The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1908-05-23
TWO KILLED; -FOUR
HURT IN BRIDGE
ACCIDENT
FALLING OF CRANE At HOWARD.
ST. STRUCTURE CAUSES plsAs.
TER-EFFoRT MADE TO Pre-.
VENT INQUIRY eY BENNETT.

Coroner Bennett will hold an IN
quest. beginning probably next Wed
nesday, III the Howard-st. bride &C.
cident OF Friday afternoon. when two
workmen were killed outright and
four more injured. two OF them dan
yerously and perhaps fatally. The
coroner Will swear In jury compos'
ed OF business man early Saturday
afternoon and declares he will do his
utmost 10 fix the responsibility for
the disaster.
All the victims were structural iron
d Kales, which Arm has the contract
for repairing the bridge. condemned
as unsafe a year ago. Thos killed
were Thomas Holm. No. 7Oi Dubois.
ST., and Joseph Kulkie, No. 1922
Chene-st. The most seriously intur-
ed are Michael Dyuck, No. 335 Thil-
ty-ffth-st.. and Fred Burowski. No.
226 Thirtieth-st., both OF whom are
In ST. Mary's hospital Both are SUP
fering from internal injuries. In ad-
dition Dyuck has a compound frac-
ture Of the left leg. an injured spine.
crushed foot and hip, and Burow-
skis right leg is fractured.
Alex Scott, No. 167 Reeder-st., who
was taken TO Red Cross hospital with
a broken leg. and Arthur West, No
l02 Bagg-st.. who escaped with bruis-
es and bad shaking up. He was as
sisted hon.
The falling OF a travelling crane
started the trouble, as nearly as can
be learned, though eye witnesses diff
RI t,to no.
any rate the six men had just re-
moved one OF the old sleepers Of the
bridge and were about 10 put In its
place a huge steel girder that was
being hoisted into place when, accord.
ing TO some OF the witnesses, tho
crane came crashing down from
above carrying the girder and the
men with It. All six were precipitated
10 the bottom Of the deep cut OF the
Michigan Central tunnel entrance. so
feet below, along with the broken
pieces Of iron and other debris.
Ambulances were summoned by
those In charge as soon as possible
and the injured were hurried away
There was considerable delay In cali
ing q coroner and 1t was nearly two
hours later when Coroner Bennett
reached the place. He found Mr..
Ka1es, OF Whitehead q Kales. and
the latter's attorney, Mr.. Goodnow,
In authority and when he sought TO
have the broken pieces OF iron remov-
ed to be held as evidence. Mr.. Kales
and the lawyer put up a vigorous pro-
test. declaring that he had no such
authority. Coroner Bennett went
ahead, however, after heated argu-
ment. and Mr.. Kales called him up
on the telephone later In the evening
and acknowledged that the coroner
had acted within his rights His man.
ner had undergone quite a marked
change since the exciting scene OF the
afternoon.
Immediately after the accident men
were stationed on the bridge TO keep
OFF all persons who sought information
concerning the men killed. Not even
the names of the dead men would be
given out. Newspaper men were
turned down coldly and ordered away,
the employees setting themselves up
as autocrats In fact, every effort
was made TO smother all facts bearing
on the accident and its cause. Even
the police were defed. When the
coroner arrived workmen were al
ready at-wefk -eeiaring away the
broken pieces OF iron and machinery.
Coroner Bennett ordered the work
stopped in spite of Mr. Kales pro-
test and sent the stun to the western
yards OF the D. p. w. after marking
his Initials on each piece.
Thomas Holm, one OF the killed.
leaves his widow and two children,
Joe. aged 5, and Frank. aged 3. He
heard that his father had been hurt
In an accident he asked, looking up
into his mothers tearstained face:
MA. won't pa come home any
more?'