The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1903-10-29
TN WERE KILLED
ROOF AND WALLS or suewN
TUNNEL IN NEW YORK
GAVE IN.
HUNDREDS OF TONS or ROCK fan
MANY ITALIAN woRKmEN ARE
CAUGHT UNDER THE gNoR.
NOUS MASS.
HUNDREDS OF IONS or ROCK t,,,
CRIMINAL NEGLIGENCE CHARGE,
SUPERINTENDENT AND GENEpn
FOREMAN FOR CONTRACTOR
ARRESTED.

New York, Oct. 27.-Teu lives ve,e
lost by the caye-in of the roof an.
walls Of the subway tunnel at 1877,
street Saturday night and four nov.
sons we're badly injured. All Of n.
dead and injured were workmen. an.
most of them Italians.
The accident was the most discs.
trous that has occurred in the co,.
struction of the subway. AT N,
point where the cave-in occurred ,
gang Of twenty men were at work !,
the tunnel, which is about lie fes
below the surface.
Rufus G. Hunt, general superia,e1i.
ent of the tunnel work, said that ty.
converging seams had appeared In the
roof Of the tunnel during the day work
on Saturday. The presence Of the
seams, however, was not believed 10
indicate any
More Dangerous Character
OF the rock than had previously
been encountered, although Il was
thought necessary to prop the reef
with 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 en-
brasure. Three blasts were arranged
by the drillers, the holes being
charged well toward the roof. The
drillers then withdrew and the three
blasts were set off in rapid succession
by electricity, looseuing large quaint.
ties of earth and rock The drillers say
that about ten minutes elapsed 10 al
low the smoke to clear away before
Timothy Sullivan, the foreman, ani
Electrician Schuette advanced, the
latter intending to string wires ans
hang lamps
To LIGHT the Way
They were followed by sixteel
workmen. The vanguard Of the gang
had reached the broken stone when
rumbling sound was heard. II grew in
volume with lightning-like rapidity.
Those in the rear had just time to
turn about and run when, with
deafening crash hundreds OF ton or
rock fell on the men at the face OF the
boring. The drillers and two or thres
Italians who were out of reach Of the
deluge of rock, we're Knocked fat on
their faces by the rush Of wind drives
through the tunnel
When the roar had ceased the cries
Of injured workmen echoed through
the tunnel. Two negroes in charge Oh
tram car which they were pushing
along the track to be loaded with ths
blasted rock,
Rushed to the Opening
ut 200th street and to the Speedway
livery stables, block away, and there
telephoned an alarm to police head
quarters. Reserves we're immediately
ordered to the scene, while ameo'
lances were sent from several nospr
tails. The work Of rescue was very
aiuiCuit anu IL was sSNVi"i "O
tore all the bodies Of the dead ana in'
jured were recovered.
Rufus c. Hunt, superintendent an'
Richard Beyers, general foremaa ior
John B. Mcdonald, the contractor whS
Is building the tunnel, were arreste.
as soon as they reached the scene u
the disaster, but being experts IN luh.
mel work and blasting, were perIniteSu
to direct the work of rescue. Later
magistrate remanded them to tas
coroner, who held them in $1,000 oa"
each.
Coroner Jackson said he beneve,
the accident was caused by criminal
negligence.