Omaha daily bee., 1911-09-09
Crane Breaks When Workmen Try 10
Lift Huge Pile-Driving Engine.
STEEL ARM NOT EQUAL TO LOAD
Five Men Knocked Unconscious and
Hurled Into Pit Sixty Feet Deep,
CoRoNER's INQUEST TO FOLLOW
Home-GOerS who Saw Accident 60 he
Called on for VersiOn of Case
No Word from Kirkpat-
rtcl<'s Relatives.

One man was killed ana tour' Wero IN
jured. when the boom on the crane in the
woodmen of the wold building being con-
structed at Fourteenth and Faruam streets.
snapped. in the center at o'clock last
night, as Il was lifting heavy mass-of
machinery from the pit into the street.
The dead:
e e. KIRKPATRICK. Kansas City.
The injured
Clarence Mohn, 2sl4 Seward street, head
bruised and left arm broken, breast badly
cut.
Edward Gorgen, 200 Dorcas street, skull
fractured.
Henry Thompson. Kansas iCty. skull
fractured. chest. arms and legs cut, riSht
shoulder broken.
Henry Olson, Kansas City. skull frac-
tured at base of brains and above left eye,
left shoulder dislocated and hand broken.
Many See Accident.
The accident, which occurred at the
evening hour. was witnessed by at least
800 persons. The Kansas City Pile Driving
company. which has been working since
the building was started about six weeks
ago. completed its task about o'clock yes
terday afternoon and the men were moving
their machinery out of the pit, to be taken
to the cars and shipped back to Kansas
City. Several heavy loads had been lifted
by the derrick during the preceding hour
and It is thought that the strain had been
too much for the long-armed crane
All of the pile-driving machinery had
been moved from the pit, but large en-
gine. which had been used in lifting the
heavy weight which drives the piles into
the ground. AS this piece was heavier than
piles into the ground. AS this piece was
work, II was left until the last
e Z. Kirkpatrick, who has been SUI
perintending the work for the pile-driving
company, in company with several of his
crew, had prepared with much care for
the moving of the last piece. The crane
and arm had been examined by machinists
and reported TO be in good condition. AT
$3.50. according to the timekeeper, the order
was given to hoist the immense engine.
With a puff and a snort the engine used
in working the derrick started and the
large load began to ascend.
Kirkpatrick on Platform.
Mr.. Kirkpatrick was standing on q plat
form near the derrick engine when it
started and as the crane began to move.
walked out todwards the end of the plat
form. Two other employees, Clarence Mohn
and Edward Gorgen, were standing at the
top OF the brink on another platform direct
| ing the engineer where TO move the Glad
Henry Thompson and Henry Olson, both
Kansas City men, we're standing near the
hoistig engine, watching the long arm Of
the derrick.
AS the load was lifted higher from the
ground the arm began to creak, but no at
tention was paid 20 the noise and the other
man in the pit kept on working Just as
the load was lifted clear OF the pit and
began to sping towards Thirteenth street.
where the engine was to be uuloaded the
arm or boom Of the crane snapped with.
| out>Varning. The huge mass of machinery
dropped into the pit, swinging on the boom
Mr.. kirkpatrick. who saw the boom break,
started TO run. but the whole weight Of
the falling engine and iron boom caught
| him on the side Of his head, smashing his
skull into an unshapely mass.
Two Men struck.
Before hitting Mr. kirkpatrick the falling
load struck the two men at the top Of the
pit, hurting them downward. Two Kansas
City men near the hoisting engine were
grazed by the falling iron, but the force
with which they were hit rendered them
unconscious. The falling engine and iron
boom hit the ground with a crash that
could be heard for blocks around. From
appearances It seemed that all five Of the
men were buried under the debris. Groans
Of hundreds Of people around the edge Of
the pit could be heard for blocks. The
screams of women and children attracted
the attention Of passersby, who hurried to
the scene, and in less than one minute the
crowd was such that the police and doctors
could hardly reach the injured. who lay
beside the wrecked engine at the bottom
OF the excavation.
Doctors from all over the business dis
trict were called and the police with two