The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-10-26
RESCUE WORK WAS DIFFICULT
ACCIDENT SAID To HAVE BEEN DUE
TO CRIMINAL NEGLIGENCE.
Seams Had Appeared fin the Roof OF
the Tunnel ON saturdny-The sup
ports Were Insufficient.

fifth street last night and four persons
were badly injured. All of the dead and
injured were workmen and most Of them
Italians. Following is the list:
Dead.--Timothy Sullivan, foreman; Will
liam schuette, electrician; Guiseppi Baro-
no, stanzione Bruno, Louis Tippio. Five
unidentified Italian laborers.
Injured-Juno Pasquale. Bastovo Valan-
ito. Alphonse Arma.ello. Juno Bakis.
The accident was the most disastrous that
has occurred IN the construction OF the
subway. At the point where the cave-in
occurred a gang of twenty men were at
work In the tunnel. which is about 40 feet
below the surface.
Rufus c. Hunt, general superintendent
OF the tunnel work. said to-day that two
converging seams had appeared In the roof
of the tunnel during the day work on Sat
urday. The presence OF these seams, how
ever. was not believed to indicate any more
dangerous character of the rock than had
previously been encountered. although 1t
was thought necessary to prop the roof
with a number of upright timber braces.
The tunnel was being bored by opening a
perpendicular embrasure in the face of the
bore and blasting the sides TO the right
and left OF this embrasure. Three blasts
were arranged by the drillers. the holes
being charged well toward the roof. The
driilers then withdrew and the three blasts
were set of In rapid succession by cleo
tricity. loosening large quantities Of earth
and rock.
WENT TO THEIR DOOM.
The drillers say that about ten minutes
elapsed to allow the smoke TO clear away
before Timothy Sullivan. the foreman, and
Electrician Schuette advanced, the latter
intending to string wires and hang cleo
trio lamps to light the way. They were
followed by sixteen workmen. The van
guard OF the gang had reached the broken
stone when a rumbling sound was heard.
1t grew in volume with Ightning-like ra-
pidity. Those In the rear had just time 70
turn about and run when, with deafen-
ing crash. hundreds of tons of rock fell
on the men at the face Of the boring.
The drillers and two or three Italians who
were out of reach of the deluge of rock
were knocked fiat their faces by the
rush Of wind driven through the tunnel
When the roar had ceased the cries of
the injured workmen echoed through the
tunnel. Two negroes. in charge of a tram
car which they were pushing along the
track 10 be loaded with the blasted rock.
street and to the Speedway livery stables,
q block away, and there telephoned an
alarm to police headquarters. Reserves
while ambulances were sent from several
hospitals.
policeman and two ambulance surgeons
were the first to enter the tunnel after the
accident. They ran along the track. which
was still lighted by incandescent lamps.
Until they a aSed rne great h s pile OF
tim found. an Italian laborer. was pinioned
on shelf of the evacuation by one leg.
a bowlder OF about ten tons in weight hav-
ing fallen on the limb. He was hanging
head down. groaning in semi-consciousness.
The rock which held him was restrained
from falling further by a small piece of
stone insecurity wedged under 1t. An ex-
animation showed that an effort to move
the bowlder would cause the Italian to be
completely crushed. The doctors then de-
this was done in the light Of the ambu-
lance lamp. The man. who was not iden-
titled. died later at a hospital
RESCUE WORK DELAYED.
Thu, work of further rescue was delayed
for SINE time owing to the threatening po-
sition of the bowlder. Meantime the cries
and eroans from under the mass of stone
wrought such excitement among the res
cuers that they were prepared to under
take any danger to render assistance to
the imprisoned injured.
The eayein released a natural spring in
the earth above the tunnel and in a few
moments a stream of water was gushing in
and tricking about the feet of the work
ers, and to some extent interfering with
the work Of rescue The firemen and po-
licemen cleared away the small pieces OF
aged TO get near Juno Pasquae and Batastc
valantio. who were bruised and charred
I'm the back and legs. Both men were
taken TO the hospital
A q aS n re fote
vicinity were removed the big stone was
blown up with powder and taken away
ffty-ton block which had dropped from
the roof OF the tunnel. In a crevice be-
meath II the bodies OF two men. one
npper man had been crushed Msre io9 tn The
while the one underneath was alive, though
his legs and body were bruised and
TRs big hoao eefo %ss he pa
blazed away, while IL lay over him and a
hydraulic jack then elevated the remaining
portion OF 1t sufficiently TO permit OF the
mans removal. He was Juno Baskis He
had been pinned under the body of his
dead fellow workman for hours, part OF
the time conscious. Four feet beyond the
place where Baskis lay. the crushed form
Of Alphonse Armatello was discovered
under n quantity of small rock and shale
He was quickly extricated and sent to the
hospital. Then were found the bodies OF
several unidentified Italians, some of them
crushed beyond recognition.
Later the DO0y or Wllllam Schuette. the
electrician. was found II lay within ter
feet OF the face OF the tunnel and he hac
been killed instantly.
SULLIvAN'S BODY FOUND.
The most pathetic incident in connection
With the accident was the finding OF TN.
body OF Foreman Timothy Sullivan. II
was wedged and damned far beneath tn.
stone and was not recovered until Ions
AFTER daylight From about o'clock in TN,
morning his ten-year-oid son. Samuel, had
stood close to the policemen who wer,
neIping the laborerS and blasters picl
pick away the debris and could not b,
xether had been extricated and taken from
the tunnel.
Many Italian women congregated abou
ne exit, weeping and lamenting and rush
ne TO the tram car each time II brough
forth body.
The corpses OF Sfanzione Bruno Loui
1ippfo. Guisserpi Barono and three othe
unidentified Italians were found on tn,
0oor OF the tunnel near where the bod,
g Sullivan was recovered. The heads o
e0e men. In most cases. were toward tn
exlt- indicating that they had plunged 4
the north when the rush of stone wa
heard. In an effort TO escape. Each bod,
vas removed only by the lifting OF man,
tons or rock The last two bodies founs
we're taken out at ID o'clock this morning
9[o boyers, general foreman for John Il
AoDonaId, the contractor. who * bulldln,
3ne tunnel. were arrested as the,
xoafneo the scene CT the disaster, but beinl
1oru ~ tunnel work and blasting. wer