The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-05-09
KILLED BY A BEAM.
Patrick Morgan, a La
borer, Is Horribly
Mangled.
HEAD is CRUSHED
Accident Happened While
Raising a Heavy Weight
By a Windlass.

Patrick Morgan, laborer, was killed
yesterday morning on Mechanic street
in front of the New England Telephone
and Telegraph building by a beam fall
ing from the top of the telephone
building. Some of the men working
with him say that it would not have
happened had the law of leverage
proved true. Mathematicians say that
the law of leverage can never fan.
The beam which fell was used to
support a switchboard weighing $50
pounds which was being lifted from
the ground. The mans death was al
most instantaneous after being struck
by the beam, as his head was crushed
to pulp. Tie sight as he lay mangled
and bleeding in the centre of the street,
was a horrible one. Several barrels of
sawdust had to te thrown over tie
pools of blood after the man had been
removed, in order to clean up the fear
full sight.
The contract TO move the switchboard
was let out to Jo5eoh B. Brooks and
he in turn let part of it out to Charles
w Moore. Pota men are expert heavy
movers and the method used, which is
a common ore with all truckren, was
never known to fan before.
1t is a problem in leverage, and a
heavy body can be lifted to any height
with the aid of a long beam and a very
small weight on the other end to Dal-
ance it. The beam used yesterday was
in two sections spiced together with
two heavy iron bands, and was 81 IL
feet long. The switchboard weighed $50
pounds, and, according to the law of
Leverage, the beam was placed on the
roof of the building with six inches of
it projecting over the edge. A pulley
was swung from the end projecting
over the edge of the roof and the big
switchboard attached to one end. On
the other end of the beam all that was
needed to hold the beam down so as
to bear the weight Of the switchboard
was about Is pounds, but so as to be sure
no accident would occur, Mr.. Moore
ordered Fred Lamb, one of the men
engaged in the moving job, to go and
sit on the end. He weighs about 1iO
pounds and was more than heavy
enough to make sure that nothing
would happen.
After everything had been examined,
Mr.. Moore and Mr.. Brooks gave orders
for the men to begin winding wind
| lass. and the switchboard gradually
aseended.
When it had got a short distance off
the wagon a noise was heard on the
roof and George Carroll yelled to his
fellow -workmen, Casoer Strobel, Nor
gan and Mr.. Moore, to look out, and he
/ jumped from the team on which the
windlass was placed and ran toward
/ the building. Moore and Strobel
/ jumped off the team also and ran
I across the road For some reason,
I Morgan did not jump, and in an instant
after the noise was hear on the roof,
! the beam came over the top and struck
him on the left side of the head and
glanced off his left shoulder and arm.
/ He fell to the ground. The beam did
not fall endwise, and If the other men
had stayed on the team, it would nave
/ done more damage.
It crushed his head in a hideous
manner, and his left hand, which rest
1 ed on the windlass crank, was smashed
to a pulp. For a moment his fellow
workmen were dazed. but finally the
beam was removed and an ambulance
call sent in. 1t was plain that the man
was dead OF very near his end, and
he died shortly after.
Lamb says he was sitting astride
the beam on top of the building
and suddenly, without any warn
ling, the beam began to ascend grad
uaIIy. He felt himself rising and held
on for a moment until the beam had
risen about two feet, and then he
jumped off. He tried to hold the plank
| down by grasping it around the end
and called out. but his cries were not
heard by those below.
The beam continued to rise and
gradually swung around and grazed
the edge of the building, crashing
down. striking Morgan on the head
Lamb rushed to the edge of the root
and looked over, only to see the ter
rible sight below. Mr.. Moore is at a
loss to understand how the accident
happened, as he has used the same
apparatus several times before and
every time it has stood remarkable
tests. Mr.. Brooks was also at loss
to understand the accident. Other
people were greatly affected by the
accident, among them F. E. Waring
manager of the Worcester exchange
and H W. Wilder, the electrician, who
was putting the new switch board in
Worcester men who are interested in
moving large bodies by this method
] are at loss to understand how the ac-
cident happened. It seems impossible
! to them to see how, if Lamb kept his
/ seat and the beam was adjusted cor
! rectly, it could have risen from the
roof
The body was delivered to Undertake
er James A. Athy, who prepared it for
4 burial Morgan was known to his fell
| low workmen as James McGinnis, and
/ leaves besides his wife, two children,
/ residing at 10 Cross street Everything
4 possible was done for Mrs. Morgan by
/ both Mr. Brooks and Mr.. Moore last
night. Morgan had been working about
1 10 minutes when the accident hap
| Dened.