The New York herald., 1876-09-30
TERRIBLE ACCIDENT.
Three Lives Sacrificed in the Fall
Of an Overloaded Warehouse.
A Scene Of Awful Excitement in
Springfield. Mass.
DIGGING FOR THE DEAD.


Tho Jolly Of erecting cheap business blocks and thOn
permitting their floors TO be heavily loaded has this
sferno noOn received a terrible demonstration In Spring
fcid with loss Of human lives to enforce the awful
lesson few minutes before two Z. NJ the upper
floor OF the three story brick block Hampdsn street.
owned by L. S. Stowo and illism T. Parks, gave way
under the weight upon IT, and, falling with q crash,
carried down successfully tho second and first noors
tho whole with their contents falling in a into
the cellar. The debris caught FIRE from engine
on the ground floor, and almos. before the people
IN the vicinity could realize what had hap
pened great volume OF smoke issued
from the building followed quickly by flames. Hun
drods OF people docked to the place.. and tne hremen
without delay responded TO she alarm. The horrible
news spread quickly that six men wore beneath the
ruins, and II not crushed to death would certainly DO
roasted alive whiie the Kissing steam from the engine
added fresh horror 10 the Soon, however, u
ascertained that three OF the had released
themselves from their perous position in the cellar.
and, bleeding mad crawcd out through cellar win
dow Meanwhile tho.poworul streams Of tho Fire De-
prtmcnt had got the fire pretty well under control
aud the hook and ladder company fell 10 work to pull
out the debris aud If possible reach tho mon who
were still
ENDURING A LIVING DEATH II NOT DEAD ALREADY
The building had three concerns as occupants The
Huck Cigar Manufacturing Company had the whole Of
the west half also the upper floor OF the half
where they had from 60 900 to 900 pounds Of tobacco
stored On the second floor s. Parker l. Co. had 400
barrels OF -four, whose weight was nearly $4,000
pounds also 800 empty barrels 1t this weight OF
seventy tons besides the floors themselves which
crashed down upon the first floor, occupied by J.
Walker Son as a pork packing estabhshmont where
-, ' THE NAMES OF THE VICTIMS
arc as follows:-
H. Walker OF tho firm just named.
Peter, a German, Familiarity known as "Pcter
Dutchy."
J. ST. Gessst, Ersnchman, who lives in West
Michael Casey.
The last ,hroo got soon af,er the accident, and
the rst threo must DO given up dead At half rast
IL reported that could be heard in the
sufficiently cleared away 10 allow the fremen to enter
the cellar, only an ominous silence followed their
peated calls.
At quarter past three the hremen announced that
they had found man in tho cellar Immediately below
George n. Walker, the junior partner Of the hrm
OF Walker & Son. At this Information the efforts
rcdoubed reach him. and at twenty minutes Of four
the body rescued and deposited in f. }. Pipers
pattern shop opposite. When found young Walker
O mass OF timber and other rubbish upon him. which
caused the body to the position would take
IN up mss
was crushed fiat 70 The ioor The body, when ro'
moved, presented
A srCKRNIxG SIGHT
The head was badly cut over the right eye and tho
lips Of a dark purple color. while they well
the whole face, terribly swollen disngured.
One broken.
A sAusAaR-MAxER's ESCAPE.
Michael Casey in the employ OF J. " alker Son,
at work a sausage machine whom the floor fell and
crashed him boedins into the cellar Though fright
fully cut he insnctively CROPPED for hole to escape,
and seeing light he crnwled up and got up tho side
walk, when be was carried to his homo At No.
81 Essex stree. Drs W. O. and T. y.
His face open from tho back OF the right cheek
to the opposite side OF the nose, breaking the
Inches long on his forehead another tho crown
OF his heal His wounds are not dangerous, and he
will recover.
At quarter flour a man In the wing noar the
heard crying for help He was distinctly heard to
say that he all right, but could Rapidly,
yet Of necessity cautiously, the nremen continued
their work, inspired by the hope of getting him
alive Not few OF the workers Iabored with bleeding
hands caused by broken glass, and strained every
nerve IN the sitting smoke from the tobacco and pork
to roach the bodies
pulled over portion OF the dangerous front wall into
ihe street II doubtful II The bodies would be
reached for several hours.
THE LOSSES.
Tho total financial loss Is not FAR from $50 000 with
Company's loss is fully $1,000; insured for sI2 500
Walker sons loss Is about 900 oh pork. lard &c
insured for So In the Queen, OF London s. Palmer
The building which has thus proved fatally weak
erected Eve six years ago and unfortunate at
that time, the middle wall falling during the process
Of construction 1t was rebuit and still stands having
to-day protected tho half OF tho building and
concnts except far they may prove have buen
damaged by smoke.
an uxmEEDED WARNING.
tew weeks ago the owners OF the building were sp
prehcnsive that there was heavier weight than the
floors could bo reasonably expected TO bear and called
upon G. L. g. Lane the builder, to examine and f
such the Nothing was done, however, to
the building and had the accident occurred
instead OF to-day another 100 barrels Of
-four would have gone down with IT, As the structure
now stands II is completely gutted, without o roof
timber thing eso between the brick walls whioh
simply surround an open space, with the clear eky
above and a smouldcring pile OF debris below
LArRR IL p. M-1he dead body OF Peter Keschcr
was taken nom tho ruins At ten r. n. Sheridan's
body 10 not yet found.