The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-07-01
LIGHTNING FALL
OF BIG ELEVATOR
The Shaft Breaks and the
Cage Drops.
TWENTY THREE ARE HURT
A Least Two Of These Win Die---The Elevator
Was Crowded. conflicting Reports
asio he Cause Of The
>
TWENTY THREE ARE HURT


AstpsbAf8s "a, June 29.-The breaking
q shaft on the first door of the A. j
Heinz Companys plant in Allegheny, to-
lay released the ropes supporting large
freight elevator on which twenty-three
persons were crowded. The cage fell from
the NTH floor into the cellar, distance OF
40 feet and every one on the elevator was
injured. 1t rs thought that at least two
will die.
The list of injured:
John Churney. Allegheny. both legs bro
AIRS. Edward Holman, Mount Hor,, ".
J., injury to spine.
ken. will likely de-
viii probably die:
Allegheny General Hospital.
JosaBh Weber, Allegheny. both legs bro
ken condition serious.
D. p. Thompson, Allegheny, leg crushed.
Mrs. c. r. Sammons. East End Pitts
1rg, spine injured.
Imogene Redman, Parish. KY, ankle
|pFained and spine injured.
At West Pennsylvania Hospital: Andrew
Bolax. Allegheny, ankle sprained; H. A.
Morson. Lakewood, compound fracture
right leg.
AIRS. A. 10th, Allegheny, conclusion OF
shin ana ankle sprained.
william Koncana, Cleveland, o., ankle
Eprained and spine injured.
At Allegheny General Hospital: c.
Howak, Cleveland. ankle sprained and in
Jury to spine.
At West Pennsylvania Hospital: Mrs
D a. K Rodska. Allegheny. cut by flying
glass;
Charles spurney, Cleveland, bady
bruised
At Allegheny Hospital: John Lotabar
Cleveland. Ohio, conclusion of spine.
At Allegheny Hospital Mike Demo-
Cleveland, legt sprained.
At West Pennsylvania, John Zabinski,
ankle sprained.
At Allegheny General Hospital: Mrs
William Mitchell. Lakewood, leg frac-
tured in two places.
Mrs. Victor Bailey, Hazlewood, leg frac-
tured.
John Brotsky, Pittsburg, ankle sprained
Stevens Jasco, Cleveland, ankle sprain-
Stevens Jasco. Cleveland, anskle sprain
er, taken home.
Mrs Minnie Spring, Glcnshaw, ankle
sprained.
Mrs K. w Thornton. Hazlewood, COM
pound fracture Of leg.
Mrs. George Sherlock, Hazelwood, COM
pound fracture left leg.
When the accident occurred the elevator
was evidently overcrowded According tc
what was told this evening by DR.. ]. S
Phillips. physician at the plant, the an
tics Of two men on the elevator, who were
intoxicated caused the disaster. DR.. Phil
lips says the two men crowded on the
car after being told by the operator t.
stay of. Once on they commenced jump
ing with the result that the shaft snapped
and left the elevator without control
According to the story told by William
Koneana a dry goods merchant of Cleve
land tonight at the hospital, there was nc
disorder in the crowd.
Il thought there were too many on the
car" he said when / saw how crowded
we were, and as soon as the car left the
fifth floor / am certain. no one realized
that something had happened to the ma
chinery. and that the elevator was slip
ping. There was not sound or cry ut
etred by any one until We landed in q
heap III the cellar. "
Al but two Of the injured were visitors
10 the Heinz plant
The Cleveland people are members o.
the Bohemian Catholic Central Union and
took part in the blessing of the guns Of
the cadets of St. George. of Allegheny. or
Sunday. Today they took for sightseeing
and the Heinz plant was on the program
An examination of the plant and machin
cry showed that those injured narrowl,
escaped instant death as the $50 pound
weight at the side of the shaft shot Il
the roof Of the building, ripped through
the timbers at the top and fell half it
length through the ceiling over the sixth
floor. Had the timbers been little les
stout the huge weight would have falleI
nearly sixty feet upon the mass of injured
people huddIed in heap on the floor o
the demolished elevator.
The screams OF the injured and thu
crash Of the huge cage as it struck TIN
bottom Of the shaft brought hundreds o
w0Fkmen and women to the rescue and
hurry call was sent for physicians and am
balances and the injured were hastily ex
aniined and hurried to the hospitals
IN a statement given out by the official
Of the plant it was stated that the ele
yator was thoroughly oyerhauled and
ew drum placed in position about two
ears ago. and had always been inspecte
daily by the man in charge of the ma
chinery. once week by the oiler.