The Savannah morning news., 1903-06-30
FALL OF ELEVATOR
,YJURED EVERY ONE OF 23 PER-
SONS IN 1T.
FELL FROM FIFTH FLOOR.
a FRACTURED SHAFT CAUSED THE
ACCIDENT.

Too Many Persons Were Aboard.
Two Drunken Men Began to Play
Antics, Increasing the Strain.
Shnft Gave Way, and Down the
Ca.e Pitched to the Cellar, 45
Feet Below.
Pjttsburg, Pa. June 29.-The break
;re of a shaft on the first floor of the
A ] Heinz Company's plant in Allie
rhenv to-day released the hopes sup
porting a large freight elevator, on
which twenty-three persons were
crowded. The cage fell from the fifth
floor into the cellar, a distance of for
+v-fve feet, and every one on the ele-
vator was injured. 1t is thought that
at least two will die.
The list of injured:
John Churney, Allegheny, both legs
broken; will likely die.
Mrs. Edward Holman, Mount Hope,
n j., injury to spine; will probably
die.
Joseph Weber. Allegheny, both legs
broken; condition serious.
0. P. Thomas, Allegheny, crushed.
Mrs. C. r. Summons, East End,
Pittsburg, spine injured.
Imogene Redman. Paris, KY, ankle
sprained and spine injured.
Andrew Bolak, Allegheny, ankle
sprained.
H. A. Morrison, Hardwood, com
pound fracture right leg.
Mrs. L. Litha, Allegheny, conclusion
of spine and ankle sprained.
William Koncana, Cleveland o., an
kle sprained and spine injured.
c. w. Howak Cleveland, ankle
sprained and injury to spine.
Mrs. A. Vodraska, Allegheny, cut by
flying glass.
Charles Spurney, Cleveland, O.. body
badly bruised.
John Lotabar, Cleveland, o., concus-
sion of spine.
Mime Demko. Cleveland, leg sprain-
ed
John zabisky. Cleveland, ankle
sprained.
Mrs William Mitchell. Hazelwood.
leg fractured in two places.
Mrs Victor Bailey. Hazelwood. leg
fractured.
John Brotsky, Pittsburg, ankle
sprained.
Steven Jasco Cleveland, ankle
sprained: taken home.
Mrs Minnie Spring, Glenshaw, ankle
sprained.
Mrs. E. w. Thorton. Hardwood,
compound fracture left leg.
CnEe Was Overcrowded.
When the accident occurred the ele-
Vator was evidently overcrowded. Ac-
cording to what was told this even
ing by DR.. ]. S. Phillips, physician at
the plant, the antics of two men on
the elevator who were intoxicated
caused the disaster. Dr. Phillips says
the two men crowded on the car after
being told by the operator to stay off.
once on they commenced jumping,
with the result that the shaft snap
ped and left the elevator without con-
troll
According to the story told by Will
liam Koncana a dry goods merchant of
Cleveland tonight at the hospital
there was no disorder in the crowd.
i thought there were too many on
the carr he said, "when L saw how
NAON QcQ we were, anu do SOOil do tliC
car left the fifth floor l am certain
every one realized that something had
happened to the machinery, and that
the elevator was slipping. There was
not sound or cry uttered by any one
until we landed in a heap in the
cellar"
All but two of the injured were Wis
ltors to the Heinz plant. Weber and
thompson are employees of the com
pany.
The Cleveland company are members
Of the Bohemian Catholic Central IN
ION, and took part in the blessing of
the guns of the cadets of st. George of
Allegheny on Sunday. To-day they
TOOK for sightseeing, and the Heinz
plant was on the programme.
An examination of the plant and the
machinery showed that those injured
narrowly escaped instant death, as the
'oO-pound weight at the side of the
shaft shot to the roof of the building,
ripped through the timbers at the top
and fell half it's length through the
ceiling over the sixth floor. Had the
umbers been a little less stout the
huge weight would have fallen nearly
sixty feet upon the mass of injured
people huddled in a heap on the floor
OF the demolished elevator.
Screams Brought Aid.
The screams of the injured and the
crash of the huge cage as it struck the
bottom of the shaft brought hundreds
VI workmen and women to the rescue,
ana hurry call was sent for physl-
cans and ambulances and the injured
we're hastily examined and hurried 10
me hospitals.
mis- lis the first serious accident
winch has ever occurred at the plant
Al a gt9tGFnapf oil ont hW The OFFICIALS
~ the plant IL was stated that the ele-
Valor was thoroughly overhauled and
new drum placed in position about
TWO years ago and had always been in
spr'ted daily by the man in charge OF
We machinery, once "A week by the
onfr and once a month by the mill
"ilshis. The break occurred In place
H'possible 10 be detected by the IN
sp'' tors, as II was inside the large