South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-10-13
Four Men Escape From Ditch
When Soft Clay Pushes Out
Steel Sheeting and Lets
Down Avalanche of Gravel.
RECOVER BODIES AFTER
MANY HOURS WI RK
ReSCuerS Dig Entire Morning
. Before Removing Terrific
Load of Gravel and Mud
Which Filled Ditch.

Nicola Pavlicco OF Y. ST. Peter ST..
Giovanni Norduline 1917 = Frank
lin st. were buried under hundreds
of tons Of earth and heavy umbers
Tuesday morning when 30 feet OF the
Bowman creek sewer collapsed where
the sewer crosses the foot of Bow
man st. Both bodies were recovered
between IL and - o'clock after they
had laid under 8 feet of debris since
$50 O'Clock in the morning.
Joseph Maimes of y. St Peter ST..
suffered narrow escape from death
as he was also in the sewer and in
the path of the rushing gravel and
timbers. The avalanche passed him
barely scraping his body He was
thought 10 have been killed. but was
found later at his home
Seven other w0rKmen were work
ing at the bottom Of the ditch when
the accident occurred. Domenico
Toscono Of y, st. Peter St. and Mau-
vro Aimola. 227 w. Union av.. were
at the bottom of the ditch when the
cave-in came. Both stated that It was
impossible to get at the doomed men
before it was too late. 80 others OF
the seven were hurt
The bodies We're recovered between
II and u o'clock and removed 10 the
Kreighbaum morgue where they win
be held until they are claimed by rel
atives and friends. Neither OF the men
had lived permanently i'm the city
having come here 20 work upon the
sewer. A large number Of the two
gangs employed IN the construction
Of the sewer roomed I'm a single house
on n. St. Peter St
Pres't +. NJ Morris of the board OF
works, stated that am investigation
would be held to determine if there is
personal responsibility for the acci-
dent Men in charge Of the work
however. hold that tie accident was
unavoidable and not due 10 any sort
Of faulty construction. as the most
modern methods were being used 10
safeguard the Workmen.
Coroner r. J. Swantz stated that an
inquest over the bodies would
o'clock at which time an men c0n-
nected with the work and ali vlt-
neSses Of the tragedy would be sumo
moned TO testify.
For Gods sake save me-"
This was the CRY OF one OF the
helpless men as the tons Of muddy
gravel caved in on them. other cries
were heard by the numbers Of work
men about, but they were muiiled iu
the roar caused by the cracking ~
timber and the caving OF the earth
as il crushed in on the men at the
bottom OF the cavity more than 30
feet below.
Then for six long hours. while
relatives of the men waited anxiOu=lr
on the embankment. feLOW-laborcrs
worked in the sewer iu an effort 3D.
rescue the bodies The lteles- forms
were taken out at about II ocloe.-
after more than 100 tons % grave. had
been taken from on top OF them.
Not a minutes warning had been
given the men in the sewer 0f the
on-coming tragedy The three were
working in the bottom while FOUR
others were working in places from
which escape was possible.
A large steam shovel was employed
in removing the muddy dirt and the
forms Of the men were pulled from
the water and gravel. hardly relo--
niZable.
Two Found CIasned ia Arms.
Two men.
were found in each others arms.
Life had gone from the bodies some
time before they were taken from
the mud. They were later removed
10 the Kreighbaum undertakins
morgue.
Precluding all probability that ths
bodies Of the men when discovered
should show a spark of life after the
cave-in occurred. the clay and gravel
at the bottom OF the huge ditch was
little better than muddy water fov "a
depth OF a yard To was I'm this mix
ture that the three bodies were at
last located
Nearly Ready Ia Quit.
The accident occurred az f--n
(CONTTNTr on PAGE TW- E.LNEl