The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-05-26
ANOTHER FALLEN FLOOR.
Accident at the Sixth Ave
nue. Railroad Depot.
TWO LABORERS
Injuries Sustained by Those Whom the
Grain Covered.


street and Sixth avenue tho floor gave way, aud,
falling 10 The second floor, carried that away with It
10 tho ground, instantly killing two lauorsrs an.
slightly injurng two others. Tho names OF the killed
arc:-
HUGH MURrHA. thirty years OF ago. Of No. sl4
West Forty fourth street,
JOHN CARLlN, twenty-five years OF ago, Of No. 237
Wcst Forty sixth street
Tho Injured men were Hugh Dillon and John Bur.
goss.
PARTICULARS on ACCIDENT.
The accident occurred at ten minutes past eight
O'Clock. party OF forty workmcn were employed
10 store The grain consisting OF OATS with slight
mixture OF coru, loosely on tho third noor. About
hall the men were bolow, bringing the grain In bags
10 tho hatchway of tho building, where was hoistsd
TO tho third story, enptiod into several wheelbar
rows aud spread around the door. Tho space be-
the floors vas about eight icst. and the grain
In some parts was pilcd moro than half way to
the ceing. Suddenly while about eight VI tue work.
the pile OF grain engaged IN dwelling u
with brooms tho floor gavc way crashed through the
second door and carried them with to The ground.
Part Of the grain poured down upon The men ana al
most buried them Four VI tho number extricatcd
themselves from debris unhurt and rushed 10 the
assistan CO oil their companions. They iound Dillon
badly injured about the CHEST OF his ribs being
broken, and conveyed him 10 I'll, starters Office,
alter lett for home. Burgess had tho bones OF his
right wrist broken ana loft 10 GOT them Two Of
the mon, Murtna aud Carliu were completely buried
10 the ruins and their comrades had 10 dig hem out.
Carln. when drawn out, breathcd once or twice and
thcn expired Murtha was found IN craMped-up
poston. ssili hoding shs broom wish which he had
boen dwelling the grain Lfc Was found 20 ~ sxtast.
The crash Of the falling floors drew largs crowd 70
the stable entrance on Fsrty.third street The
aveauo and street were blocked with men women and
children discussing tho accident and ctrcuiattng tho
widest reports. A detachment Of police were soon
on hand 10 preserve order. Quiet restored, aud
the entrance to the arcnway underneath the broken
floors boarded up. The bodies OF tho two dead
were laid tho floor in the starters Office and
covorcd with canvas Tho Coroner WIS summoned,
but through some irreguiarly In the transmission OF
tue despatch he did NOT arrive until halfpast one
THE CoRoNKR's ARRIVAL.
Al that time Coroner Woltmau. with hts deputy,
Or. d. B. Miller arrived, and adc preliminary In
vcstigaton into the cause OF the accident The two
workmen were found 10 have died OF sunocaiiou.
The bodies whom uncovered Of q dazzling
whitoness, as though oil tho blood had been
drawn from them, but thcre was no mark or bruso
upon thcm. The right knee joint Of Murtha was found
sIighIH disocated, but otnsrwiss the bodies IN
their normal condition. Burial permits gwen,
and the bodies wore soon alter removed ny an
Notwithstanding Of Carlin to The residence OF his
cousin No 252 West For.yseven.h street. and that Of
Nurha TO hts own residence, wncro bis wife, already
hall dead with griei, awaited its arrival
DESCRIPTION or THE BUILDING.
The sixth AvonMc Horse Railroad depot occupies
about twohirds oil the BLOCK between Fifth and
avenues aud rams from Forsy.third u Fory-iourth
street. IL 10 collection Of several buildings Of ar
fcrcnt heights pot up at different times. with u Gen.
trsl yard The scene Of the accident tho
grain building which runs through from Forty third
II Is divided into four compartments By
brick walls, with large arches placed ~ interval. IN
them. The greatest amount OF grain WAS stored
The tnird aud fourth tns.c compartment, count
ing from Sixth svsnue The floors arc OF woOd, built
Of rsoa oae o osi 10 sna
IN snicknsss. These beams had gradually nectcu and
growing drlcr had snapped when tho extra wight was
erected upon IT, Nj. W. K. stewart. The builasr
(now deccassdh when hts work was completed, told
the company that the 1ocrs would stand uny weight
oil grain that they could put upon them.
