The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-10-01
Killed at Eighth and
Grace Without Mo-
ment s Warning.
BODIES BURIED
BY SECONDCRASH
Sidewalk, Weakened by Excavas
ton, Collapsed, Later Fall,
Carrying Down Wooden 3
Structure and Trolley Pole.
Coroner Determined to Fix
Blame for Accident.

Four colored laborcrs were killed
while a dozen persons barely escaped
death yesterday afternoon at 5:1k
o'clock when the pavement In North
Eighth Street, at Grace. cavcd in a.
the result OF being weakened by exc
cavations for an apartment house. The
men were smothered to death under
tons Of earth, and It was many hours
before their bodies were found BY
rescuers with the aid of picks and
shovels. Several times the bodies o9
one or two would be uncovered. only
again to be caught beneath a SUISSE
quent collapse Of clay and blocks Of
concrete pavement.
The Dead:
Humphrey Seay. forty-twe years I'D.
George Bowles, twenty-five years old.
Nip Cooper. Afty-efEht years el1.s-
walker LanGAor., nfty-Ave years ed.
All Of them lived in Goochland couu-
ty. near Columbia. and their bodies
will probably be shipped home to-da1s
Work Blocked ~ Crowds.
News of the cave-in spread rapidly
and in a few minutes an immense
crowd had gathered. The police were
notified Immediately. Emergency calls
were sent out and in few minutes
a large squad of officers was on hand
1t was with the utmost difficulty that
men, women and children, eager to get
a glimpse Of the damage. were kspS
out Of the danger zone.
Many Of those who gathered had %
be threatened with arrest before they
would desist from their efforts to com
gregate close to the edge Of the tale
len pavement Ropes were hnrraedsy
stretched a1out the place and sNe1
then, Il Was hard 70 keep back ~
crowds. Orders were Immediately IS
sued prohibiting the use Of the east
side tracks Of the Virginia Railway
and Power Company. and later. after
other and more serious DISBURSEMENTS.
all tranic on Eighth Street, between
Franklin and Grace. was suspended IL
was feared that vibration 1rom pass,
ing cars and heavy vehicles would do
further damage.
Boy Has Marrow EscaDe.
The narro~est escape experienced
by any one was by Thornhil Atktnsons
twelve-year- old son Of 4. c. Atksnsous
of ia IL North Eighth Street, WIN
was caught by the falling pavement
and carried into the pit below. Win
an unidentified playmate he was roinn4
a hoop when the ground gave way oe-
meath him. He fell. and in doing 90
grabbed one OF the Dig Soncfs..
blocks, which broke. and upon II sno
to safety. He was samewnat scsaten-
ed and bruised. but was able to take an
interest In the work OF rescue ana
pair which followed
while the police were intent upon
t..ninp the crowds in the stress
.uay several hundred men ana ooys.
and a few women. found their way
into the big excavation whers tne
rescpe work was in progress. Ineyi
pressed closely about the workers u
a frenxted effort to see some OF mo.
caught beneath the mass OF eartn Ane:
s,nne They greatly Handicapped the
~,rk- until nremen, VINO mad oeeo
.ur,moned TO the scene, under the az
rcction Of Chief Joynes. spread . nne
and Forced them back Several OF.
fcers later arrived In the PIT ana ot'
dered every one out with the exeep,
ton Of the workers and tnose
properly belonged there.
Il was after o'clock when the utSs
body. that Of Nip Cooper. was recov-
cred. By that time II had oecones
darn and the rescue work was pro-
or...,ne with the use OF bunch ana
s,rip lights supplied by the Academy
Of Music. from which point a cable to
supply the current was run Uy Louis
Myers. manager OF the Emp!rs inca.
ire and E. c. Thompson. police elee<
tr.cal inspector.
Torches and other forms Of Light
were supplied By the Fire Depart:
u-,seS r,Ser SeesoA CsoSA.
The b,dies OF Seay and Bowles had
been uncovered about O'Clock. when
the second big cave-in occurred Win
crash OF heavy timber braces ana
concrete. twenty feet more OF pave
meut collapsed. leaving . gap %
abcu. Iee feet along Eighth stress
from Brace The bodies which rad bees
unearth~d were buried Tor the secon9
time. One pole supporting trolley
wires. went down with the secoD1
crash. and the workmen were warned
a~av from live wires which fen
everywhere While electricians were
engaged in cutting wires. TIE over.
head wooden structure. which ha4
neen bull, In Eighth street Tor -
protection Of the public gave way
carrying more earth and an iron esees
,r.c light pole. which stood ~ IT,
corner. Thss was TIE last serious
c,!is pse.
After the dsnger from live wire
had been elsmiussed the work Of set.
ting out the bodies YES SesvDe9.
However. bseore the tsrt eosS1 b4
novea IT, grso& asss Of bodies 81
planks hod % be csrsed sway.
The four men who lest their nv0A,
we're employed ~ C,wherd cewsi
herd GRADING cocs-sesors. steooQDf
the e~u.raI contractor fos the ousoo~ {
ius 10 W. A cs~ssermss- they ~sss
NJ wosk Within fsw fest - 49,