The Batesburg advocate. [volume] (Batesburg, S.C.) 1901-1911, 1901-08-07
A FATAL FALL.
Two Painters Plunged to tho Pave
msnf from a scaffoId.
ONES SKULL 10 CRUSHED
And tho o ihor, Though His Thigh
Hal a Compound Frac-
turs, Lighted q
Cigarette.

1here IVES an accident on Main street
Thursday afternoon that made many
who witnessed it turn their faces away
Tor the moment and seemed for short
time to leave all horror stricken and
inert. AS 3 result one man will pro-
bably be dead before the sun rises this
morning and the other is badly injured.
Inc two men, William Parker and
Thomas Lake, both negro painters,
were working upon 9 swinging psinters'
soatfold, on the front of the Robinson
building on Main street, when the steel
hook holding the rope supporting the
south end of the ladder pulled out
bringing portion OF the wall with it.
instantly this end of the scsffold fell
from under the two men and down they
came distance of some 80 feet to the
concrete pavement below. They struck
the pavement with q thud and both
forms lay there quite still for some
moments before any who witnessed the
horror could recover themselves and 20
to their assistance.
1t seems that the men were working
on their ''last stretch" en- the front
Just above the second story windows.
They had placed the hook too near the
south end OF the wall and it is said that
even then 1t was not all the way over
the wall. The result was that the
weight of the men pulled a portion of
the wall off.
Tom Lake was the first 10 strike the
pavement. He fortunately struck the
wall, breaking his descent somewhat
and saving his life. As it WAS his
right arm and shoulder was cut slightly
and bruised and his left side was badly
bruised, the most serious injury, how
ever, compound fracture Of the right
thigh. the bone penetrating the flesh.
Tom lives at 92l College street. As
soon as he recovered from the shock he
took the thing quietly. William
Parker, VINO was the heavier man of
the two, was on the end of the soaffold
that did not descend and consequently
fell from higher elevation. He pitched
forward and turned q complete somer-
ssult before he struck the pavement
squarely upon the top of his head. The
body then bounded over and the mans
foot hit the pavement. He k6S-as
course, unconscious from the
he struck the pavement. Lsk6
vivid description Of the fight(
companion behind him.
As quickly as possible the two
were picked up and taken across ff
street and upstairs to the Office of thy
colored physician, DR.. Lighter. Lake
was laid on the floor, where after q
short time he got the man attendigg
him to wipe the paint and dirt out of
his face and then give him cigarette,
which he cooly lighted and began to
smoke, talking of the accident, despite
his own serious Injuries.
Parker was placed upon the operating
couch. On the top Of his head little
to the right was an ugly hole. DR..
Watson, who had been called, came in
and assisted for while in the neces-
sary operation. The hair was quickly
shaved from about the wound. 1t was
one chance for saving the mans life,
though he was OF powerful physique.
The skull was evidently fractured and
internal hemorrhsge was resulting.
The difficult operation Of trephining
was performed and the hemorrhage was
stopped. The mans big toe on one
foot was also badly broken. Late
Thursday night the physician stated
that he had no hope whatever that
Parker would live through the night;
that he Was much weaker than Just be-
fore the operation, which had been sue
cessful,
LAKE WAS removed to his home and
DR.. Kendall attended him. DR.. Kendall
stated late Thursday night that Lake
would pull through all right, but would
be In bed for long time to come. The
men were in the employ of a colored
painter named Isaac Perry, who had the
contract for the painting OF the build
ing.-The State.