The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-05-28
Were Watching the Parade in Honor
of French Visitors When Tenn
porary Structure Gave Way.
CROWD WAS UNMANAGEABLE
AND REFUSED To KEEP OFF THE
SIDEWALK WHEN ORDERED.
Arrest of Contractors and Foreman
Ordered, Although They Notified
the Police There Was Danger

NEW YORK, May 27-Elevin l. Coolidge.
circulation manager for the New York
Commercial, was almost instantly killed
and about one hundred others injured this
evening by the breaking down of tempo
rary sidewalk at Fifth avenue and Eight
eenth street. Some of those injured may
die Those who fell were part of the crowd
gathered to watch the parade of militia in
honor of the visit of the French Rocham-
beau commission to this city. Two hun
dred persons were on the sidewalk when it
gave way. They were precipitated twenty
feet into an excavation for a new building
and fell on piles of building material.
Considering the nature of the accident
and the number of persons in it, the hos
pital surgeons express surprise at the few
who received serious hurts. Many were
able to go directly home after having their
injuries treated by the ambulance sur
geons Those taken to the hospitals and
who suffered the worst injuries are:
GEORGE ESSING, patrolman, scalp
wound and shock.
JAMES ]. KELLY, detective sergeant at
III. ScalD
wound and shock and possible internal in
juries.
NJ. j. NJ MANUS, patrolman, three ribs
broken and contusiOns.
CHARLES WERNER, contusions of
body and internal injuries.
The accident occurred just as the head
of the parade had passed the corner. The
French visitors had gone past and knew
nothing of the accident until some time
later. Troop had just ridden by and the
Twenty-second Regiment was passing when
the crash came. The officers in command
at once gave the order to break ranks, and
fifty militiamen were detailed to the work
of rescue. Hurry calls were sent for police
reserves and ambulances, and in a very
short time those who fell were assisted out
of the excavation, and the work of binding
up wounds and conveying those most in
jured to hospitals was in full swing.
The authorities are busy endeavoring to
discover who was to blame for the accident
Coroner Scholer says the sidewalk had not
been built of material strong enough to
stand such a great weight as burdened it
this evening. He said the real cause of the
accident was the giving way of an upright
timber. twelve by twelve in dimensions. that
extended 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 very weak.
Early in the afternoon the police officials
became suspicious of the strength of the
sidewalk and detail for hours kept the
crowd from collecting on it. But as the time
for the parade TO pass came near the crowd
became unmanagable. and despite of force
on the part of the police crowded onto the
forbidden sidewalk and there stayed until
the breaking of the support landed them in
the excavation.
After viewing the body of Mr.. Coolidge.
whose death was due 10 fracture OF the
skull. and issuing the necessary permit for
its removal the coroner ordered the arrest
of the contractor COwan, and of j. @. Mil
Ter, the subcontractor. Mr.. Cowan. how
ever, had heard of the accident and went
to the police station, where he saw the
coroner. Cowan explained that he was not
responsible for the accident and promised
10 appear at the inquest in case he was
wanted. He was then allowed TO go. Detec-
tives were sent TO arrest Miller, but they
had not returned up 10 a late hour tonight.
James Lawton, foreman of the work al
the building was arrested by the police
and later allowed 10 go under bail OF 81 900.
a charge OF homicide having been placed
against him. The contractor, subcontractor
and foreman insist they warned the police
10 keep the crowd off the sidewalk as II
was not built to stand so great a strain