Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-04-11
MOTHER SEES SON
FALL IN TOPPL|NG
ROLLER COASTER
From Window She Sees Col
lapse of Structure, Killing
One, Iniuring Three.
THOUGH HIGHEST UP, HER
BOY is HURT PIE LEAST
AT Dying Mans Request Priest
Baptizes and Gives Ex-
treme Uncti0n.

A gust of wind. almost sentient In its
malicious inopportuneness. toppled over
the skeleton of a roller-coaster which
had reached a critical stage in it's con-
structure, at Hillside Park, yesterday,
burying four worl1men-one of whom
died later--in its ruins.
Expert builders of these lofty toys
for grown-ups dread the wind above
all things else until a point is reached
in the construction where it is possible
to brace the building with guys. That
point had been almost reached late yes
terday afternoon and forty workmen
were watching four of their comrades
high up in the wooded web which
stretched fifty feet above the ground.
Suddenly, as a mischievous boy
blows over house of cards, there was
a puff OF wind and the roller-coaster
buckled crumpled up and collapsed.
Hans Olsen, SO years old, of "a Ripley
street. Brooklyn, was working directly
under the topmost platform, which was
covered with loose planks, and the
falling mass pinned him as in wise;
crushed in his chest and punctured
both lungs.
John r. Smith, 27 years old, of "a
Grant street, Newark, was taken from
with dislocated left hip and broken
nose. Joseph Bobert, "a years old. Of
$50 Howard street, escaped with nn-
merous bruises and contusions, while
John Mcdowell of Belleville, % years
old, the rigger, who was standing on
the highest part of the structure when
it collapsed, escaped injury as by
miracle.
Mother Sees Catastrophe.
Mcdowell lives in Mann avenue, the
Kitchen window of his home overlook
ing = lection OF the park where the
roller coaster was being built His
mother, Mrs John Mcdowell, who was
preparing dinner, stepped to the win
dow to watch the work moment ar
two before the accident. She had just
made out the figure of her sen at the
top of the timber skeleton when the
crash came. Mrs. Mcdowell fell faint
ing to the floor. Her aged mother came
into the room and looked out of the
window and saw the collapsed coaster
and hurried TO the park. When Mrs.
Mcdowell had recovered sufficiently to
go to the park her mother met her
and assured her that her sons injuries
were not serious.
Meanwhile the Rev. Father William
L. Cunningham, of st. Mary's r. C.
Church, at Nutley, had administered
the last rites Of the church to Nc
Dowell.
At the earnest request of another of
the injured workmen, Father Cunning
ham, calling Thomas e. O'Crowley, as
sistant manager of the park, to act as
sponsor, baptised the man and admin
istered the last rites. 1t is believed it
was Olsen who was thus baptized, as
ehe other injured men now in ST.
Michaeps Hospital remember nothing
of the incident
DR.. Edward Whelan and DR.. A. r.
Jacobson, of Nutley, attended the In
jured men while awaiting an ambu-
lance. Mcdowell was sent to his home
and his three injured companions were
taken to st. MichaePs Hospital. where
Olsen died at a. m. today.
Two Arrests Are Made.
Foreman George Moore, of 15s Sum-
mer avenue, this city, and E. H. Bowen,
of 374 Broad street, this city, an assist
ant foreman. were arrested by the
Belleville police and arraigned before
Police Justice Richard H. Ashworth
last night, charged with criminal negli-
gence. They were released on $1,000
bonds furnished by Manager William
e. H. Trailer, of the park.
With the exception of Mcdowell, the
injured men were carpenters. Nc
Dowell is a rigger They were buiIa'-'.-
what Is known as double eight
drop" roller coaster. It was 200 feet
long anu more than fifty feet high.
The men were grouped on the south
ern section of the delicate structure
when 1t collapsed
AS soon as the mishap occurred, Thai
ler' and Foreman Moore ran quickly
and assisted materially in extricating
the men.
The coaster is being erected by the
Brannig Construction Company, of
Terre Haute, Ind. Moore has charge
of this section for the flrnn He stated
that th jot was to be completed by
May 81, but that he expected that 1t
would he frtzhed hef0ra that date