The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-01-04
.COASIED TO DEATH |:
Little Charlie Berrier Slid Over a
Rocky Precipice.
SKULL FRACTURED AND HE DIED
Many Hairbreadth Escapes Reported
by Coasters on the
Same Hill.

Unable to make the turn at the v of
the zig-zag, by which the descent OF the
popular coasting hill back of the School
| of Mines building at the university is
made, the sled bearing Charles Berrier, 8
years old, shot off the bluff over the river,
and the little fellow was hurled to the
| fiat, So feet below. This tragic accident
| occurred Tuesday. the day before Christ
mas. The boy was picked up unconscious
and taken to st. Barnabas hospital, where
| it was learned that he had suffered a
| fracture of the skull and very serious in
ternal injuries. He was operated upon
| but death, resulting from spinal menin-
gifts, occurred shortly after noon yester-
day. The funeral will be held at p. m.
tomorrow from Olivet Baptist church.
| The boy was the son OF F. Berr1er,
travelling agent, living at 1922 Thirteenth
avenue Sc With several boys of his
own age in the neighborhood, he left home
| Tuesday morning shortly after O'Clock
for the hill. The snow and ice made
coasting excellent on that day, and there
were throngs Of boys and girls at the al
ways popular river hill. The total length
of this decline is nearly mile. the ter
mination is directly opposite the start,
hut a hundred feet below. The descent Is
made by a shuttle back, the turn being
almost in the middle of the long run. To
make this turn, it is necessary to SLOW
down by the use of stout brakes, and even
then it is done with such danger that the
more cautious or timid coasters permit
their sleds to run on a straight-away at
| the foot of the first hill, and then dis
| mount and start anew on the slide down
the second stretch to the level Of the
river The turn is made at the very edge
of the bluff. Fifty feet below is a narrow
| ledge of rough hewn rock. A short dis
! lance below that is the fiat, a perfectly
level strip some forty feet wide, and ex-
| tending from the base of steep hill to the
| river There was no elevation or fence az
the edge of the bluff on the coaster pain.
Young Berrier, although, as his age in
dicates only slip Of a boy, mounted MS
sled at the top of the hill and started on
the trip down the long decline as boldly
and with as much confidence as many Tar
older than he. Rob Slattery, with whom
Berrier had come to the hill, preceded
him, and at the turn came within re"
feet of sliding over the bluff. Such mar
row escapes, however, are very frequent
occurrences on the MI, ana ana e Pa eafh
sled, quickly jerked back into the patn'
went speeding on down the second lap.
| Just behind Slattery came young Ber-
rier. His sled acquired great speed by the
time it reached the end of the first nil.
The boy hazarded the turn With a quick
ljerk he pointed 1t to the left: 1t was then
headed directly for the ledge. Another
Jerk was intended to throw it on into the
other path, leading in the opposite dlrec-
ton. But the sled failed to respond, ana
it shot over the bluff so suddenly and SO
noiselessly that none Of the other coast
ers on the hill noticed it.
Sled and boy went hurtling through the
air and struck the ugly rocks just above
the fiat. The sled lodged but the boy
tumbled over to the narrow street, ana
stopped a few feet from the door of the
house at Sc, occupied by Martin Johnson.
One of the Johnson boys noticed the body
and called to his mother, who picked up
the limp and unconscious boy anu Cur
ried him into her home.
A few minutes later-young Slatterys mao
noticed the disappearance Of his compan-
ion and he went running up to the mouse.
He gave the boys address and he was
taken home. DR.. Hare and Dr. Alger
were called, and they ordered him re-
moved to the hospital, where death fol-
| lowed yesterday.
Coasters on the hill where young Der
, rier met his death, have taken their lives
in their hand every time they nave maue
J the turn. It is remarkable that other
accidents have not occurred. The escapes
} have been many and sometimes very
l thrilling.
Two hours before Charles Berrier's ia
tai fall Clifford and William Matzek,
T who live in a small house at the loot OF
the first hill, would have been hurleo
: down the steep declivity had 1t not oeen
. for the presence of mind and quick WORK
of Frank Matzek, a brother. The two
boys, with Frank, who is 81 years Old
were coasting, and the youngsters at
tempted to make the turn in violation OF
their elders strict injunction. FRANK
Matzek was sitting near the watching
the coasters, when his brothers tried to
turn into the second path. They were
? headed straight for the bluff, and becom-
ing frightened. at the peril Of their posi-,
ton, gave up their hold on the sled an as
y commenced to scream. Running towards
: them. Frank Matzek placed himself IL
q the path, secured firm footing and ther
4 grabbed the sled as it shot past. He
threw it squarely around, and sent the
4 riders sprawling on the ice and snow
s The little fellows were bruised, and the
: sled was broken, but the boys mother
: who saw the accident, says had 1T no
been for their fall they would have gone
s over the precipice, and probably Woule
I have been killed on the rocks below.
The Matzeks have now built rude
e.o,, tbo t,,r, 1OgS and hO9rdS