Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1916-01-27
:: ,,s:ATAL ACCIDENT
At VALLEY CITY
Boy kAIsa; Two Injured By
Sidewalk Cave.In.

When q glass-illuminated sidewalk
in front Of the Rex theater at Valley
City caved in Saturday afternoon
precipitating number Of young peo-
pie just leaving the moving picture
show at $3.50 into the areaway be-
low. one young boy, Daniel Gill, aged
8 years, was killed and Miss Lila
Plateu, 17-year-old daughter of
Mayor Platou suffered broken
arm while two others were seriously
injured, one the daughter of Mr.. and
Mrs. Alex. Stern and the other their
visitor:
Most Of the attendants at the show
had left, the four who were hurt be-
ing among the last to make their
exit. Az they stepped upon the
glass-plated sidewalk the walk evil
IDENTIFY weakened by frost gave way
and the four young people were
hurled into the excavation below.
Daniel Gill, who was crushed to
death. is the son of Mr.. and Mrs.
Sam Gill Of Valley City.
Regarding the sad accident at Val
ley City Saturday in which a little
boy was killed and others hurt by
the cave-in of sidewalk, the Valley
City Times-Record reported as fol-
lows:
There is an area under the side
walk, directly in front of the Rex
theater exit, covered by reinforced
concrete slab with glass lights, and
this, through the action of frost and
the constant wear, had become weak
ened. The most of the audience had
safely passed out and gone, among
them Mr.. and Mrs. Sam Gill, parents
of the unfortunate Daniel, who was
there in company with Grace Stern, a
daughter of Abe Stern. and a little
cousin of the Stern children, from
Minneapolis. The children being
seated farther to the front, were late
in coming out. When Daniel stepped
on the slab it gave way, precipitating
him and his two little companions to
the areaway underneath, drop of
some eight or nine feet. Miss Laila
Platou was also victim, and more
would probably had fallen had 1t not
been for the quick action of Arthur
Busdicker, one of the ushers, who
saw the accident and quickly closed
the door, thus averting q worse trag-
edy.
P. G.. Davidson was just coming
out of the Rudolf cafe when he heard
the noise of the falling stone and was
on the scene Immediately, jumping
down into the area and was met
there by Mr.. Burch, of the Rex, who
had run down the area stairs. They
assisted Miss Platou up the stairs
and helped the little Stern children
up, not noticing the little Gill boy at
first. He was pinned underneath the
slab. which weighed in the neighbor-
hood of 800 pounds, and with an iron
angle bar crushed into his face. He
was gently picked up and carried to
the Office of DR.. Platou, where he
passed away in very few seconds.
Death was almost instantaneous.
After all had been done for him
DR.. Platou turned to find his own
daughter suffering with a fractured
left forearm and an ugly cut across
the wrist which required several
stitches to secure. The Stern
children we're not injured beyond a
few bruises and a nervous shock.
The mother Of little Daniel has
been completely prostrated since the
accident and is in serious condition
at present. Mr.. Gill, accompanied
by his brother. who had heard Of the
affair and hastened to tho city, took
the remains of the child to Minneap-
oils Sunday night and burial will be
made there in the Jewish cemetery.
evening performance cancelled.