The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-04-13
LIFE CRUSHED OUT
JOHN DONAVAN. NIGHT WATCHMAN
AT RYAN ANNEX, MEETS WITH
HORRIBLE DEATH
CAUGHT BY THE ELEVATOR
While at His Work He CarelessIy
Reaches for Lantern at the
Sixth Floor and Is
Wedged In.

John Donavan, night fireman and
Waterman, was crushed to death yes
terday morning on the sixth floor of
the Ryan annex by the elevator. He
had evidently been descending in the
cab and reached out at the sixth floor
for his lantern, as when he was discoV-
cred at 7:05 by Carl J. f. Fristedt, the
day elevator operator, his head and
body were lying on the floor, with the
top of the door elevator resting on his
back. From the signs of the struggle
Donavan made for life it appears that he
was slowly crushed to death by the
weight of the elevator. One-half of his
ribs were crushed in and MS kidneys
and liver mangled.
Donavan, as night Waterman, was sup
posed to ring up the American District
Telegraph company every few minutes
during the night. His last call was at
5:36, when he rang in from a box from
the Robert street side of the building on
the sixth floor 1t is presumed that he
2 then got into the elevator to go to an
other box, leaving his lantern and a
bottle of floor whitening on the floor in
front OF the elevator door. He then
started the elevator down and leaned
out to get the lantern, when he was
caught. The entire weight of the ele-
Vator was pulled down on him with
crushing force, as there were two ca
CACS O4A the III uIIl IN the engine room
broken, and the drum was damaged
The elevator is a slow one, and it is
probable that Donavan had his life
slowly crushed out In his struggle he
tipped over his lantern and spilled oil
on the floor. Here could be seen traces
of his fingers as he vainly endeavored to
drag himself free.
Watchmen are allowed thirty minutes
grace" in calling in, and after this
cd he =CtT az
pany sent out an inspector. The inspec-
tor found the building locked and re-
ported to the Office that he could not
get in.
Found DOnavan Dead.
When Fristedt, 161A West Third street
came to work at O'Clock he found his
elevator on the sixth floor, and going
up, discovered DOnavan, who was living
race downward on the floor, with his
legs hanging down in the elevator He
stlll had his pipe in his mouth and the
lantern and box Of whitening were lying
near his face. The floor of the elevator
was within two feet of the fifth floor
ana the iron work adornments of the
elevator were all twisted out of shape
1t took the workmen three hours, with
the aid of jack-screws, before the ele-
vator could be propped up in order to
allow the body to be eXtricated
Coroner Miller was called and ordered
the city engineers department. TO in
VeEtlgate the elevator. Inspector James
Sllke said that the accident was due to
DonaVan's carelessness, and that it was
in good running order, as he had in
spected it but a few days previously.
The body was removed to the morgue
and an autopsy held. Donavan roomed
with Victor Dupaul, 159 West Sixth
street He was thirty-eight years old,
unmarried, and hid been emnlovfd as
night fireman in the Merchants and Met
ropolitan hotels. He had been employed
IN the Ryan annex for two months past.
He was member of the A O. H, and
the funeral will be held under their aus
pieces.