The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1904-02-05
FALL FRACTURES SKULL
George Fink Drops Down Ele-
vator Shaft on Head.
MIGHT HAVE WRENcHED NECK
In Getting on the Cage at the Govern
.ment Building Yesterday Afternoon
Fink Rang Signal Bell to Drop Cage
and Then Tumbled After II.
rFtom Monlay's Dnlly1

From Mondays Daily.1
George Fink, a German laborer en-
ployed by the concrete company who
are putting floors in the new govern
ment building, had fall yesterday af-
ternoon which has laid him up In his
home, gil South Seventh street, with
fractured skull and n broken thumb.
He was n victim of his own act and
has several circumstances to thank
for the fact that he has nothing more
than n crushed skull.
Fink fell from the second floor Of
the building to the first, through the
cage or elevator shaft. On the way
down he struck the platform OF the
cage, glanced in n somersault to the
floor beneath, broke his head upon it
and was picked up with his face hang
ing downward in the shaft toward the
basement. But for the cage he would
have shot on down and bumped
against the floor of the basement be-
| low.
The man was taking material from
the first floor to the second, on the
elevator. Arriving at the level of
the second floor he started off the
platform, pushing a wheelbarrow
ahead of him, Having stepped COM
pletely off he Intentionally pulled the
signal cord, or, not having gotten
clearly off he accidentally pulled the
string for the lowering Of the cage.
At all events George Frinfrock heard
the bell ring, released his ropes and
the cage started to drop. 1t was then
that Fink lost his balance, slipped
from the wheelbarrow and tumbled
backwards down the shaft, following
the cage.
George Felt Weight.
While the cage was still midway
the weight of the falling man struck
r heavily upon It, The man was top
pied off the side and struck below
while the cage was brought to a deat
l stop. George Frinfrock, the engineer
. outside the building, had felt the eX
ira weight upon his cables and, decid
ing that something was wrong, drew
. the lever Otherwise with Fink
g neck hanging over the edge of thu
8 shaft, his head would have beer
$ wrenched off by the descending plat
u form The end of his thumb bone i
shattered.
T. Superintendent Williams and Super
U intendent Fain were both standing
S near the spot when the human bundl
dropped. He was Immediately pickle
up and carried to a surgeon, wher
q his wounds were dressed. Fou
+ stitches were taken in his head a
g opening being left to get at the frac
i tured portion of the skull.
n Fink Is married and has a famil
o OF three children. His wife Is unwel
II He was not working for the construC
|" ton company but for the concret
& force, an Omaha firm. They wi
IS take care of his doctor bills.
q Few Accidents.
y Considering the danger which
IS attached to the building Of structur
s. like the government building, ther
% have been very few accidents an
IS Superintendent Williams has caus
to congratulate himself Two me
> previously have fallen but neithe
q was seriously hurt, which is quite
IT remarkable record for so long a tim
p and upon such big building. 1t ha
Q been largely due to the personal ca,
y tioning Of Mr.. Williams that NOR
p accidents have not occurred.