Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-11-29
ROOKERIES.

II an earthquake was 10 progress Vueu u
terrible crash followed, and clouds Of
dust filed the air. Two old three-story
brick rookeries, adjoining and immedi-
ately south of the City Hall on Front
street, had tumbled down. One of these,
No. 100, owned by Mr.. W. A. Bickford,
was occupied by the Southern Oil Com.
pany as a storehouse for cotton seed,
ties, etc. The other, No. 1872, was owned
by Mr.. Sherrod, and was also used as a
cotton storehouse. The cotton seed and
cotton were stored on the ground floor.
The second and third stories were not
used, except that in the rear Of No. l6O
there we're two bedrooms, occupied re-
spectively by City Comptroller James A.
Newsom and detective Charley Smith, of
the police force. Those who rushed to
the scene of the accident were hor-
ri6ed TO hear cries for help
coming from under the vast mass
Of broken timbers and scattered bricks.
BURIED ALIVE.
1t was soon discovered the buried man
was Comptroller James A. NewsOn. AZ
ter a short time the iremen who arrived
on the ground pulled him up between
the fallen floors With a rope which they
let down and which he succeeded in
grasping. He came out blackened and
begrimmsd with dust and dirt, and at
once announced that Thos. N. McKeon
was under the debris and was alive. 1t
seems that Mr.. Newsom and Mr.. McKeon
we're 10 the room of the former when the
crash came. There was a cracking noise
and Mr.. Newsom made for the door, but
too late. Everything came tumbling
down and they in an instant found them.
selves falling and crushed beneath tim.
bers. Fortunately for them the ground
floor upon which the cotton and cotton
seed we're stored did not entirely bresl
through, but Upheld the mass of britl
and timbers. Had the ground floor Civ j
way neither Mr.. Newsom nor M. Nc
Keen could have possibly escaped death
DIGGING OUT.
The work of excavation was at once
, renewed in order to relieve Mr.. McKsor
from his perilous position. Mr.. Newsou
stated that while he was buried he car
ried on a conversation with Mr.. McKeol
who was some ten feet away, and tina
}. the latter was all right but was unable t
a help or extrioate himself, as timbers
9 etc., pressed down upon him. In abou
two hours the iremen and others sue
ceeded in digging down and d~iscoverinI
the man who was buried alive. The.
had been able to carry on a converse
ton at intervals With him all the time
but it was difficult to reach him. WIZ
found he was lying beneath timbers.
d section of a mantel piece was over hi
ir head and protected him, while a marbI
slab Of a wash stand or table lay scrol
his body. His legs and arms WEI
fastened, but he could move his hea
and the upper portions OF his body. 4
" was lifted out carefully and placed c
his, feet after nearly two hours coDfn
ment in q living tomb. Both Mr.. Me-
som and Mr.. McKeon we're scratcht
and bruised, but no bones were broke
u and no serious injuries became apparen
At the time the rookeries tumbled dow
o. Mr.. Newsom had a big coal fire in b
DR. room, and why the %cotton-seed and woo
8: stuff did not ignite and blaze up is OF
C. of those mysteries aud providenti
Is, things that cannot be explained. Ho
b, such a result followed neither Messr
to Newsom or McKeon could have bee
h. saved, as suffocation from smoke
death by fire would have been the resul
Last night smoke was seen issuing fro
the ruins, but water was turned in an
II the FIRE beneath was suppressed. 1t
not known whether or not any other pc
CT son was caught beneath the tumblir
buildings, but it is believed that all ha.
escaped.
N CAUSE OF THE TUMBLE.
- The buildings are part of a block e
tending from City Hall to Poplar stree
indeed it is all one building, the CT
Hall included, and was erected at t
same time, years ago. AS the grou.
70 floors partially gave way beneath t
weight of cotton and cotton seed stor
Of thereon, and no weight wss on the upI
h floors, some other aOlution Of the m.
ISIS terry thar "overstoring' must be sous
as. for. The buildings we're old, the joi
extended into either wall but two
i, three inches, and the shrinkage Of Ii
RS, hers made ever this purchase much lie
When the floor gave way ali went. I
tic. trouble appears to have originated in
front portion OF the buildings, as
front wall was hurled into the street "
tremendous force, many of the brio
being pitched out one hundred feet.
Bad building, poor construction a
age were no doubt the cause OF the &C
'Au dent. The City Hall with its tin cup
"a frightful carieature upon arOhiIectu.
y presents q dangerous appearance sill
the buildings on the south side tumb
down, 1t presents a more dangers
appearance, no doubt, than il deser,