New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-08-26
SAVED BY AERIAL FEAT.
PAINTER HANGS IN AIR.
Held by Br0tker-Comrade Killed
ScafoId COlapSeS.

Hanging by his right hand from a window sill
on the top floor Of the schoolhouse at No. $40
West Forty-fourth-st., ninety feet from the
ground, while with his left hand he held his
brother. the feat performed by George
Drummer a painter. yesterday, at the collapse Of
swinging scaffold that caused the death Of
William Carpenter, a painter. Of One-hundred-
and-thirty-fourth-st. and Third-ave.
Carpenter was thrown to the ground immedi-
ately when the seaffold gave way. George Brun-
ner's brother, Edward. had been standing on the
other end. Edward was thrown of his feet and
sent sliding down the scaffold
George Drummer was standing on a window sill
over the centre of the platform As his brother
went sliding past him he leaned down as far as
he was able and seized his brothers coat Ed
ward weighs 156 pounds. Both shouted for
help, but their cries were unanswered. The men
remained cool, however, and between gasps
George asked his brother Il he thought he could
catch hold Of ropes hanging down the side Of the
building.
Try TO swing me-" said Edward.
with veins swollen almost to bursting under
the tension, George began to swing his brother
back and forth, until at last the man suspended
between earth and sky managed to grasp one Of
the dangling ropes. AS he did so the other fell
from the window from sheer exhaustion. With
the instinct of sef-preservation his hand grasped
the rope that his brother was hanging TO, and
with the help Of Edward he managed TO slide
down the ir1provised ladder to the courtyard.
The mems hands were burned by the rope as
81 slipped through their fingers, and the reac-
ton on their nerves go great that they
sonh on the groui.d by the body of their fellow
workman, sobbing.
The three men were employed by Charles
Brunner. Of No ST East One-hundred-and-
twenty-frst-st, the father Of the brothers.
They had been painting the walls OF FuOhc
School No 81 for several days.
II was soon after ! o'clock that the men
heard an oninOus cracking SOUND oVerIe4u.
IPhev glanced up. but could not see that there
vas ANYTHING wrong with the fastenings OF the
platform ropes. over the east end or the plat-
form a large knot had been tied IN the ahchor
ropes ever the hosting pulley Carpehter, "a "a
marked iokingly to Edward Drummer that ne
better look out" as the knot was ABOUT 10 give
yray AS il is not an unusual occurrence TOT
ropes 10 stretch and give out a cracking souliu
when attached to swinging platforms, the men
thought TO more Of the Incident M,
Then suddenly there was a terTlne CRASH Inc
chimney around which the scaffold ropes were
made fast cola psed, and the west end OF the
platform sagged down for about ten feet peiore
falling altogether.
The bricks from the chimney shoWered over
Carpenter and some OF then struck MN on
the head 1t is the belief Of lie brothers that
CARPENTER might have saved himself by grao-
hing 4 rome or the end Of the platform, II the
bricks had not struck him. He was nteTany
beaten of the scaffolding by the rain of bricks
and stones, and fell TO the courtyard. He died
instantly.
The brothers are veterans Of the Spanish
American War and were at the front in cuba,
they say. Both are married. Edward lives at
No 15l Dupont-st. Brooklyn, and is twenty
four years old while his brother, George, lives
at No. 22o5 Third-ave. and is two years older.