New-York tribune., 1918-05-09
r;oht Buried Alive and the
Rest Probably Killed
Outright
One in Shaft Escaped
Entombed Men Getting Air
Through Six-Inch Pipe as
Rescue Workers
Hasten Tasks

Six men were overwhelmed, probably
kilIed outright, while eight others were
hurled alive one hundred feet below
the street level at about 1890 last
night in a cavern in the Flatbush Ave
nue subway excavation between East
ern Parkway and Malbone Street.
Brooklyn. A 6-inch compressed air
rpe keeps the breath of life in the
entombed workmen.
Only one of fifteen men who were
in the shaft escaped. He was so
paralyzed with horror as to be almost
speechless So far as could be learned
from his first incoherent words sew
enty-fve feet of solid earth had
slumped down upon Harry Benton. a
foreman. and five men who were with
him. The landslide had cut off the
rest Of the gang, eight in number,
from the shaft.
Benton and his gang were at work in
the tunnel building the centre wall of
concrete which ivdides the tracks. They
were perhaps eighty feet west of Shaft
No. 8, of which Benton was night boss.
Some distance behind the main gang
one Of the workmen was picking at the
earth about timber footing, levelling
it off.
The timber footing, like the base of g.
capital I, held in place an upright,
which, in turn, supported one of the
tmbers that held up the earthen roof.
Either the timber footing was insecura
or the workman's pick dislodged it. 1t
began to tilt and the shaft of the t
lets Of earth and gravel ratified to the
hoor.
Tried to Stay the Rush
Shouting for help, the laborer strove
to right things. He was unsuccessful.
Benton and four other men came on the
run. They set to work with might and
main to straighten the upright and pro-
vide secure foundation for it. The
timber footing slid relentlessly out of
its position, the upright inclined more
and more, and at lest with a rush
twenty feet of raftered roof gave wav
and tons OF soil descended, like a great
portcullis, twenty feet thick.
Squarely beneath the portcullis were
Benton and his men. Faust Biada, of
200 East Fifty eighth Street, one of the
gang, who had fingered far behind his
companions and was on the shaft side
OF the cave-in, saw them. They were
dead, he said. all six of them.
he himself was knocked down and
ig naif buried by debris. Rescuers, led by
William Young, night foreman, found
MN: Only his boots were sticking out
OF the pile of rubble, and the rescue
party was nightly astounded to find a
i've man IN them. Falling timbers had
incased his head in such a way as to
leave an air space all around it.
Gets Fresh Air to Entombed Men
Young's first move was to drive the
6-inch pipe through the 20-foot barrier
and feed some fresh air to the prison
ers. They were greatly excited, and it
was difficult even to learn their names.
although they all clamored to have the
news sent at once to their families.
ane trouble was they gave only their
nrst names, and either forgot addresses
entirely or were pulled away by com
panlon before they could give them.
However. with what could be learned
from them and with the account given
Dy biada, who turned out to be virtu-
any unhurt, the story was pieced to-
getner, and hope for Benton and his
nve men was given up.
: AS soon as the pipe was in place
;,aoorers set to work to dig through the
nanasllde and liberate their companions.
vt"ihg TO the care with which they had
70 proceed, snoring up the loose earth
ana almost building a plank corridor
y, ~ they went along, the work went
slowly. Although to the anxious in
qulries of the prisoners the cheery
response always was made: "Not long
inioeNw-only now an hour or so," there was
i1tle n, hope of freeing the tunnel before
PRISONERS Not in Much Danger
Inc eight prisoners, it was thought.
Mere IN little danger, particularly if
sley Kept away from the mass of debris
which barred their escape and was the
most likely spot for further slides to
occur. ""
foiice reserves were called from four
greeincts and Inspectors Murphy and
Tehneiiey took charge A fire engine
company also was called to help in
she . rescue work and at least half
ooEen ambulances responded to the first
sSaii. All but two of these went back.
however, when it became apparent that
we Job would be tedious one. The
costors who stayed were Else and
IIenen, of the Jewish Hospital, and
pital. ''ee A1''
mi Public Service Commissioners Travis
~ n'tney and F. j. H. Kracke watched
sne rescue work with Robert Ridgway,
engineer for the commission. Traffic
w fiatoush Avenue was held up.
Traffic Tie-up Not Serious
Shaft No. 3. near which the cavc-in
~ tvtseurnred, n, is about half way between
'ne rlaza entrance to Prospect Park
Mstttne spa tne Malbone Street entrance. The
t.ousn Avenue cars bowl along the
saesch there between the park and the
ss;si .ss;eIvolr without stop, for there are
t;si.ner houses nor shops The traffic
II might be. 49, 80
unere was no curious crowd either,
ss;n.t ns;n because Of the character of the
- and because of the lack
4. signs above ground to indicate the
$nc $nccnatic events that were taking place
~ ieet below. The tunnel was so far
T.. Smpieted that it was literally lighted
! siectrlcity, and the rescuers toiled
~ !. .nelr task without causing the slight
rss ~ interest in the few motorists and
ss'essrians who happened that way.
s New Morse Shin Arrives