Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1905-10-13
IN OUR OWN STATE
Ten Quarrymen Killed by Cave.in
at PaWIet

All Hungarlans Except President VIII
Bodies May Not Be Recovered for Days.
Ten quarrymen were killed, one fatally
injured and several others seriously
injured as the result of a cave-in at
the Vermont Slate Company's quarry in
Pawlet, so rods from the New York state
line Friday forenoon. So many tons of
huge slate slabs have buried some of the
quarrymen that 1t will take two weeks or
more before their bodies can be recovered.
John c. Williams, president of the COM
pany, who was among the killed, was
standing on top of the pile when the cave
in occurred, and he was not buried deep.
His body was recovered soon afterward,
only slightly dishgured. Death had been
caused by internal injuries.
The remainder of the victims met
horrible fate and it is feared some were
pinned under the great mass in such
manner that they suffered a slow death
of torture. Hundreds of tons of slate
and waste, made up of huge stones that
are found between the veins of slate col
lapsed with only a moments warning,
catching the men in a trap. Some of the
laborers, some distance from the entrance
to the quarry, were injured. The men
who lost their lives with the exception of
President Williams, were Hungarians.
They were skilled in the work of blast
ing and cutting slate and were far above
the average of quarry laborers. Two
cave-lns occurred, the second about five
minutes after the first had entombed the
men. The second one demolished the
machinery of the quarry and greatly de-
| layed the work of digging to recover the
bodies. Scores of volunteers, including
expert quarrymen from the other large
quarries nearby, hurried to the quarry
and began the work of digging out the
bp vii iroe ha CHI
there were about 16 men in the quarry
some of whom were rescued from the
entrance, which makes it impossible to
learn the exact number killed, but it is
known that at least ten are dead, and
perhaps more.
Frazier Queen, foreman of the quarry,
was removed and hurried to the Albany
| hospital where it was reported he could
| not live. His limbs were crushed and
| he had suffered internal injuries He was
buried to his armpits in the debris.
| Usually quarry cave-ins are Of such a
nature as to give the quarrymen suf-
ficient warning to make their escape. The
men inside had sufficient time to make a
| run for tho entrance when the masses Of
! slate began to crumble above them, but
| they were pinned down before they could
| get outside. Foreman Cadwaller, who
| was found beside Foreman Queen, was
| taken out unhurt. Several of the laborers
were cut and bruised and escaped with
| broken limbs, but none who were actually
| inside the entrance escaped. Four bodies
| were removed by noon and one other be-
| fore night. but at least six of the men
were so deep in the quarry that their
| bodies cannot be recovered for MANY days.
John G. Williams. A, the president and
a partner of the firm, who lost his life,
| leaves a widow and two sons in Fair
Haven. He was n prominent citizen OF
| that place. He was formerly a traveller
for a Japanese silk company Of New York.
| The company was formerly the Warren
Slate company, but was reorganized a few
| years ago.