New-York tribune., 1902-05-28
DROPPED ON JAGGED ROCKS
Continued from first page.


According to the policemen who were near the
scene. it is little short of a miracle that all
those who dropped into the excavation were not
killed outright or fatally injured. About ter
policemen rushed into the hole with the militia
men. TO rescue the injured. heavy beam lay
the head of Coolidge. which was crushed
into a shapeless mass. Policeman Lane lifted
the beam off and found underneath Coolidge's
body a woman with both legs broken. Lane
picked her up in his arms and carried her to
safety. Then. going back he picked UP three
other women who were unconscious.
Hats bonnets, umbrellas and hand satchels
strewn about the excavation promiscu-
ously. These were gathered up by the police
men. and when taken TO the station and counted
it was found there were forty-one umbrellas.
twenty-four hats Of all description. number of
small satchels, three rainy day skirts, and a
woman's gold watch. on the inner case of which
was this inscription: u. L. to E. r.. December
25, 1899"
A BIGGER CROWD HAD BEEN ON BRIDGE.
Only a few moments before the accident oc-
CURED there three hundred persons on
the bridge viewing the parade, and Captain
Foody of the West Thirty-seventh-st. precinct,
who had charge of the police arrangements in
-Fifth-ave., gave orders that the crowd be kept
moving The policemen who went down with
the wreck had been sent TO clear the bridge,
and had had fair success. although many per
sons in the crowd had refused to bulge. 1t Is
a remarkable thing that the bridge withstood
the larger crowd and cola psed when only one
hundred persons were it. Early in the after
noon Sergeant Tierney had been placed In
charge of seven men at the bridge. but had
found ii almost impossible TO keep the bridge
clear. In spite OF the occasional drizzle, CROWDS
insisted upon gathering the dangerous spot.
Where the blame for the accident rests seems
Doubtful Coroner Scholer at his home No.
8il West Fortieth-st.. when the alarm in his
room indicated that four ambulance calls and a
fire alarm had been sent out. He hurried TO the
scene. He declared that the walk had not been
built of material strong enough 10 stand such
a great weight as burdened 1t last evening.
After an examination he said that the cause of
the accident was the giving way of an upright
timber - by u inches in diameter. that ex
tended from the bottom of the excavation to the
cross beams on which the sidewalk rested.
About ten feet of this timber, he said. was
rotten and extremely weak.
The scene of the disaster is the site of the old
Chickering Hall This was recently torn down
and an excavation made for the purpose of
erecting on the site a modern steel framed
building thirteen stories high In excavating
the contractors removed the stone sidewalk and
replaced IL with a temporary affair. which was
built about six feet above the old sidewalk
Along Eighteenth-st.. running west from Fifth
ave. is similar structure. also raised the same
distance above the sidewalk
AS the time approached for the parade to pass
Captain Foody sent word that the bridge must
be kept cleared The crowd grew thicker and
T. more difficult TO control. A few minutes after
o'clock the employees of the Sixth-ave. depart
ment stores came into the streets and started by
the hundreds for the line of march. Then it was
that the seven policemen at the board walk
found that they were totally unable to obey
the captains orders and keep the crowd moving
along Some additional policemen were sent for.
and the crowd was finally started up Fifth-ave.
THE POLICE HAD BEEN WARNED,
According to Coroner Scholer, James Lawton,
the foreman in charge of the excavation. and
Charles A. Cowan, the general contractor had
Informed the police several times that the
bridge was not strong enough to stand the
weight of two hundred persons. Lawton is al
legged to have informed the police that the
bridge was strong enough for all ordinary pur-
poses. but that it was not safe 10 permit such a
large crowd to gather it. Owen Leddy, a
watchman employed at the building also
declares that the told the police they we're run
ming a great risk in letting the crowd stand on
the structure.
Captain Foody says that he did everything in
his power 10 keep the structure clear, but that
the crowd could not be handled. About a
dozen extra policemen we're sent to the bridge
and had just arrived when they were startled
byfa cry of terror from the scores gathered
there.
The bridge is going down. shouted the peo-
pie, and there was rush 10 get off the struct-
ure 20 safety. Several of the more active OF
those on the bridge sprang aside as il sank. and
escaped falling into the hole.
John H Delaney, a policeman attached to the
Twentieth Precinct. stood within a few feet
OF the bridge when it went into the hole. He
rushed with the other policemen TO the rescue,
and carried out several of the injured women.
1T was the most terrible thing 1 ever saw. -
fad