New-York tribune., 1910-06-04
SANDSL|DE bUR|ES Mem
Two Quickly Released: a Third
Saved After Hours Under Pile.
PARK ROW TRAFFIC HALTS
Firemen and Police Do Good
Work at Big Excavation for
Municipal Building.

The shifting sands which It ives at one
time seriously proposed 10 make the toun-
osfion for the new municipal building al
Park Row and Chambers street gave way
yesterday morning and buried three men
under hundreds % tons OF the loose earth
A fixing timber sent fourth man nifty or
sixty feet out Of harms way. The cor
tractors said the accident was due 10 the
weakening or the Snoring ~ the bottom
of the hank.
Two Of the buried men we're brought safe
>, out within a quarter OF an hour after
ethe accident. but " was more than TWO
hours before the third man was rescued,
and in the mean time the last rites Of the
church had been administered by Father
l,rers. % St Andrews Church. in Duane
street who had hurried 10 the scene with
Father Gilmore, his assistant.
Traffic on the Third avenue Il was i'm
peded for three hours in the rush hours Of
the morning beinE confined 20 the east
track Al the Bridge station. The Third ave
rue surface line ran no cars south Of Bay
ard street until after Il o'clock. and vehicu-
lar traffic in Park Row was stopped from
Chambers street 10 tho Bridge all day,
while pedestrians were confined "a the
cast side Of Park Row
Buried for Mere Than Two Hours.
James McAusu. chief timber man for the
Prsdiey Contracting Company. with Ber-
1ard Leonard. John Hogan and Frank Cur
lzu had Just begun his mornings work OF
Examining the tinbers and Snoring and
r-eparinE for new work IN the big excava-
ton where Trvon Block used 10 stand
when without warning the timbers gave
usv for thirty feet on the Park Row side
about 4 hundred feet north Of Chambers
street. Instantly hundreds Of tons Of sand
mixed with broken tirnbers slid down on
the men McAIlau. Leonard and Hogan
were caught. but Curran was struck by
timber and knocked TO safety. In a couple
81 minutes he was hack with shovel and
digging like mad 10 save the men who
were caught.
Tie four men we're at work about twenty
i've feet below the street level. and Nc
Allan was nearest 10 the Snoring when II
gave way HE was knocked down by
timber. and his feet and legs held by the
sand. while two biE beams and tangled
network or broken timberS formed crib
over him and protected him from the great
mass Of earth. From his little hole he d.
rected his rescuers in their work, and a few
minutes before he was taken out asked that
= priest be sent for
When he was finally brought out al 1880
earth fell on him. he was examined by DR..
Zimmerman Of The Hudson Street Hospital.
suS afterwa-d taken 10 that institution.
No bones weEe broken, but internal in-
turies We're feared, and his legs were par
zlyzed from the pressure OF the sand II
was said at the hospital later that massage
would bring his legs around all right. and
re would soon be ready 10 work again.
Two Rescued Without Injury.
Leonard and Hogan were several feet 20
the left OF AfcAllan. and were both found
upright and with their heads free, so that
they could breathe. a quarter OF an hours
work brought them safely out They were
looked after by ~. Ryan. Of the Founda-
Tion Company. and afTer & feT bruises were
dressed were sent home for rest until
Monday. They wanted 10 return 10 work,
but were told &c 80 home and steady their
nerves.
The accident occurred al S.14 O'Clock.
when TIE crowds were heaviest on the sur
face and - lines and in the street and
subway The crash Of the breaking tim
bers brought PaJrolman Schelpp. or the
bridge squad. up with juup. He sent
another patrolman 10 stop the trains on
to Il" ard telephoned for Acting Captain
Eourke OF Bridse Precinct A Within ten
minutes Captain Bourke was ''on The job"
and had Jelephoned headquarters.
Twenty minutes later Captain TCole Of
-he Osk street station. Captain Brown Of
lie traffic squad. Captain Hodgins OF the
9Th PreciucJ. and Inspector Nurths were
N hand. with the reserves Of six precincts
Deputy Commissioner Bugher came down
-rcn headquarters. and Commissioner
Faker came along in his automobile. Bridge
Commissioner Martin came, with repre-
seu,stives or the Department Of Public
Works and the Bureau OF Buildings. and
The Fire Department sent Truck ] from
Duane street 70 help IT tho work Of rescue.
The rremen jumped into the excavation
nd used picks and shovels beside the la
torers working in the big pit. The Water
Department shut of the water and the
police shut of traffic
Nc Danger 10 al" Structure.
Fy Z O'Clock all the men were rescued
and the engineers had decided that IT was
safe 10 lot the u and surface lines re
sumo. The water was turned on again a.
The same time. bur vehicles and pedestrians
were kept OF the street. The Third avenus
surface iino began in the afternoon 70 raise
It's tracks opposite the csVe-in. where there
VAS q slight depression.
The Interberough officials szid that there
was uo danger TO the elevated structure. ss
rhe pillars al thar point rested on concrete
foundation that went down six feet below
the water level =. ". Perry. engineer of
rhe Bridge Department in charge cf The
municipal building. said that tia street was
Nsfe - the earth had fallen away 70
raturss ~los,- Chairman Wilcox Of the
Public service Commission said that there
wss no danger 80 the subway from an &C
cidenJ or tire Park Row side Of tbs exca-
N=tiou.
The loss will far on the Bradley Con
S,rucTinE Connhsny. which does the snoring
and eNcaVsriug uaoer contract Vlrh the
foundation Company.
There wzS danger that the great strlct-
IRE Of The new municipal building would
have for fts sole support the sand that gave
Nay yesterday. until Thc Tribune brought