AT TIM BuiLpixG DEPARTMENT..
superintendent Adams Of the building Department
said tnat tho building was last inspected IN 1878, when
!. was found IN . sale aud good condition no rail-
road company wished " put another story on
IT, and permission was granted by tho depart-
menI Tho cause Vi tho fail Of tue ors was the TACT
that Il overloaded with oats Mr. Robert McGin-
ness CHIEF OF the Bureau Of Inspection sent 10 the
scene and at onoc directed temporary supports TO bc
placed undor The beams Of the partmen t TO
the which had fallen. IL also loaded with
grain and Was liable 70 all at any momcpI Accord
~ his caic the door would hold 40
to tho square loot rho part Of tho ncor carried away
measured " by ~ fseL or 800 square feet. Upon
thn portion were eSoweo IA DusneS JZ0,VO0
pousds, Ia pounds 70 Tho square loot. ~ more
than tho limit calculated w Mr. Mciinness. no or
dered gang Of men 10 be employed ut once IN rcmov
ing thirtynve per cent OF the grAu In the iourh
partEient anu sprsauing u on dinsrcnt noors 10
tighten tho weight. He also ordered nalf OF the hay
stored la tho top Hour TO bs removed and placed In
safer part 81 tho building Some OF tho beams tho
fourth compartment were much detected and wond
probably have faiion had grain en- pied upon
Them. Mr.. M.Guucss said lha. IN tho ca,cu.stons OF
the department there was difference made Of about
ouc-auarlsr between what was considered the SAFE
III a an tIv a n n UtuF
however, that when buildings were noored with
wood these proportions were not always accurate.
Sometimes IN such csscs the nbrc OF the WOOD would
bend Under great weight and becoming dried that
position q much less Weight put aiterward would
cause II 70 breuk Ho thought that Was the VI
tho present Disaster.
The superintendent said that Mr.. Stewart when he
rsnodeIisd The building expressed gfeat satisfaction
ut us strength, and remarked IN effect that not
enough weight could bo put upon any OF the hoors
break them VI warp the walls inis statement had 10
strengthen u the fact that heavy brick walls travorsod
tue whole ength OF the lower noor these, however,
did not run UP to The third noor aud therefore when
the great wsight was prcciptated 10 the door below
could crush u anywhere between tns walls that sup
ported ~.
rue damage TO the BUILDING alone IL estimated ut
moro than tl5,Ovu The walls are ~ nowise weak.
cned er ucrsrsd with, as tho break occurred i,stc
east aad soush 81 the centre Of the nvor and esvsrs
lower partition walls before referred 10. The velocity
ana weight wnh wnich the third floor came down .aa
DO judged from the Tact that tue heavy girfers the
noos below ~ere snapped on Ike pipe stems.
wnAr MI. MILLER sAys
Mr. Miller, the car starter, wno was IN his once nj
the time Of the accds lent gave tho following account
Of the accident :-sAt about ten minuicx past eight
o'clock THIS morning lie ird crush In tile centre VI
the building icit my oilice, and burrying through
two OF tho partitions found that Ia The thru COIN
partment tho third noor had broken FROM weight
OF grain ana carried 9th 10 the second door Al
uc Of the accident there about nftccn hostlefs
aud gram tfimmcrs ON the various aoorn, Two Of
these had been buried Ia the runs. Caflin, when
taken OUT, cried twice. sFfankl Frankt'tno u
follow workmaa--oa, died before reaching The once.
With the exception OF two VINO injured anu lett
Tor home Nil Tho others escaped unhurtn