The Rock Island Argus and daily union., 1920-09-22

mlelko u Sdlu 10 nave pTUSenteu
working on the building painting
window castings yesterday on ac-
count Of the style Of staging In use.
He did not work on the job Tuesday,
when the accident was barely avert
cd, but began work this morning
Sand Bag Becomes Misplaced.
Only Is minutes after he and
Kurth, who lives at 1907 Fourteenth
street, had started to work. Q sand
bag holding the left side lookout be-
came misplaced, letting Mielke's
end Of the scaffold drop from be-
meath him. The right side lookout.
holding Kurths end Of the scaffold.
held firm, this alone saving kurth,
who grabbed for the staging ropes
and held ON for nearly i've minutes
before being rescued.
The scaffold, . 20-foot ladder
held horizontal and covered with q
wide board, swung to a perpendicu-
lar position, and with the board
falling clear Kurth found . footing
on one of the rungs. He swung
back and forth for some time be-
fore being taken through the win
dow into the dentistry offices Of DR..
c. L. Silvis. The big aerial ladder
truck Of the fire department had
been hurried to the scene to get
kurth down before his support
should give way, but he had been
rescued from his position just a. |
the truck arrived.
Ground Man Tells Story.
William Fisher, 21l3 Third ave-
nue., the third painter ON the job.
gave details of the accident to The
Argus rs follows:
Il had been working on the buih-
ing since Monday. The work was
started that day under a contract
held by Frank N. Skinner Tues
day was the first time that We had
use for the staging. l worked from
the step ladder below. B. B. Bur-
ton, q painter from Davenport, and
kurth used the staging Tuesday.
and it was about these two men
that the accident story In The
Argus Tuesday was written. They
were working on the Eighteenth
street side of the building and thefs
has bee nno use for the staging
except to draw the men into posi-
tion to work, when they take stand
on the sills. Burton and Kurth did
not have the appliances in use to
hold the scaffold close to the build
ing. Kurth stepped from the scat
fold to the window casing at his
end Of the scaffold, which swung
back. Burton stepped second later
for his, sill. Both gained their OBJ
jectives. but due to the difference
in time in leaving the scaffold 1t
turned part way ON them. Both
should have stepped st the tame
time with the appliances not IN use.
for holding the scaffoid tight 10
the building. The affair at any rate
was Of little consequence.
Denies MieIke Made Protest.
''Mielke was only joking when
he said that the staging vAs not to
his liking Tuesday. I'believe that
on account OF the shaking OF the
scaffold Tuesday Burton became
nervous and reached m intention
not to work. He did leave the Job
this morning. It was due TO this
that Mielke made his statement, but
which he followed with another
that be was not afraid OF the stag
Ing and would 70 up himself.
The work on the Eighteenth
street side Of the building had bsen
practically completed and Mielke
and Kurth began work this morn
ing on the south side. They we're
taxing foar windows from the east
corner. one-half Of the building:
and had completed two stories, or
eight windows. when the accident
occurred.
/ ShssM Tie 6aalhegA
"Lookoats, being wood supports
oa the roof to hold the staging. aTe
in almost all cases held down at
their opposite ends BY ssndbaSs.
which In some cases are not tied
on. but which. in my opinion. shouh
be tied on In every case
1T vas the misplacemeut Of .
sandbaS that caused the accident
this morning. The two 1ookouts'
vere four BY fsur plsnks. One end
Of each was laid over the edge of
the root. At the opposite snds Aye-
econtinnsd a PAGE TvA1 q.