Fort Worth Daily Gazette

DOWN TO DEATH.

Three Men Buried Beneath Several Tons of Dirt at the Water-Works.

The Treacherous Earth Caves in a Second Time Imperiling the Rescuers.

Two Horrible Deaths from Strangulation While a Third Man is Severely Injured.

The water works were the scene of a terrible accident yesterday morning about 5 o'clock, in which George Conwell, white, and Bill Harrison, colored, were killed, and George Wetzley, colored, was severely injured.

The stoppage of the suction pipes of the works with mud necessitated the laying of another pipe, in order to temporarily afford a water supply, and fifteen men were placed at work Monday evening opening the trench between the engine-house and the river. They worked all night and had reached a depth of fifteen feet, almost finishing their task, when the accident happened. The ditch is about three feet in width and the end nearest the house passes through made earth, which the recent rains have rendered very soft. In their great haste the men neglected to put down braces as they went, and were vigorously plying their picks when with

A DULL THUD

several tons of dirt caved in on those working in the upper end of the ditch, burying the three victims beneath three feet of clay. Harrison was working next to the wall, and was caught in a stooping position. He was imprisoned near the aperture in the wall through which the pipe is run, and by this means obtained breath. Conwell was near the other end of the part which caved, and the dirt fell upon him while bending sideway, injuring, it is thought, his spine. Wetzley was working between the other two and was pinioned in an upright position, to which he owes his life. Immediately after the accident, all the men who could work in the small space covered by the trench, rapidly shoveled off the dirt beneath which their comrades were buried. Wetzley was reached first, and given breathing space in a few minutes after the cave. The dirt had hardly been removed around the heads of others, when

A SECOND CAVE

piled up four feet of the earth upon both victims and rescuers, pinioning some of the latter to their waists. Harrison had thrown back his head as the aperture was opened from above, and was thus removed from the hole in the wall, which before had furnished him breath. Wetzley was quickly taken out, with the result as stated. Conwell was not reached in twenty minutes, and when removed was alive, but lived only a short time. He became conscious five minutes before his death, and complained of intense suffering. Harrison remained in the ditch about three hours, and when taken out was of course

STARK AND STIFF

in death. The bodies of the deceased were taken to Fakes & Co., and prepared for interment.

A reporter visited the scene of the disaster and found a very innocent looking trench, from which no one could ever have apprehended danger. Although the earth was filled in where it caved, the soil looked very compact, having been in place two years and suffered an overflow of the river.

The dirt which was taken out of the trench was left too close to the banks and tumbled in with the first cave, adding to its gravity. Mr. Monday, superintendent of the works, stated that he had retired several hours before from sheer exhaustion, and awakened but a few minutes previous to the accident. He started to go out to see how the work was progressing when it occurred. He thinks the men would all have been saved if it had not been for the second cave. A heavy force was at once placed on the ditch, and yesterday evening every vestige of the accident was removed. Strong braces protected the workmen and they were pushing matters rapidly. Mr. Monday promises that if nothing further goes wrong the water supply will be renewed by 1 o'clock to-day.

THE VICTIMS

Conwell, the white man, who was killed, is an entire stranger in the city, and is supposed to have recently arrived from Georgia. He has been in the employ of the water works about ten days. In appearance he was stout, and rather tall man, with sandy hair and moustache and about thirty years old. He will be buried here to-day. The body of Harrison has been shipped back to Jefferson, where he resided, in response to a telegram from his wife. He had been working for the water-works but one day. Wetzley is very sore and stiff from his bruises, but unless internally injured will quickly recover.

Justice Zinn held an inquest yesterday evening which resulted in a verdict in accordance with the facts as stated.