New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-09-04
FIVE WORKMEN CRUSHED
HUGE GAS TANK BOTTOM
DROPS IN BROOKLYN.
CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT NOT KNOWN
TWO MEN ESCAPED-SUPERINTE
FNT RELEASED on BAIL.

Without anv warming the bottom Of the re-
ceiving tank which was being constructed for
the Brooklyn Union Gas Company, at Wythe-
ave and North Thirteenth-st, Brooklyn, fell
yesterday at 40 Q. and instantly crushed
ont the lives Of five wcrkn1en who were under
meath. The dead are
+ITTIER Peter Of No Baxter-st-. Manhattan.
r~aRTINo joseph If No. 20 Spring-st- Manhattan.
toRTELI,o Nuncio Of No. Elizaheth-st Manhattan.
1.AGATA. Dorninick If No 49, Muberry-st Manhattan
pRENo. Frank of ~ Elizabeth-st-. Manhattan
The bottom of the tank. which is about two
hundred feet in diameter, six hundred feet in
circumference and weighs about two hundred
tons, was supported about three feet above the
concrete foundation by 40 jackscrews two and
q half inches in diameter. About seventy-hve
workInen were busy top OF the iron floor
which is three-eighths of an inch thick, finishing
up the work of riveting the plates. They were
IN charge Of Superintendent John Murphy. who
represented the Bartlett & Haywood Company,
of Baltimore. in the construction Of the tank
There were seven nen under the iron floor, but
for what purpose they were there Mr.. Murphy
said afterward he did not know. Soon after
ward it was decided to lower the iron floor, and
1T had begun 10 descend slowly by means Of the
.sackscrews, when there was collapse. The
great mass Of iron and steel fell with crash
that was heard blocks away.
Two of the seven work1nen took alarm in
time and escaped They were Mariana 1done'
thirty-two years old, of No 221S Atlanuc-ave-.
Brooklyn and Peter Coscio Of No 81 Elizabeth
st, Manhattan. The bodies Of the five IN
fortunate men when they were recovered later
presented q sickening spectacle.
WORK OF TAKING OUT THE BODIES.
Policemen from the Bedford-ave station soon
srY1ved, ana with firemen and bystanders
quickly set about the work Of rescue. II was
r. foYegone conclusion. Of course. that the men
underneath had met instantaneous death ana
es it out OF the question 10 raise the two
hundred tons Of iron and steel, there was moth
ing to do but TO hammer of the rivets Of the
sections of plate the places where the men
were supposed to have gone Il was slow work,
which was watched with keen and sympathetic
interest by multitude Of spectators and rela-
tives and friends OF the missing men The bot
sorn Of the tank rested in sunken lot In the
surrounding streets Gordon Of police was
formed to keep back the crowds.
The first body recovered was that Of Peter
T,ittIer It was horribly rnangled It took three
hours steady work in removing the riveted
plates before the other bod:-s were taken out.
Donlinick Lagata had been married only a
fortnight and Frank Freno was also married
recently. The bodies were removed to the Bed
ford-ave. station. 4 roll call Of the workmen
showed that no other men were missing
Superintendent Murphy. who afterward
placed under arrest, declared that he did not
send the workrnen who were killed under the
iron floor He had left the place for short
time 10 use the telephone when he heard ire
rlendous crash That was all he knew about II,
and as TO how the accident occurred he could
not say. He had no explanation to offer
Superintendent Murphy furnished $1,000 bail
end was released from custody