The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-03-03
GRANITE SHED TUMBLES

Serious Loss by Collapse Of His
Shed on Saturday Morning
Men Injured, But Majority OF Work.
men Escaped.
With a crash that sounded somthing
akin to the rumbling roar OF distant
thunder the granite shed Of John II.
Burns of Northfield, located on the
west side of the Central Vermont rail-
road tracks completely collapsed on
Saturday morning about 1880 o'clock,
several being seriously injured, while
others barely escaped with their lives,
the catastrophe coming with such
suddenness and with practically no
warning that the wonder Is that some-
body did not perish. The financial
loss to Mr.. Burns is estimated at
about $4,000. He expects to put his
men to work Wednesday morning in
shed No of the Ellis Company and
will start right away to rebuild his
demolished plant.
The accident occurred just as the
men were preparing for work. Ben
jamin Davis, operator of the travel
ing derrick, had just climbed into his
place and got the machinery in oper-
alton when the whole building began
to squeak, CRATE and grind, and in
less than ten seconds had tumbled to
the ground, a huge mass of debris
Davis had absolutely no chance of
escaping and fell with his machine,
part of his body landing on a stone
where he lay, crumpled, inanimate
figure, until rescued by his fellow
workmen. When examined by physi-
clans, who were hastily summoned,
it was found that he had sustained
internal injuries, in addition to pain
lures, couple of fingers having been
broken, and while it was at first
thought that he was fatally injured,
it was said last night that his condi-
ton was SO much improved that he
is in a fair way to recover. William
Hauver of Northfield Falls was quite
badly injured about the back and face.
Louis Casper escaped with injuries
to the head and face. Edward Danal-
uzzi suffered severe cuts on the head
Michael Cashen had his hand LAGER
ated and his leg slightly injured,
while Kit Mathieson, Fred Thomas
and Louis Swan had their legs hurt.
John Fontana sustained a serious
scalp wound.
The only man on the job who
claims to have seen the thing coming
is Antoine Miller, who says that he
had just barely time to bring the in,
stinct of self-preservation into play
and run for place of security. He
accomplished this by going under a
projecting stone. A remarkable in.
cident in connection with the collapse
of the building, is the story of one
man, who says he was standing in
the center of the shop when the bull
ding fell The sides of the building
fell out, not in, as previously report
ed, and the roof in falling became di-
vided separated so that the man in
question was not touched, the ruins
falling on either side of him and
leaving him absolutely uninjured, but
so bewildered that he had to be touch
ed on the shoulder before he came to.
In speaking of the matter last
night Mr. Burns said:
There is absolutely no truth in
the rumor that went the rounds yes
terday to the effect that the wrecking
of the building was the work of some
malicious persons The building has
been idle for such long time on ac-
count of the labor troubles that the
sudden heating of it and the starting
of the machinery undoubtedly con-
tributed to the loss, but my opinion
is that there was some flaw or defect
in the iron cross rods, upon which
there is great strain The boys in
Mortified are among the best in the
business and | wish to take this oc-
casion to publicly thank them for
their generous action yesterday in
voting me the assistance that they
did. 1t was certainly magnanimous
move to vote a days work to helping
me in my difficulty when one stops to
think that they have been out of work
so long, and my appreciation of their
action cannot be expressed in words"
Mr.. Burns expects to have his plant
rebuilt and in working order in about
three months. The plant that was
wrecked last Saturday we built last
summer and was superintendent in
the construction of it by Mr.. Burns
himself. 1t was two hundred and
fifty feet in length and considered
one of the best in this vicinity. 1t was
equipped with all the latest and most
modern conveniences and with the
best machinery obtainable.
AS soon as the building collapsed,
the fire alarm was rung in and when
the townspeople heard of what the
trouble was all hands turned out and
rendered all the assistance possible.
Afterwards, the cutters union held
meeting and enthusiastically and I'M