Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-09-12
CAvE-IN FATAL TO
Street COMMIS'R.
WILLIAM H. DUSTY


William II. Dusty, street commits
sioner of Waterville, died late Sat
urday night as 4 result of injuries
received from a cavein while at
work laying q sewer on Summer
street Saturday. His foreman, Hor-
ace Bowe, who was working with
him, was also buried in the slide and
several ribs were broken and some
| bad bruises received.
! The accident occurred at II 05 Sat
urday forenoon. Mr.. Dusty and Mr.
Bowe were working in the sewer
| trench on Summer street that is be-
! ing built to accommodate the new
residence on Summer street. The
| point where they were working is a
! little south of Kimball street and the
| ground through which the sewer
| trench runs was of alternate layers
of sand and sandy loan underneath
a hard crust of rocks and soil
which formed the road bed. Some
| of the layer of sand had run out
from below the upper crust leaving
the latter overnansine like a shelf,
weighted with the earth that had
been trown up from the trench.
| Mr. Dusty was nearly through
working and had sent man to tell
| his father, Vedal Dusty, who was
working a short distance above, to
come down and lay pipe, as he and
Mr.. Bowe were about leaving for the
Office to get the pay ready for the
men. MIR. Dusty was laying the last
| section of pipe which he was to
handle and had turned to Mr.. Bowe
to take the section from him when
! without warning the mass of rock
and soil fell and struck Mr.. Dusty
| in the back. The sand which fol-
/ lowed filled the trench and buried
Mr.. Dusty to his chin while only Mr..
Bowe's at could be seen above the
| earth.
| Workmen near rushed to the spot
to help rescue the men. The earth
was packed so solidly about their
! bodies that the workmen were OBJ
iiged to use their pickaxes to dig
them out. Mr.. Dusty, especially,
during the period of rescue. expert
enced great pain and at every stroke
of the piCkaXes could not refrain
| from Shrek or groan of agony.
He remained conscious all the time
and when take out did not want to
wait for an ambulance but insisted
! on being taken home in the police
patrol which had been summoned.
! He was lifted into the back part of
Inv
to his home on Western avenue
where his wife had been informed of
the accident by her brother, Dr. Ma
/ poleon Bison.
Even in the pain OF his terrible
| injury, Mr.. Dusty thought for his
/ men and speaking to Napoleon Mar
shall, who shared his office at City
hall and who went to the home of
| Mr. Dusty as soon as he heard of the
accident, asked Mr.. Marshall to see
! that tho men got their slips Satur-
! day night SO that they could get
! their pay. L shan't be round
I again" said the injured man I'm
all in Mr.. Marshall tried to COM
fort him and say that although he
/ was badly hurt. he would get bet
ter, but Mr.. Dusty said, NO, my
back is broken. I'm done" He was
conscious until a few minutes be-
! fore his death,
He sustained terrible injuries. His
! spine was fractured and one hin
| bone literally smashed to pieces, be-
sides rupturing his internal organs.
! Mr.. Dusty was a man who showed
great interest in his work and as
street commissioner had worked with
his men as one of them, doing his
! best for the interests of the CITY and
taking great pride III doing his work
. wei. In speaking of the coming
winter a day or two ago, Mr.. Dusty
said that he lad mis- snow pIoughs
i all painted and ready for the winter
SHOWS and that he wanted to have
! the streets in good condition for
! people to travel this winter. He was
a man we'll liked by his associa ties
and will be greatly missed around
! City hall where his office was To-
Gated
! William II. Dusty was born in
Watervile as years ago. the son of
Vedal and Evangeline fRoy) Dusty
He had been engaged in trucking
! business and dealt some in lumber,
He was serving his second term as
. street commissioner and had given
good satisfaction. He married. 10
! years ago, Miss Olive Bison. who
survives him, as do five children,
Helen, Juliette. William, Jr.. Jerome
and Vede. and two sisters, Mrs. Will
Boyer of Skowhegan and Mrs
Peter Carey of Waterville.
! Funeral services will be held Tues
day morning at 0 o'clock at the st.
! Francis de Sales church