gas daad II Is thought that ms spne 49, We"
broken. The body was taken "ac,,ng ou II and
difiiculty and danger to the men rescuihs H. an"
4. now at the Port Richmond moreue., a tho
About fifty feet Of the pier coliapseu, az
wreck makes it Impossible as yer ore.ruct,,ra "
inst what occurred. A part or the SUPER %. So " Mt
| Zen into the water and was washed away ~
| the rest is piled on the wreck OF lne PieI - , :,
ing IL from view The general opinion aInois OH,
.hosa ,,bo viewed the wreck yesterday aIterhooi,
80 tbat the swift currents OF the hlll ndu
washed the mud and sand from apout d PoI. -
| the smiling and that some or the spires !tn uune
| suspended by bolts to the DOCK OF uS n,,so
! around them until enough were loose 10 M Mcause
the whole outer end TO collapse under 'ne Ao'''''
| Of the tide.