Democratic Sentinel, Volume 11, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 December 1887 — COLLAPSE OF A TOWER. [ARTICLE]

COLLAPSE OF A TOWER.

Four Men Killed by the Fall of a Water Tower at ThoiiiasvlHo, Ga., Three Other* Seriously Injured—Hazardous Rescue of Other Workmen. Fotvr men wore instantly killed, three seriously and perhaps fatally injured, and four left clinging like human flies to the ruins sixty-five feet above the gronnd, by the falling of a water- tower at Thomas* ville, Ga., the particulars of which are furnished in the following telegram trom that place: It was about 10 o’clock when the crash came. It could be heard for half a mile, and people rushed to the scene from every direction. A horrible sight met tbeir eyes. Protruding from the ruins could be seen portions of the bodies of the dead and injured, the latter calling for assistance, while clinging to the sides of that portion of the tower still standing, with nothing to clutch or rest their feet on but precariously projecting bricks, were four men left uninjured by the crash, nut in imminent danger of being dashed to pieces by failing to the stouee below. When the hook and led er company arrived a new horror was added to the situation by the discovery that the ladders would not reach within twenty feet of the men above. A rescue with ropes was the only chance left. A brick tied to a cord, which was in turn fastened to a rope, was thrown into the air, and fell on the other side of tho wall. A score of hands quickly pulled the rope within reach of one of the imperiled men. At this moment the wall swa' ed and looked as if it was about to tumble over and ndd more victims to the death list, but it did not, and the man released bis hold of the bricks, went down the rope hand over hand until he reached the top of the ladder, and descended to the ground. As he reached the earth a great cheer went up from the erowd, butitquickly subsided at remembrance of the danger the remaining three men were still confronting. The rope was moved from cue of the trio to th-other untu at last all stood safe below. Attention was next turned to those buried in the debris. Four were taken out dead, terribly crushed and disttgured, while four were so seriously injured that their recovery i» doubtful.