The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-08-02
Eight LabOrerS Buried Un-
der Debris.
SEVEN WERE INJURED
Heavy Wind Swept Over
Riverside Brick Co.'S Yard.
Work of Rescue Performed Under
Direction of Official of Com
pany-Jim jackson Taken
Out Dead.

A heavy wind which swept through
north Montgomery about 2:30 o'clock yes
terday afteronon, blew down the south
Riverside Brick Company, killing ono
negro and injuring seven others.
Dead-Jim Jackson, negro boy about
sixteen years old, instantly killed.
fo ssaaSas e boy; Jim PieRett.
sixty-year-old laborer; Joe Stein, sew
enty-five-year-ofd laborer. and Neil
/. Pickett. the negro foreman of the kiln.
Slightly injured-Cyrus Reese, laborer;
Daniel Hicks. laborer. and Ed. Williams.
q twelve-year-old negro boy.
The yards of the Riverside Brick Com
pany are two and half miles from the
city and about one mile north of River
side Park. There are three kilns in the
yards, which lie with their ends east
and west. The wall that was blown
down was at the south end of the yards.
When a strong wind which seemed to
he local. struck the yards yesterday af-
ternoon, Neill Pickett, the foreman, and
seven negro laborers were working In the
kiln. They were removing the burnt
brick. Pickett was directing the laborers.
Joe Stein, Daniel Hicks and Jim Pickett
were in the southeast corner of the kiln
picking out the brick with short pieces
of iron used for that purpose. Cyrus
Reese was handing the brick, after they
were picked out, to Jim jackson. Willie
Clanton and Ed Williams, an cight-year-
old negro, who was not injured, were car
rying the brick outside the kiln where
other negro laborers were piling them.
A strong wind sprung up and without
any warning the brick wall, which was
about twenty-five feet high, toppled over
upon the negroes. The collapse OF the
wall was so quick and unexpected that
the men were covered beneath the brick
and debris before they had time to es-
cape
Taylor Fields, the negro foreman of the
middle brick kiln was just returning
from his house near by when the wall
fell. He was about 400 feet away when
he heard the heavy crash, followed by
the screams of negroes who were pilfng
the brick on the outside of the clamp,
Fields called to the other negroes in the
brick wards. who rushed to the scene
of the accident. Everyone hastily began
the work of rescuing the unfortunate ne
groes from their perilous position.
Thomas A. Davis. an official of the
brick company, was in the office, about
$50 feet from the kiln when the crash
occurred. As soon as his attention was
called to the accident Mr.. Davis tele-
phoned for surgeon and FASTENED to the
scene to direct the work of rescuing the
buried negroes.
{ from under the debris, a surgeon arrived
and gave them surgical attention.
When 1t was discovered that Jim Jack
son was dead. Coroner Tice was tele-
phoned and an inquest was held. He gave
a certificate in accordance with the facts
and the body was removed to an under
taking establishment in the city. jack
sons body was terribly mangled. 1t had
been thrown against the burnt bricks In
the kiln and was bruised and lacerated
His skull was crushed
Willie -Clanton, Jim Pickett, Joe Stein
and Neil Pickett were completely buried
by the debris They were not thrown
against the bricks as was jackson, but
landed on the ground. Clanton's right
leg was broken and his body and head
were badly bruised and cut. Jim Pickett
h1EatfGnu md rElfc he
head, arms and legs. After Pickett was
Rescued. he assisted in the relief of the
others Joe Stein received q sprained
arm and knee and several bruises and
cuts on the head and body. Neill Pickett G
body was seriously bruised and lacerat-
ed and 1t is thought he is internally in
5ured.
The surgeon who attended the negroes
said he did not think any of the in
Juries would prove fatal.
Cyrus Reese was standing close at the
wall when it fell and Consequently was
somewhat shielded He received one oil
iel Hicks was knocked down by the fall.
ing wall and partially bruised. He re-
ceived a few bruises on the lower part
of his body.
The forty odd negroes employed by the
brick company live near by the brick
kiln and large crowd of negroes dock.
ed to the scene of the accident and mani
Tested the p ,cullar curiosity Of their rae:
in the dead and injured.
Each of the injured negroes carried lifi
and accident insurance policies provided
by the Riverside Brick Company.
A. L. Davis, president Of the brlcl
company, said the loss would not amoun
to more than $50 and that the wall woulG
be Immediately reconstructed. He sale
he thought the wall was perfectly sub
stantlal.
The windstorm, which was not violent
blew over in few minutes and no Other
damage was done in North Montgomery