New-York tribune., 1902-05-28


jured and afterward reported at the station for
duty. he still believed that his ribs were broken
1T a fearful experience" he said TO
Tribune reporter, "and l never want 70 fal such
a distance again. The workmen had been pias'-
ing the rocks in the hole in preparation FOR the
laying of the foundation, and there were a iot
Of sharp and jagged stones just underneath the
bridge. 1 can't tell just how l fell. but struck
something hard and 1 believe my ribs are
broken. 1t was awful thing TO see the poor
women lying there with broken arms and legs
Some of them were pinned under the beams ana
planks, and We had a good deal of trouble III
pulling them out. The soldier boys from the --u
Regiment were all right. They worked IKE
beavers, and forgot all about the parade untll
everybody out of the hole l can't renlem-
ber much about what happened until l found
myself in the hole Everything was black for a
few minutes but when 1 came to got to work
with the others"
The break in the structure which caused the
bridge to fall started about thirty feet above
Eighteenth-st. A big y by II timber. half or
which Coroner Scholer said was rotten, snapped
in the middle The timber did not splinter. as a
sound timber would have done but simply
crushed together under the immense weight OF
the crowd. The timber in the middle of the
structure, and when it gave way the temporary
footpath sagged in the middle. People rushed
back from the sinking walk and caused the
centre TO rise Scores of people were lifted high
into the air and then fell into the excavation
The entire woodwork of the bridge fell into the
pit on top of the squrming and struggling mass
of people below. The cross timbers of the plat
form were by u inches in diameter while the
floor of the walk was composed Of boards about
twelve feet long
Two building inspectors arrived shortly after
and made examination. Coroner Scholer in
quired of them if they had been inspecting the
construction of the building, and they replied
in the negative. The Coroner then asked If
there inspector in charge of the building
of the bridge. and If the construction did not
come under the jurisdiction Of the Buildings
Department. Then. the declares, the
two inspectors, without making any reply, dis
appeared into the crowd. He says he was un-
able to find them after that, get any trace
of what the Buildings Department was doing
The coroner ordered that the body of Coolidge
be taken to the station Later he gave a per-
NIT for it TO be cared for by undertaken.
He said the mans death was caused by a COM
pound fracture of the skull. The coroner gave
orders TO the police to guard the rotten timber
that had broken and caused the accident This
morning they will off the decayed part
and send II TO the cOrOner's office. where he
will hold 1t TO be used evidence at the In
quest
FOREMAN LAWTON ARRESTED.
Foreman Lawton was arrested by Detective
Delaney. After a further investigation the
coroner ordered the arrest of Cowan. the
tractor. and J. G. Miller. the sub-contraCtor, of
Brooklyn. Last evening Mr.. Cowan heard of
the accident and went to the West Thirtieth-st.
station where he saw the coroner. He explained
that he not responsible for the accident.
and promised to appear at the inquest in case
he wanted. He and the coroner and Cap
tain Sheehan h Id conference. after which Mr..
COwan was allowed to go. Detectives sent
TO Brooklyn to arrest Mr.. Miller. but at late
hour last night they had not returned. LawtOn
bailed out about o'clock by John H.
Kramer, of No. Ill Leroy-st., who furnished
$1,000 bail to Coroner Scholer
For several hours after the accident a crowd
gathered about the scene watching the police
men gathering up the umbrellas. hats and other
articles. Captain Foody says that his men We're
greatly handicapped in the work of rescue by the
crowds that gathered at the sides of the excava-
ton. DR.. Charles a. Brown. a surgeon of Troop
c. says he man trying to loot the injured.
The thief bending over the PROSTATE form of
when he was discovered He was driven away
before the policemen, who were busy with the
injured, had an opportunity to seize him.
George Beadely. of No. II Seventh-ave, was
trying TO push his way through the crowd on
the bridge when 1t gave way He says he was
near the centre of the structure when he felt II
sinking. and the next thing he knew,
when he woke up in a barber shop with an
ambulance surgeon STOPPING over him. He
taken TO Bellevue Hospital and later sent home.
Frederick A. Todd newspaper reporter, was
another who went down with the footpath. He
says he was trying to get through the crowd
when the collapse came without any warning.
Three or four persons were piled top of him
when he struck the bottom of the pit. and he
was unable 10 move because mis- foot was held
fast by timber. Nearly all the others who
went down with the bridge had a similar story
TO tell All agreed that the crash came sud
denly that they had had no time to clutch at
anything for support.
Until late last night the West Thirteth-st
station crowded with persons anXlOuSly
inquirng for news of their relatives or friends
fearing they had been injured.
James ]. Hartigan of No BOB West Forty
sixth-st.. had been handled a bit roughly by
policeman just before the accident and com
PEELED to move off the bridge. He started for
the station to register a complaint against the
policeman but when he returned and saw what
had happened he hunted up Policeman Delaney
and thanked him for forcing him to leave the
bridge.
FEARED ANOTHER CAY IN.