The New York herald., 1877-05-02

A A-Norh wall Of Post Office building
BPartton walls separating the scene Of the acct
c-I"e Of tue wall Which tormerv divided the two
F-spot where the body Patrick johnson was found
G-Locaty IN which tho remaining men were cStricated
forming OF the by The removal OF the
The root over this portion ala not fall
THE ACCIDENT
1t nearly three o'clock yesterday afternoon when
Christian Handsuch, the watchman on the nith story
or the Post Occ building, approached the Of tho
apartment in which the workmen engaged IN
Strengthening the supports OF the rool As he stood
the door, looking INTO the room, he heard
y sharp, quick sound. and before he could
realize what had occurred his eyes completely
blinded with dust. He could cry out, unex-
pectcd and sudden the catastrophe. Not know
Ing the extent of the calamity It's character his
mediate impulse was that OF scpreservation, which
Is the first law OF nature, and he started run. He
bad only gone step or two, however, before he
seized by the hand by one OF the workmen who had
escaped from the room In which tho accident had hap
pcncd and he began to understand that the
whatever was, was over, although only few seconds
bad elapsed. Turning back he was met by son of
Mr. Docherty, one OF the ovcrseers OF the workmen,
who inquired, pteously,
us ialher there ~
little investigation revealed the fact the lads
anxiety WINS unnecessary but the same time showed
OF horror terrible slckeuIng that no pen
do II justice 1t come IN the rudest and
most uncouth fashion IN which he come TO The
children OF There wcro none OF the rlories OF tho
battle Held 10 soften the scene TO the imagination
not even the grandeur OF the burning dome and
the herceness OF the struggle tho stairs
when the III lated Brooklyn Theatre was
consumed with It's human holocaust II was
simply death In hls everyday attlre come to strike
down the aoorng man IN the habilimen,s Of
toll. In form 20 commonplace, so bold so utterly
unsympa.hetc may the bolts OF heaven descend as to
fail to touch tho endcrer chords nature and IL
was such death scene rs thus which YESTERDAY had
the power 70 appai u II lacked the sympathy which
alone soften. And yet such occasion 10 u lrrc
heart was Ia every way more pathetic Than only
rich and the proud ana the great had fallen.
These wcrv hands which filled the mouths
Of helpless women and children--tLe men who toilcd
that diners might vc the scanty Of tnoir
labor, and when they died or were wounded death
the door opened TO suffering and want, wcl as
gric The wolf camo 10 tho door ot moro than one
household who Christian Handsuch was having his
eyes filled with dust the very lace OF yesterday Is
disaster.
THE ALARM--orrKAGrous CONFUSION
After the accident the alarm spread hko wIldfre
tho immense building, aud Tor time Il was I'M
possible 10 ascertain anything definitely In regard
what had occurred. Nobody seemed 10 know the
nature OF the calamity even 10 be able 10 tell the
scene OF the catastrophe ana yet everybody seemed
10 be going somewhere and trying to do something.
Tho excitement and confusion which ensued we're
terrible Men rushed here aud there aitnlessly. and
employ cs OF the building IN their excitement refused
to allow many representatives Of the press To pass 10
the upper story OF the building, AZ 'ne 'op
before arriving at the sccno OF the dsastcr
Gradually the whole scene and the iull extent oi the
calamity we're revealed, and sadder story every
way 10 not told than that which crystallizcd IN
The mind OF the spectator while tue debris was bcng
slowly removed from the broken apart
mcnt and the dead and wounded slowly cx-
tricated from the spots whore they were stricken
down. For n considerable time the dust
rose clouds from the room, and as the reporter VINO
was first In the held, came IN contact with some AMI
ma ate object his toucn was answered by hollow groan
nd II was iound that the sound canc from one o the
y oskmen who, by tho merest accident, had escaped