New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-06-19
THATCHER KILLED BY FALL
SCaffoId CoIIapSes Under Brook
Iyn Buildings Superintendent.
ON OFFICIAL INSPECTION
Master of Craft at Twenty-four,
He Erected Many Of Finest
Structures in Kings.

John Thatcher. who erected many OF
Brcohivn's finest buildings and had been
Superintendent Of Buildings III that bor-
ough during the present administration,
was killed yesterday by n fail from a scat
fold while looking over nathouse In
course Of construction at snediker avenue
and New Lots Road. Although picked up
alive after the accident. which occurred at
10 o'clock IN the morning. he snccumbed
TO his Injuries at o'clock nj the Bradford
Street Hospital
ON Friday chief Inspector Matthew j.
Kennedy ~ the Bureau OF Buildings
stopped work on tho hathouss. which is
owned by the Wyona Building Company, OF
No. 2o3 Bay 25th street Mr.. Kennedy al
Legged that old aud unfit material was be-
INK used and said he would stop Construc-
ton entirely unless the company provided
twenty thousand new bricks by yesterday
morning
Mr. Thatcher went TO the building to sec
that his inspectors instructions were be-
lng carried out. As staircases had not
been installed he climbed up ladders to a
scaffold on tho third floor. John Terenora,
seyenteen years old. Of No. l6' Brennan
street. who was employed as a bricklayer.
was with him. Suddenly the Dlanhs gave
way and both men tumbled 10 the cellar,
a distance Of between forty and nifty feet.
Tho brlcklayer landed on a pile OF dirt
and was not seriously injured. but the
building Superintendent struck a beam in
his descent and then landed I'm the cellar
with great force.
Building Inspector John Snackenbers and
Arthur & Beck. Mr.. Thatcher's chauffeur,
ran 10 his aid Discovering that the Su-
perintendcnt's false teeth had been damned
I'm his throat, the chauffeur e1tricated
them ana so prolonged his life for n few
hours.
The aborers were ordered 10 call an am
buance but they were confused and sew
eral minutes were wasted before Mr.
Snackenbcrg ran TO a telephone himself.
Dr. Campbell came with the ambulance
from the Bradford Street Hospital and re-
moved the Superintendent there Or. II. b.
Delatour was also summoned I'm the case,
for hope OF saving the injured mans life
was at first entertained. H. II. Thatcher,
his son, was notified. and ne arranged TO
have his father removed to his home No
$50 F1atbush avenue. The patients condl-
tOn IOfeDdde any transfer, however. lie
partially regalned consciousness and was In
such pain that frequent injections OF
morphine were administered until the end
came.
Mr.. Thatcher was born at Egremont,
England, in 1853. Ills father was n police
inspector at Liverpool When no was i've
years old. his family moved TO Fllntshire
North wales, and twelve years later came
to America and took up their homo in
Brooklyn. When ten years old. the boy
was apprentlCed TO n mason and became a
master builder by twenty-four.
Mr.. Thatcher did not greatly concern
himself with politics, although a consistent
Republican. lie served az Superintendent
Of Sewers under the reform administration
OF j. Edward Swanstrom and received his
second and last appointment to office at
the hands OF Borough President Alfred r.
Steers.
AZ "A builder, Mr. Thatcher erected the
Academy or Music. the Dime Savings Bank
the Hebrew Orphan Asylum. the Brooklyn
Storage and Warehouse Company's Build
ing the POlhemus Clinic. which is build
Ing OF the Long Island College Hospitals
system, and the Erasmus Hall school. He
IL survived by his wife, formerly Miss Ida
Wilkinson. his son and four daughters
Last night, the flag on the Borough Hall
hung at half staff. For the time being
Chief Inspector Kennedy will be Acting
Superintendent of the Bureau of Buildings