The Portland daily press., 1875-02-27
NEW YORK.
Church Crushed by a Falling Wall
A SCENE OF WILD CONFUSION,
SEVEN PERSONS KILLED AND MANY
---- INJURED.

NEW YoR9, Feb. GA terrible accident
occurred here this evening, resulting IN inc
death of six persons and the wounding OF sew,
era others. Religious services were being held
in ST. Andrews Catholic church. corner of City
Hall place and Duane street. at seven o'clock,
when the wall of an adjoining building fell. the
brick and debris crushing through the root OF
the church upon the heads of the people INSIDE.
At the time of the crash vesper services were
being held, conducted by the priest, Kew. Mr.
Carroll. The congregation was composed Tor
the most part of women and children.
The scene which enSued beggars DESCRIPTION
Women screamed and tainted, men shouted,
and above the tumult was heard the voice or
the priest calling on the people to be quiet and
not rush for the doors and trample upon each
other. Despite his entreateS, however, the
congregation made grand rush for the open
air.
Word was sent to tho Franklin street Police
Station and platoon of policemen soon arriv
ed ON the scene. A driving rain storm was fall'
ing, and the panic stricken people were run
ming to and fro. Men and women were calling
for relatives and friends and endeavoring TO
ascertain their fate.
The prompt arrival of the police restored or :
der somewhat and systematic effort was at
once made to extricate the dead and wounded
from its ruins. The wall which fell upon
the church struck the south side, and most OF
the persons who were killed and wounded were
those who occupied the south galleries. The
killed and wounded as fast as brought out were
put i'm an ambulance and conveyed to the Park
Hospital, their relatives following and bewail-
ing in pteous tones the calamity to their loved
ones Two of the wounded died on their way
to the hospital. -..
The names of the dead and wounded as far
as can be ascertained at the present writing are
as follows; Michael Murray, Rose McGlynn,
Michael McCarty, Mary A. Conner, Catherine
McGuness and Michael Feeney. Among those
most seriously wounded were Edward Condor,
skull fractured; James Quinn, scalp wound
and body crushed; Patrick Fay, confusion OF
the head; Catherine Ritten, scalp wound; Mary
Jane Martin, fracture of the skull; Patrick
Ledell, fracture of leg and internal INJURIES;
Matthew Murray, internal injuries; Martha
McGlynn. legs broken.
All of the above wounded are in Park Hos
ptal to night. The following had their wounds
dressed at the hospital and were sent to their
homes: Elizabeth Farley, Dennis Haley, Pat
rick Cunningham, Mary Dempsey, Mary Con
ley, Mary Powers, Ellen Conway Mary kehoe.
Besides there were about dozen or more WHOSE
names could not be ascertained.
st. Andrews church is one OF the largest
churches in New York, and is attended by near
ly all the Catholics residing in the lower part
ofSthe city. The congregation is composed
mainly of Irish, though a few Germans attend.
The members are mostly OF the laborlng classes.
The building is quite old.
The adjoining walls which fell upon it were
those of building known as Shaw's crockery
store The crockery store was recently DAM
aged by fire, and the walls have threatened to
fail for some time past. Aa unexpected an
unusually heavy squall of wind passed over the
city which struck and tumbled the wall, caus-
ing the terrible loss of life above narrated.
Among the incidents of the accident the fol-
lowing occurred: Several young girls, who were
to all appearances dead, were hastily removed
to the hospital, where, in the hurry and confu
sion, it was believed they were really deceased,
and orders were give to have them removed to
the morgue in ambulances, when they showed
signs of life and the order was contaminated.
The proper restOratveS Were applied and they
returned to consciousness, but continued in
Mysteries for some time. The girls had been
paralyzed by fright. -
Notwithstanding the dead bodies had been
removed either to their homes or the morgue.
and the wounded had, been properly cared for,
the excitement up to midnight continued un
abated, aud thousands of people thronged every
avenue of approach towards the hospital, when
it became necessary to fence in the hospital by
ropes and strong Gordon OF policemen and
fremen. .at iY.
Several of the injured are sinking fast at this
writing, and the physicians in attendance eX-
press grave doubts as to their OUTLYING the
night. st e.. .H-
Much comment is made on the negligence OF
the officials Of the Department of Buildings in
permitting the already tottering walls of the
crockery store to stand so unprotected, and be-
yond doubt rigid and searching investiga-
ton will be had and the responsibility of the
disaster placed where it belongs,
Late tonight another of the wounded died
at the hospital, making total of dead. At
the hospital there are recorded the names of 26
wounded Many of the killed and wounded
are children and young people. .-.-
' NEW YORK, Feb. 26.
In the Duane street Catholic church there
were about 1900 persons when the ruined wall
Gil NlxnI Il rrIrnr fl
close and Rev. Father Carroll of st. Stephen
church, was near the end of his discourse on
"The necessity to be prepared for death at any
moment" He had pictured the misery of
those human beings, their sonls being laden
with sin. He had implored his hearers to shun
vice that they might not be surprised in its
midst by the fall upon them of the palsying
hand of death, and he had pressed upon his
hearers the necessity for them to keep watch
upon their cOnsciences, so that they should
know when they were guilty of sinful acts. A
sudden gust here swept over the church and
thrilled everything that it struck. While the
gust howled and shock everything Father Car
roll was saying, "Oh, examine your cOnsciences.
At this moment look at them with eye guided
and made by the sense of truth and sincerity
God now knows whether or not you are prepar-
ed to meet him." He concluded as the wind
ceased its raving, but the sound of his last word
was almost overcome by sharp and snap-ike
noises, that came from the gallery at the east
sue OI tUo CuuTCU. AL Iu0 Sttuo tiluo u SuoW
er of small pieces of plaster battered on the
startled occupants of that section of the edifice.
These people had not time 10 rise ere rushing
noise and then a tremendous crash occurred.
The Mortified people in the body of the church
and in the other gallery hadn't time to see
what had occurred when the sounds were re-
peated and there was veil of thick dust rails
ed over the gallery, which obscured it from
view
But only the coolest and most courageous of
the members of the congregation saw this. All
the others made wild rush for the outlets of
the church. The scene became one of the most
startling character; in their mad haste to es
cape threatening danger, whence it came
they did not know, the people plunged ward
the street, they caught hold of each other i'm
pulsively, and nat rally delayed one another.
In the galleries people fought fearfully on
their way to the narrow staircases that led down
to the vestbule, and in their eagerness two or
three would wedge themselves immovably be-
tween the sides of the staircases. There they
remained until the gathered force of the many
behind dislodged them violently and threw
them headlong down the awful descent.
Thus they would strike their predecessors and
if not Overthrown themselves would knock the
latter to the floor. Once down no one could rise
until the senseless and pltiless mob had passed
over and trampled upon and kicked their bodies
into horried shape.