The Washington times., 1901-08-02
A WORKMAN'S FATAL FALL.
Andrew Vogelwide's Fearful
Plunge From a Seventh Story.
Fresh Cement Flooring COlIapscs
While He Is Directing Other EN-
pIoyes - Delay I'm Police Report
Likely to De strictly Investigated.

Andrew Vogelwide, a carpenter, twenty
eight years old, of 927 T Street northwest
fell from the roof of the Sherman Apart
ment House, at the corner of Fifteenth
and l. Streets northwest. shortly before
10 oclock yesterday morning, and was
instantly killed. He was engaged at the
time in ramming some grout roofing,
when the temporary wooden staging gave
way and he shot through the seven
stories of the building to the basement
some ninety feet below, where he was
working The entire right side of the
skull had been crushed in and death
must have been almost instantaneous.
Coroner hewitt was quickly at the scene
of accident. and directed that the body
be removed tp the Morgre He decided
to hold an inquest this morning at II
o'clock at the New Jersey Avenue police
station.
Nogelwide had been employed for years
by Frank II. Duehay. the contractor. who
is acting as superintendent of construc-
ton for the apartment house company.
Yesterday he was at the northwest cor
ner of the roof with three colored labor
ers. The expanded metal had been laid
and the workmen had spread the coating
of grout over it, Nogelwide stepped upon
the fresh grout to stamp it solid with his
feet, when without any warning the
wooden supports gave way and the heavy
wet grout was precipitated with him to
the floor below. The other men saw what
was happening and jumped aside in time
to escape.
The weight of Vogelwide and the mass
that accompanied him broke through the
grouting on the seventh floor, and at
each floor the mass of material was in
creased until, when it fell into the cellar
with Vogeiwide in its midst. there must
have been several tons of it. completely
filling that portion of the building.
William Dodson. Joseph Braxton, and
John Browne. colored laborers employed
on the cement work, went into the cellar,
and. lifting the crushing weight from the
PROSTATE man, carried him out, but he
was already dead.
Policeman Haller was attracted to the
scene by the noise of the falling material
and telephoned-for the Coroner and the
morgue wagon. He sent his report to the
Second precinct, requesting them to for
ward the message, but despite the fact
that the message was forwarded TO the
morgue a few minutes before 10 o clock
no report was made at Police Headquar-
ters until nearly noon. In his defence
the stationkeeper stated that he had only
been requested to call the dead wagon
and notify the Coroner. and that he knew
nothing about the accident. 1t is stated
worse position, as under Major Sylvester's
recent order it was his duty to Immediate
ly notify Police Headquarters on learning
that a person had been killed. without
waiting for the particulars. 1t is pointed
out that, knowing none of the particulars,
he did not know but that he was with
holding a possible murder case, to the
detriment of the department. The matter
has reached Major Sylvester. and 1t is
understood that action will be taken to
preclude the possibility of repetition of
such Aagrant violation of orders Po-
liceman Haller and several reporters were
a the building examining the scene of the
accident when a large mass of the grout.
which had become as hard as rock, fell.
ana they escaped injury only after a hard
run.
Vogelwide WAS popular with all of his
cofnpa mons, some of whom were made
sick by the sight of the terrible condition
OF their companion. About thirty-five of
those employed on the building feared to
continue work. and quit Immediately after
the accident. Vogelwife was born in this
city of German parentage.