Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1873-08-30

A FRIGHTFUL DISASTER.-On Monday
morning about niRei o'clock, the new and
splendid three-story building Of John A,
Greer, on the corner Of Main Street and
Central Alley, the walls Of which had just
been finished, fell with q sound and jar
like an earthquake, buryingi four negro
men in its ruins. The frightful crash filled
the street with excited, pallid and stricken
people. No fire ever caused more excite
ment or terror. The dust raised by the
crumbling walls formed, for several min
utes, thick and impenetrable cloud.
"A soon as possible, daring spirits
rushed in to ascertain the extent Of the
disaster. From the ruins four negro men
were speedily dug Hp, but others were
thought to be still beneath the rubhish.-
Mr.. Granville MeCabe, one Of the cOntrae-
tors, and William Yaneey, were reported
a. among the victims. The cEssitens~ut,
for time, WAS uncomfortable, and exAg-
gerAted rum0rs - 70 the number buried by
the falling walls spread confusion and con-
sternation throughout the City. Soon IL
WAS AscertAined that McCAbe and Yancey
were not 10 the building at the time Of the
disaster, and that the four negro men, al
ready rescued. were the only victims. To
the establishment Of every one, IS if By s
miracle, these four men were taken out
alive from the very jaws Of death. One Of
them, Jack nogsett, was on the very top OF
the house, and came down with the walls
and timbers, maintaing his position and
escaping with only y few bruises and flesh
cuts. Another, Frank Beasely, fell with
the third floor, through to the cellar beneath
and was absolutely buried beneath an
ocean Of brick and timber. Yet, with little
assistance he made his way through the
mass OF rubbish which imprisoned him, to
the street. His injuries, excepting few
flesh bruises and cuts, are internal and
hence serious. Rice Bond and Sam West
were half way down the gang-way, next to
the wall that gave way, ut the time Of the
accident, and were precipitated into the
cellar below from which they were rescued
with difficulty. Rice Bonds right arm was
broken, and in addition to face bruises, is
thought TO have received serious internal
injuries. Sam Vests left knee-cap was
dislocated, his face badly cut, and his back
seriously injured. How many Of the four
will die is a matter of doubt, but that any
were alive after the disaster is the wonder
of all.
Various are the opinions expressed as to
the cause of this frightful disaster. Beaver
idge and McCabe, experienced and compe-
tent men, were the contractors. McCabe
had charge Of the work and says that the
walls were equal to any he ever built
After as thorough an investigation as it
was possible for us to make we attribute
the disaster to the following causes First
"A nine-inch wall, built against r. II.
Anderson & Co.'s Hardware store, upon
which the weight of all the timbers rested
on the West side; Anderson's wall was
not plumb, had been underpinned, and the
new wall, in consequence, was wider in
the middle than at the bottom or top.
Second-The brick were laid without being
bathed in water. The nine-inch wall was
the first to give way, bullying out from the
wall against which It was bull, aud BY
the weltht 81 tllo tiaabefs ealrt1sI with It.,
involving the East aud the South walls in
the common ruin. These walls literally
crumbled from turret to foundation, no
two brick adhering together, evideneing
that lime enough was not used in The NOR
tar. However, this nine-inch wall might
have given way anyhow-for the reason
that the brick when laid were dry and hot,
the moisture in the mortar be-
fore the cement was formed. In many
cities, during the dry summer months brick
are not permitted to be laid unless well
bathed in water, and all experienced ma
sons will testify that first class wall can
not be built in the dry summer months in
any other way. In hot, dry weather, like
that we have had for several weeks, brick
that have not been bathsd in water will
absorb all the moisture from the mortar
before = cement is formed, leaving nothing
but dry sand and lime. Hence, thin walls
upon which there is heavy pressure are
most certain to give way when so built
That nine-inch wall, and the unmoIstensd
bricks OF which it was built, accounts for
the disaster. The East wall of r. H. An
derson 4 Co.'s building was damaged, but
we do not think seriously or at least dan
gerously. The loss by the disaster is vari-
nusI,, aat m tad M Froun al 9OO 20 90 900