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- Niagara Gazette - 4/15/1965
A 55-year-old retired millwright who spent leisure
hours walking the craggy, tree-lined footpaths of the
Lewiston escarpment was killed Wednesday when a 2,-
OOO-pound slab of rock tore loose and fell on him.
William W. Bennett II of 1142 Jarrett Drive, Town
of Lewiston, died in Mount St. Mary's Hospital about 5
p.m. of injuries suffered in the freak accident.
Mr. Bennett waa found by
State Trooper Ronald Hadsall
about 500 yards up the escarpment
from
R i d g e Road.
The scene is
above a trailer
camp Just west
of the Niagara
Ski club.
Investigator
Terrence Reil-.
ly revisited
the scene
today, sur-
mised that Mr.
Bennett was
sitting under
a tree when
the rock tore loose and
slammed him forward into the
ground. The victim had been
carrying a hatchet, the trooper
said.
The tree also was struck as
the heavy rock fell.
Hears Cries for Help
Mr., Bennett's cries for help
were heard by Mrs. Lorraine
Hambrock, 1114 Ridge Road,
who called state police short-
ly after 3 p.m.
Trooper Hadwell called for
help when he found Mr. Bennett
Mr. Bennett suffered severe
internal Injuries and com-
pound fractures of both legs.
A Frontier ambulance was
summoned and attendants
climbed up the steep incline
to aid the victim.
Carried Down Hill
Splints were applied to Mr.
Bennett's legs and he was
eased onto a stretcher for the
precarious trip down the hill.
Coroner F. Eugene Ingram
attributed the cause of death
to internal hemorrhaging and
multiple chest fractures.
A huge, cave-like gap.was
left in the overhanging cliff
from which the rock fell.
The rock broke in two and
slid apart when it struck the
ground
A chipmunk and rabbit
scurried out from under the
broken corncobs were lying
Edward Brdtfeach, of the
Rest May Fall
Investigator Reilly said the
cliff, green with age, was
probably undermined and he
speculated that the rest of it
"will probably fall some day."
Three youngsters played In
a yard near the trailer camp.
The steep hill is covered
with hundreds of old rocks
and the ground today was toft
and slippery.
Mr. Bennett was employed
it Stauffer Chemical Co. for
22 years before retiring a
yasr ago.
He resided at the Jarrett
Drive address for 20 years.
Survivers Listed
He is survived by his wife,
Irene; three sons, William
Bennett III and Duane, this
city, and Harold Bennett,
Rochester; a brother, Charles
Bennett, Youngstown, and
four sisters, Mrs. Lila Hobbs,
Belmont, N.Y.; Mrs. Arthur
(Vera) Peterson, Wilcox, Pa.;
Mrs. Harold (Laura) Baldwin,
Syracuse, and Mrs. Glen
(Grace) Townsend, Santa Ana,
Calif. He is also survived by
a granddaughter.
Funeral services will be
held at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at
the Lane funeral Home with
Rev.. Paul Denise and Rev.
Edward Breitbach, of the
Lewiston Presbyterian
Church officiating.
Burial will be in Riverdale
Cemetery. ,
Friends may call at the
funeral home from 2 p.m. to
5 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
beginning today.
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