EXTRAORDINARY FATAL ACCIDENT.

Globe, Volume VII, Issue 786, 28 December 1876, Page 3

EXTRAORDINARY FATAL ACCIDENT.

[From the Home New&?[ A shocking accident occurred the other night at the cooperage of Messrs Finzel, sugar refiners, situated in Meadow street, Bristol. About 200 workmen are employed in turning out between 2000 and 3000 tierces per week. One portion of the yard is devoted to the stacking of the cargoes and staves as the shipments arrive in port. The staves are piled in separate stacks at heights varying from 30ft to 50ft, each stack being only 3ft 6in square, that being the length of each stave, and in order to limit the liability of accident, and to add to the stability of the stacks and prevent any mishap arising from an individual stack being out of the perpendicular, the several piles are placed in close proximity to other, and for further security, what is technically known as a “tie” is formed by projecting staves running from one pile into the other at frequent intervals. While piling these lofty stacks, as they gradually increased in height, the workmen form temporary platforms by projecting a layer of staves, on which, one above the other at short intervals, the men sit for the purpose of passing from hand to hand the staves, and thus raising the superstructure. At the time of the accident there between thirty and forty workmen engaged in this operation, when the stack on which they were at work, from some unexplained cause, suddenly and without the slightest warning swayed forward, asd falling, not only carried the man seated on the platforms at various heights, but brought with it four or five of of the adjoining stacks, each of which had been completed and had attained a height of fifty feet. This immense body of timber, representing many tons weight, descended upon the unfortunate workmen engaged beneath it, completely burying them under a huge heap of staves. Instantly willing hands were directed to the labor of removing the immense mass of timber, from beneath which came the groans of the wounded workmen. In an incredibly short space of time the mass of deals was sufficiently thrown aside to admit of the men being got out, Some of the unfortunate men had been so crushed that they were lying completely helpless and insensible when relieved of the weight of the timber that had been upon them, while others were groaning in a most piteous manner. Eventually all the sufferers were released from their perilous positions, and medically attended to. The result is three deaths and about fourteen seriously injured,