The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1916-01-20
ELEVATOR OPERATORS
DEATH IS ACCIDENTA AL
Declares Coroner's Jury in the
Case of Young Italian at
Empire Building.

DIR. S. NJ. Mason, coroner, and a
coroner's jury. composed OF II. j,
Bartlett. Jess Nlcewanger. U. c. Ed
CELL, John Whelan, Charles Long and
4 c. w. Moore, met at the Lynch-Os-
born Undertaking Company's estab-
( llshment on West Main street ut l
o'clock Thursday afternoon to make
an investigation into the death OF
Nicolo vartano, aged 90 years. an
I Italian, employed as elevator boy at
the Empire building, who was acct
dentally killed at $3.50 O'Clock Wed
nesday night.
After being In session less than
thirty minutes and examining only a
few witnesses the jury decided that Il
had sufficient evidence and rendered
its verdict OF accidental death caused
by beng crushed by an elevator.
Young Vartano met his tragic
death about $3.50 O'Clock, when he ac-
cidentally pushed the control lever
on the elevator. The cage, on the
first floor, Immediately shot upwards.
and Vartano lost his balance, his low
err limbs slipping from the car. When
the second floor was reached. the
boys legs were crushed between the
elevator and the wall OF steel and
concrete. The upward movement OF
the elevator had tendency to cause
vartano's body to slip further down,
and when the fourth floor was
reached. his tsomach was wedged be-
tween the cage and the wall. The
thickness OF the body here stopped
the elevator at this floor.
L. T.. Dorsey. superintendent OF tine
building, and william Kittle, who
operates the other elevator In the
building, were among the first to
reach Vartano. There was no sign
Of life In the mangled body when they
reached the fourth floor. and physi-
clans, who reached the scerea few
moments later, declared the hoy was
dead. tits not thought that he Lived
oyer Al minute after The eleyatof was
stopped at the fourth fopr. 3lif
Hard vartano retained his pres
ence Of mind, and released his hold
upon the controller, the car would
have stopped automatically. and he
would have been saved. 1t ia thought
that the boy attempted to push the
controller back to the point where 1t
would have cut off the power, but
was unable to do so. The controller
is operated by spring mechanism,
which keeps II In the place where no
power is secured unless 1t is held
down by fierce.
vartano's watch was found In the
basement OF the building, having
dropped from his pocket as he was
carried upward to his death. 1t had
stopped at 1925 o'clock.
The deceased man had been operat-
ing the elevator in the building for
only about three weeks. He had been
In this country ten years. He lived
with Frank Caparetta, 302 Water
street. His father, mother and SIS
ter reside In Italy. He is brother
in-law Of Joseph Papalo, Of this city.
William Kittle. who operates the
other elevator In the building. tells
the story OF the accident as follows:
"Vartano started the elevator from
the first floor by accidentally pulling
the lever. When the car started his
foot slipped from 1t to the first floor.
causing him to lose his balance. The
car went UP slowly. Vartano's head
was struck on the mazzanine door.
The car at this place caught him
about the knees. Passing the mez-
canine floor the dangling body slipped
little further down towards his
stomach, being terribly mangled as
II went"
Persons In the streets and In the
building heard the frantic cries OF
vartano as the elevator crushed out
his life. It caused great excitement
among those In the building. who
were not at first aware Of what was
happening when they heard the ter
rlble screams. When they learned OF
the tragedy they were Mortified ana
slckened by the scene.