The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1910-02-26
Many WOrkmen Hurtat North
field Today
PLANT WHOLLY WRECKED


Northfsld, Feb. 2a.-With . crash that
could be heard for long distance, the
entire granite plant Of John L. Burns,
located on railroad land west Of the Cen
tral Vermont station in this village,
collapsed At 1925 this morning and now
lies mass Of ruins, while a number Of
workmen are seriously injured as the re-
snlt Of being buried in the debris. Had
the accident occurred 1--WE minutes later,
when the entire list Of workmen, NUM-
bering atty, would have been in the
building, the casualties would have been
terrible. The financial Ioss i placed at
$4,000
The most seriously injured are
William Hsuver, Northfela Falls, back
hurt and face injured.
Caspar LAWN, seriously hurt about the
head and face.
Edward DanaIuzz. bad cuts en- tho
head.
Benjamin Davis, the derrickman, most
seriously hurt Of all; internal injuries,
back injured. 1t was At first thought
that Mr. Davis was fatally injured, but
subsequent developments give promise Of
bis recovery.
Others who were hurt were Michael
cashen, one hand badly cut and one leg
hurt; Kilt Mathieson, leg hurt; Fred
Thomas, wrist injured; Louis Swami, lex
hurt; John Fontana, serious scalp wound.
Mr. Davis had just climbed UP into
Bis place in the travelling derrick when
the crash came, and he had no chance
u hee, and he fell with the tangled
mass of timber and twisted iron. The
derrick had a thirty ton capacity and is
believed 10 Be ruined beyond repair. The
cutters we're just gathering in the plant
for the starting whistle at 1880 o'clock,
and those who were already inside skate
that there was not more than five Sec
onds between the first warning Of the
impending calamity and the complete
collapse Of the huge building. One Of
the men, Antoine Miller. gives a very
graphic account Of the accident, saying
that he saw the thing coming and, not
having time to run from the place, he
dncked down beside q big stone and thus
escaped serious injury
The first warning cams Il tie settling
Of the roof near the center of tie build
inQ, and within a few seconds the roof
came through and the sides collapsed
like q house of cords, buryinu those who
had gathered. Believing that many peo-
pie had been killed ard injured, those
who were frst on the spot caused the
fire alarm to be sounded and the bells of
the village 10 be rung. The community
turned out, expecting to find a fire. but
learned that their help was needed in
an entirely different time The injured
people were assisted from the ruins and
taken to places where they could Be
cared for 10 the best advantage.
The building. which was 250 feet long,
is complete ruin, being laid fat on the
ground. Everything is ripped and torn
To pieces. while the machinery Is tangled
and twisted into q shape which indicates
that it can scarcely be used again. The
Burns plant was constructed only last
summer and was eqaipped with the most
machinery and the business
SO long halted hy the Lockout. was start
inr UP well when this calamity came
upon Mr. Burns.
Great sympathy i expressed aH
through the community for the proprie.
tor and Northfeld branch Of the granita
cutters union before two hours had
elapsed had voted to contrihute a days
work to clear ths ruins. Just how
much damage has been done 70 ths
stones. finished and unfinished, has not
vet been determined. but It seems that
with such a weight falling on them
with machinery and everything else, thai
much damage was done.
There is, Of course. bhs usual specula.
tion as to the cause Of the accident One
thing Is certain. there was great weight
Of snow and ice and the roof the build
ing which tried the construction Of the
building very severely, Il is understood
that Mr. Burns himself superintendent the
building Of the plant last summer. MIR,
Burns has been In business several years,
starting III On d small scale and gradu
ally working up, until be had established
a good business, one Of the largest in
Northfield
Mr. Burns together with the firm Of
Giffen g. Brusa which occupied shedroom
with him. has been offered the nse 81
shed No. 5 Of the Bills company. whiei
Is now idle, and they viii finish up thsi
work there
A story which is getting some credence
Is that the accident was caused BY the
act Of someone who had sawed of one Of
the supporting timbeTs, % that when the
derrick was started il shook the building
down This viii be thoroughly investi
gated when the ruins are inspected. The
story that the building was blown up
BY dynamite is firmly denied