Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-04-15

Waterville, Me, April 14.-(SpeciaD.
Clovis Belanger was killed about
725 A. NJ, Monday. while in the en-
plov of the Horace Purinton Co., at
the Holhngsworth & Whitney mill in
Winslow. by reason of jumping from
a freight elevator. or hoist, while it
was being propelled upward by sta
tionary engine, and accidentally fall
ing through the opening which adj
mitted the hoist to the ground. some
IS feet below. The evidence seems to
indicate he intended to land on the
floor next the top, as he had some of
his tools under his arm, but in some
manner he lost his balance and fell.
This is in substance, the verdict
reached by the coroner's jury, which
held an inquest Tuesday afternoon in
the city council rooms, to determine
the way in which Clovis Belanger. an
employee of the Horace Purinton Co,
met his death Monday morning. The
jury was composed of Sherman l..
Berry. foreman; Cornelius B.. Kelle-
her, w H. X. Abbott, Joseph P. Gil
roux, D. E. Sweeney and Walter d.
McAlary. The witnesses who testified
were: Henry O. Preble, construction
foreman: Floyd H. Preble, bricklayer's
apprentices: Arthur Martell, mason
tender: Cecil NJ. Daggett. general SUI
perintendent: and DR.. H. w. Abbott,
local physician, who attended Mr..
Belanger.
ct q
vator in which Belanger was riding,
was made only for the purpose of
hosting brick and mortar and other
material and not for men to ride on.
He claimed that the workmen We're not
instructed to ride on it, but had, new
ertheless, been i'm the habit of doing
so. Mr. Preble stated that he had rid
den on it, regularly, and Mr. Belan-
ger had done likewise. There were two
other ways of reaching their work
without going up on the elevator One
was was by the stairs in the old
building, and the other by the fire es-
cape on the new building which ad-
Joined the old one
THE men were preparing to go to
work." said Mr.. Preble. I'VE stepped
onto the elevator and passed up, as
IL.
LANCER stepped off onto the landing
which was closed up with a board
nailed acress the entrance so as to
step people from ccoming onto the
floor. AS the elevator passed up to
my landing, he fell. l did not think
that he was going to step off, he had
never done it before. There was no
intimation that the elevator was I'M
safe except the sign on it which for
bid people from going up in this man
ner. The workmen had a privilege to
do as they wished and were riding at
their own risk. We We're to come back
from the top landing to the second
landing. in order TO pass through the
old building to the scene of the work.
Foreman Preble stated that the dis
lance which Belanger fell was approx
imately IS feet.
The next witness was Floyd II.
Preble, who said that he had been
working at the mill ever since the
work Of construction began. He claim
ed that he had ridden a great many
times on the elevator in company with
Belanger He said that he had never
been ordered by the foreman to ride
in it, but did so. because the other
men did. Foreman Preble and Belan-
ger rode up together, according to the
witness. Il saw Belanger before /
went up on the top landing and also
saw him coming up in the elevator"
said young Preble. when the hoist
came to the second landing, l heard
someone holler looked down and it
appeared to me that Belanger hit his
head against the board nailed across
the entrance to the floor below. He
then fell off the landing. He had
plug hammer and two drills under his
arm, one arm being free as far as
know"
Arthur Martell, mason tender, said
that wheebarrows loaded with NOR