The times., 1899-06-22
ONE MAN KILLED
and TWO INJURED
Result of an Accident at the
Tiber Creek Sewer.
Circumstances Surrounding the
Death Of John Pollard.
The Statement of Contractor Murphy
No Inquest to- BE Held-COndi-
iion of Injured Men.

The falling of a large derrick, caused
by a parting OF two steel cable guy lines
which supported it, resulted in the kill
ing of one man and serious injury to two
others at the new big Tiber Creek sewer
in course of construction by Contractor
j. X. Murphy, at the corner of Second
and K Streets southeast, about l1:55
O'Clock yesterday morning.
The dead man was John Pollard, who
lived in Limerick Alley southwest, and
the injured are William Dyson, thirty
eight years old, whose home is at 1925
First Street southwest, and John Thomp
son, forty-eight years old, who lives at
1888 Half Street southwest. All are col
ored. Dyson and Thompson are now at
Providence Hospital, where they were
taken in the patrol wagon of the Fifth
precinct Immediately after the accident
Their conditions are regarded as critical,
though both may recover.
Coroner Carr viewed the body of Pol
lard yesterday afternoon, and made an in
yestigation of the accident. He stated
later that he did not consider an inquest
necessary.
At the time of the breaking of the guy,
which resulted in the falling of the mas
sive hoistng tower, Pollard and Dyson
were at work on the top of the derrick
about thirty-five feet in the air. They
were hurled to the ground with great
force, landing on some iron buckets that
were resting in the excavation. Thomp-
son was working at "a brick pile near
where the other men fell and directly in
front of the derrick. The full weight of
the derrick did not fall on him, otherwise
he would have been killed instantly.
Immediately after the accident tho ma =
troll wagon and the police ambulance from
headquarters were summoned and the vic
tins at once conveyed TO Providence Hos
pital where an examination of the three
men was made. which resulted in the an
| nouncement that Pollard was dead. Pol
| lard had suffered a broken back. internal
| injuries, and numerous bruises. The ply
sicians expressed the opinion that he had
| been killed instantly. After Coroner Carr
had been notified the body was removed
| to the morgue. Later it was taken in
charge by an undertaken and prepared for
| burial.
The physicians then turned their atten-
| tion to Dyson and Thompson Both were
suffering great pain, and it was seen that
| they were in a critical condition. Dyson
was the more severely injured His col
| larbone was broken in two places, his back
| hurt, and it is feared that he also sus-
l
| were set. the shoulder placed in a cast
| the back strapped. and the other minor in
| turies dressed. The man was then sent
| to a ward. Thompson is not thought tC
be so seriously injured as Dyson, and is
| said to have better chance for recovery
J His injuries, as far as could be determined
| consisted of a fractured shoulder and sew
! eral body bruises. The man suffered
| greatly, and it may be possible that he
too is internally injured. The physicians
lost no time in getting to work on the
man, and after his fractured shoulder had
| been set and placed in a cast he was also
sent to a ward, where he will be held
awaiting developments.
The excavation where the accident c.
! CURED is, as stated, the Tiber Greek
sewer The excavating was practically
completed yesterday. The huge derrick
or hoisting tower, which fell, was so con
| structed that it can be moved along {
4 track to any point where needed. Con
tractor Murphy had given instructions yes
terday morning to move the apparatus. ant
IL was while engaged in that work that i
fell The derrick was supported by tive
! stout steel guys which are said to have teeI
capable of withstandng the strain Of six
teen tons. The weight supported yester
day was only two tons, and for that rea
son 1t is difficult to understand what caused
the cables TO part.
Contractor Murphy stated that he wa!
at a loss to account for the accident. The
cables, he said, were what is known a!