The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1910-03-31


the tragic fate OF Peter UlrIch,
the well known brick and stone
mason. when the stone decora-
tions being placed on the top OF
the new Rentschler building on
Michigan St, gave way Tuesday
morning, precipitating Ulricn
To the sidewalk below, resulting
in his death twenty minutes
later. The heavy stone being
used to finish the top OF the front
wall. projected over the front OF
the building. and becoming top
heavy, tore from the fresh mortar
holding them and crashed to the
sidewalk below, a couple tons OF
stone and brick crashing in the
cement walk upon which they
fell, like an egg shell. Ulrich tell
upon the debris, and was killed
as the result OF his fa.l, alighting
upon the back of his head and
ne-k. The skull was not fractur-
ed. and Doctors Knott and Pres
ton who Immediately attended
him, pronounced dealn to have
been caused from breaking OF the
spinal cord in the neck or back.
Were Finishing Front
Ulrich was working with three
others. on a scaffold inside OF the
new building, and were engaged
in finishing the front with stone
decorations. The accident oc-
Cured at 10 o'clock Tuesday
morning. With Ulrich were work
ing Philip Haag, Schuyler Griggs
and a stone placer from South
Bend. A windleSs derrick had
been set up, with which 10 raise
the heavy stones from the
ground TO the top, and to hold
and swing the stones, While hey
were beng placed Haas and
Griggs were operating the crank
to the MINDLESS and the foreman
and Ulrich were placing the
stone. His fellow workmen, say
that when the accident occurred,
a stone had just been let down.
and Ulrich had leaned forward,
bending over the front OF the
stone just placed, to scrape off
the surplus od morta,, and see
that the stone was exactly IN
place. Suddenly there was a
grinding crash and the entire
stone work which had been plac-
ed upon the top. slipped from
its position and fell to the
sidewalk below. Ulrich was lean
ing upon the stones when they
became dislodged and lost his
balance as the stone work tell,
falling acsoss the brick wall. upon
which the stones were placed.
He seized the brick wall fran
tically. in an effort to save HIM
seh. The mortar holding these
bricks was fresh. and the bricks
tore loose in his grasp and pre-
cipitated him to the broken stone
work. on the sidewalk below.
Narrow Escape from Death.
John Kinch, a laborer on the
building, engaged in hauling
mortar to the nasons above,
owes his life to the ~hance acci-
dent OF conversation with a
friend. Kinch had stared to enter
the building from the street, and
was about twelve feet from the
spot where the masonry crashed,
when the accident occurred.
Kinch saw the tragedy from be-
low. and was at the side OF VI
rich instantly. The unfortunate
man was motionless. apparently
dead. He was carried to the w.
+. Suit grocery store, a few
doors away on Michigan street,
where DR.. ID. c. Knot attended
him at once. He pronounced the
man diving. The skull was not
crushed. and death was caused
from a broken neck.
The chance which saved the
life of Kinch was a short conver-
sation with Fred Hines, who as
he passed fold Kinch that he bad
a razor which, he wished to sell
him. Kench replied Bring IT
around and started to enter the
building with wheel barrow full
Of mortar. Two seconds sooner
Kinch would have been crushed
beneath the falling stone and
brick.
Wall too Weak.
An inspection of the wall. on
which rhe stone was being plac-
ed. which in falling caused the
death OF Ulrich, reveals very
unsrbstantial foundation for the
placing of such stone work. and
If the stone did not fall. would
be a greater wonderment, than
the fact that they dill The wal
at the top. is eight inches wide
The heavy projecting stones rest
ed upon this thin wall, and a
ledge of other stones few inches
lower 311. inches wide. The
stones being placed projected TAI
over the frail wall supporting it
The mortar holding che brick
wall, was fresh. There was nc
anchors OF any kind used, to hold
the heavy decorating stones in