Capitol Construction Accident
13 MAY 1887. Austin Daily Statesman.
CAPITOL ACCIDENT. Damage to the Building Not So Great as at First Estimated. Official Reports Upon the Cause of the Occurrence--Inquest Upon the Man Who Was Killed.
The report which THE STATESMAN furnished yesterday morning concerning the accident of the night before was as complete as it was possible to make it, considering the fact that the information had to be gathered and the whole account written after midnight. While the crash occurred just after 10 o’clock, not a whisper of it was brought down town for more than two hours afterwards. And yet, THE STATESMAN’S report was correct and complete except in a few minor details. When the beam which carried the weight of stone broke, and precipitated the mass, it went downward with a rush until it struck squarely upon a stone wall, extending from the ground, in the basement, to the level of the first story. This resisted successfully the tremendous force, breaking it and dividing the debris in two parts. One of these, in which was the pile of stone that caused the break, fell on the south side of the wail, broke the floor, and sank into the basement. The other portion, consisting of cross beams, timbers and bricks from the arches, fell on the other side and rested on the floor. It was on this side that the workmen began first to search for the body of Tom Gamble. Not finding it in the mass of rubbish they turned their attention to the other side, and after three quarters of an hour of arduous labor, came upon the body of the unfortunate man. He was found in a sitting posture. Both legs were mangled and crushed, one of them being turned back nearly to the shoulder, while the other had been stretched out from the body. The trunk was inclined, the shoulders almost touching the thighs, and the head hanging down between the limbs. The frame, while crushed and gashed, was still not so badly broken as might have been expected, there not being very many cuts, beyond the crushing of the thighs and a bare wound in the back between the shoulders. Death must have been caused at the top of the building when the beam collapsed, and the poor creature was hurled downward with the 50,000 or 60,000 pounds of stone around him.
The jury of inquest, summoned by Judge Calhoun, viewed the remains as it lay in the debris in the basement, at half past two o’clock yesterday morning. It was weird scene that, and one which only a morbid mind would care to look upon. The big building was shrouded in gloom, save in the one small room where two or three lanterns threw pale gleams upon the scene, revealing a group of ten or fifteen men surrounding the body of the dead man as it rested crushingly in the mass of debris. Judge Calhoun, having sworn the jury, discharged them until yesterday, when evidence was taken at his office.
James Trigg testified that he was on the building on a level with Gamble, who was engaged in unloading the scale board. He had been racing with the other hands, and had been rushing them for twenty minutes. Just before the accident he whistled to give slack to the scale board, but before the response could come the girder gave way and was followed by the crash. Witness ran towards the place, but could see nothing of the man, and, calling, could hear nothing of him. He was standing on the pile of stone by the scale board, when the break occurred. J. M. Swisher and Wash. Baker testified substantially to the same facts as given by Mr. Trigg, and the jury rendered a verdict that Tom Gamble, aged about 21 years, came to his death by falling from the roof of the new capitol building, the fall being caused by the floor giving way.
Considering the length of time that this building has been under construction, its height and dimensions, the number of casualties that have occurred around it has been very small. This is the second death that has been caused, while, according to data obtained from Secretary Dickinson the number of injuries not fatal has not exceeded five or six. The number of deaths that have occurred on the capitol at Albany, New York, is reported to be eighteen, and on the capitol at Indianapolis, Ind., at fourteen.
General Walker, superintendent of the building, made an investigation of the accident yesterday morning, and, as a result, submitted the following report to the capitol commissioners:
Messrs. Lee and McLauren, Capitol Building Commissioners:
Gentlemen—In compliance with your request of this date asking a report from me as to the accident that happened at the capitol building last night, I have the honor to submit the following:
The wrought iron girder that spans that portion of the fourth story ceiling of the north projection of the building, and which broke in two, was carrying nearly its entire capacity by the weight of the iron floor beams and brick arches already imposed upon it. This weight was as follows: Weight of iron beams, brick arches, etc., 15,011 pounds. The factor of safety for this girder to carry is 15,560 pounds. In order to find the weight at which this girder would break, it is a well established rule to multiply the safety load by four, which gives 62,240 pounds. From all the data in my possession I am sure there was not less than 50,000 to 60,000 pounds imposed; even had there been less, a sudden blow from the scale board, while being lowered in emptying material on top of the building, would have caused the break.
It is proper to state that this was the ceiling of the fourth story on the north projection of the building, and no additional weight, save that of the plastering, would ever have been imposed upon it. By examining the above figures it will be seen that the construction was amply safe. These calculations are made from Carnegie Bros.’ standing tables.
These loads of stone were put on this ceiling at night, on a temporary planking that the contractor has been placing over the building as the work progresses, on which to work during the day, and on which, at night, stone and other material is hoisted and placed during the night for use the following day.
I have frequently cautioned the subcontractors about allowing their workmen to place too many loads of stone and material on this planking over the ceiling, believing that too great a weight might be imposed, when no such weight was intended to be permanently carried in the building.
While this accident is to be regretted, on account of the killing of a workman engaged in unloading, yet had it occurred during the day, when a large force of men are at work in each story, and where this man was at work, the fatal results would have been much greater.
The damage done to that portion of the building will be entirely repaired by the contractor at his own expense, and will be done in such a manner as to render the building in every respect the same as it was before the accident happened.
This accident demonstrates that the masonry of the building is first-class in every respect, inasmuch as many of the iron anchors holding the fallen beams were torn apart, leaving a portion of the anchor in the wall, and the extension wall sustaining no injury therefrom. Had the masonry not been excellent the exterior wails would have been considerably injured and might have given way, but they remain intact and unimpaired. Respectfully,
Superintendent of Construction.
The commissioners have submitted the following report to the governor:
AUSTIN, TEXAS, May 12, 1887.
To His Excellency, Gov. L. S. Ross, Executive Office.
Dear Sir:—We regret the necessity of reporting to your excellency an accident that occurred last night shortly after 10 o’clock to a portion of the north projection of the capitol building. While a colored man known by the name of Tom Gamble was unloading stone from a derrick above the center of the fourth story, that portion of the building above mentioned, which was temporarily planked over, the weight became too great for the iron beams and brick arches ‘beneath to hold it, and they gave way, precipitating all this piled up stone, which went through to the basement, carrying the iron beams and brick arches of the fourth, third, second and first floors with it in a space about 17x31 feet- The exterior walls were not affected by the accident.
The laborer fell to the basement beneath, and was found dead in the debris. From observations made last night, shortly after the accident, and again this morning, it appears that the ceiling of the fourth story, where the accident happened, was too heavily loaded with stone, being hoisted upon the building last night to be used on various portions of the building to-day.
The debris is now being removed, and a more extended investigation will be made of this accident and a report submitted to your excellency.
All the broken and injured material and work will be replaced by first class material and work and the damage will be entirely repaired without any injury, whatever, to the building, at the cost of the contractor. Respectfully,
Capitol Building Commissioners.
In the conversation with Mr. Wilke night before last he gave it as his opinion that the damage to the building would amount to $5,000, but after a closer examination yesterday he found that the loss was not so heavy as at first estimated. He now thinks the break can be repaired and made as good as it was at first at a cost of not more than $1,000.
