The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-09-12
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One man was killed and another seri
ously injured by the caving In Of five feet
OF earth at the intersection of Clara and
Cote Brilliante avenues, where the Laclede
Gas Company Is making an excavation
| at $50 yesterday afternoon.
| Both men were buried beneath six OF
more feet OF earth A third man was
caught by the falling earth about the
waist, but he escaped injury. Four other
men fed from the trench in which they
were working Just in time to avoid being
| entombed.
For two hours workmen searched for
the body Of Harry Howard. which was
finally found at the bottom OF the trench,
leaning on the handle of q spade. In this
Iosition the man had been caught by the
falling earth.
After digging for forty-five minutes, the
rescuing party unearthed Finis A Henry.
| who was conscious when found He was
in an upright position, his head being un-
der six feet OF earth
The trench in which the men were work
ing at the time the accident occurred
extends on the west side Of Clara avenue
from EastOn avenue 10 North Market
street. A water pipe lies parallel TO the
gas-main trench at distance OF , D feet
the surface of the ground.
CAUGHT UNDER BIG MASS.
At Cote Brilliante avenue the gas trench
is Il feet inches deep. or seven
feet deeper than the trench for the water
main.
Working In this open trench was a gang
of about forty men, under the supervision
Of James o. Thompson of No. 4224 Vista
avenue. foreman Tor the AbboI-Gambie
Contracting Company Of No. go Chestnut
street.
Suddenly Mr. Thompson saw the earth
above the water main which runs par
allel to the gas trench begin to cave in.
In the portion Of the trench in which the
were working. Mr.. Thompson called to
them to get out of the trench, and four
men made their escape in time.
A fifth, John Sagiaro AdanlO. Of No 1856
Shaw avenue. was standing on the scat
folding in the trench. but before he could
get out he was caught by the falling dirt
about the waist.
Harry Howard who was working with
spade at the bottom Of the trench. looked
up when he heard Mr.. Thompson give the
warning. hesitated. and was buried be
meath nearly u feet of earth. The part
that caved, while but feet deep. was 40
feet wide. and it fell into a trench not
more than 2 feet wide. The part that
cayed In was 81 feet long.
F'inis A. Henry was attempting to escape
when he. too, was buried.
The other members of the gang Of forty
dI once began 10 uls out lHeII e!tOIIlDeu
comrades. Within ten minutes, Adamoo
was released. He was uninJured and
walked to his home.
Though buried about six feet below the
ground FINS was able TO get air. and con-
sequently was able TO call for help. He
also shouted up TO the rescuinS party
that he thought dead man was en-
tombed near him.
COMRADES WORK HARD.
Guided by his cries for help. the rescue
ing party unearthed Henry in forty-five
minutes. He was taken to the City Hos
pital.
After digging nearly two hours, the body
OF Howard Was found. Indications were
that he had not lost his life as result of
being struck by the Jumps OF clay. but
had smothered to death.
A few minutes after the accident Pa
trolman Early OF the Mounted District ar
and Patrolmen Devine and Thompson
came.
The timekeeper Of the contracting COM
pany went carefully over his pay roll to
ascertain If all the bodies had been re-
covered and he reported that they had.
To make doubly sure, however, that none
were entombed, Sergeant Griefield directed
the workmen to remove all the earth that
had fallen in. The men continued at this
work until nearly .. m. but found no
more bodies.
So far as the police now know no one
IS responsible for the accident. James o.
Thompson, the foreman, when asked why
the trench for the gas main had been dug
so near the water main, replied:
I'VE sank a test hole to q depth OF five
feet, as we are supposed to do before lay
ing a main, and found no water main.
water main was so close to our proposed
trench"