New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-05-31
COLLAPSE of A WAREHOUSE.
SIX MEN KILLED AND MANY INJURED.
BURIED IN DEBRIS-PINI0NED BY A BEAM AND
BEGGING TO BE KIrIED-sAYING GooD-BY TO
BURIED COMRADE.
lBY TELEGRAPH To THE TRIBUNE.

lBY TELEGRAPH THE rRIBUSE.l
BALTIMORE, May 30.-The handsome stone
warehouse No. 81 South Gayst., occupied by William f.
Hooper Sons prOpretOrs OF the cotton mills at Wood
berry, Nd. and used by them as storage warehouse
collapsed with o crash at o'clock this afternoon, bury
ing Mortimer Ilnthicam James Kelly, James and Eddie
Bowen, colorcd Kenneth McIea, Gildea Hook Benjamin
Greenwood, Walter Cochran Henry Soaring and james
Martin In the ruins Linthcan, Kelly, McLea, Hook and
the two Bowens, father and son. were killed. Green
wood Cochran and Martin seriously hurt while the
others escaped with slight injuries.
The escape OF any OF the men remarkable, as the
entire fourth floor fell the celler without moments
warning The spectacle presented after the disaster
was appang Only portion Of the front wall was left
standing while the entire interior OF the building was
filed with debris The second story front room Of the
building was occupied office by Long & Dugdale,
dealers ID fertilizers. When the crash came Benjamin
Greenwood bookkeeper, Gldea HOOK. shipping clerk and
Kenneth McIca travelling salesman Of the firm, were
sitting in the Office cony6rsing. Greenwood saw the
ceiling part the middle and called to the others to run
for their lives. The alarm was needed instantly, but
none succeeded in escaping Greenwood got as far al
the front window when he was pniOned by falling tim
ber Only his head was visible.
The hremen upon arriving went 10 work with Will to
exrcate tho victims who could be seen from the street.
The dangerous condition OF the Sa left standing made
them proceed with great caution The rst person taken
ont was Walter Cochran His hand were seen prOtrudng
from the debris The rcmen cut away the fallen timber,
and found Cochran lying nsensibe near the stairway
leading TO the upper floor His injuries were not serious
but poinfu The attention of the hremen then d.
rected to young Greenwood who was imprisoned at the
widow The sun beating down his uncovered head,
and TIC and dust aggravated his terrible shcrings
Though heavy beam across his back, and his lower
limbs were wedged fast by brick mortar and timber, he
bore up herocay FOR hour or more when his suffer-
ing became so intense he cried "For Gods sake
talyc nd me-
longer" This made the fremen work more vigorously
Liquor poured down the fellows throat and his
head bathcd with water This appeared TO revive him.
and he directed the nremcn how to rescue him. Owing
TO the fact that only three could stand the win
dow sill and work at the task, 1t not until after two
hours hard work that Greenwood released. He
taken to his home He Il seriously injured internally
Nothing further could be done from the street toward
rescung the other victims and found necessary to
cut hole through the wall OF the adjoining warehouse.
When this was accomplished cgress gained to the
through hole and found Henry searng cashier for
Hooper sons Imprisoned against the ws in the the % 9fee
Upon seeing the fireman Soaring cried 10 Out; tor Goqs
sake save me- the others are dead de refeed 10 key
and Iinthcam, clerks who were In the office when
G9 oSnd T's to rS Se only iy"fuS Slightly Injured heavy
cross beam formed barrier for the falling timber.
After being rescued he said that he heard the pteous
eroans of Lnthicam and Kelly and that the former at
length said "Good-bye Soaring am going fast S Attera a
they were dead. - =,
The hremen found the mutlIated ooues OF potL oiehs
crushed behind the stove. Their faces bore evidence OF
intense suffering. The body Of the coored boy James
Bowen, was found the Office door. The bodies OF
Gldea Hook and Kenneth Mcea have not yet been re-
covered. Young Greenwood says that neither uttered
sound after building fell and their deaths must nave
been instantaneous The body Of the colored driver,
Edward Bowen, can be seen In the deDrls, put
darkness compelling the rcmcn to cease Work until
morning. ,
Samuel Johnson coored, and colored man named
Mouon are missing, and II Is thought that they also are
buried in the building, they were b0th seen INSIDE
few minutes before the disaster The escape OF IneOqore
Hooper, Junior member OF the firm, was miraculous
He mad moment before left the centre OF tne ware
sound of the falling wall heard and he ran out OF tne
building and escaped with slight injuries
The cause OF the disaster is not definitely known:
Some attribute It to the immense quantity OF
cotton stored on the fifth floor Of the ware
house, which forced out the front wall
Others say that caused by the explosion OF inc ar
chamber OF the hydraulic elevator. -be loss is est
mated at $4,000 which falls principally upon tne
Deord estate Hooper, Sons loss viii not amount 70
largo their stock, which consisted mostly ot
cotton, aud manufactured, was not Injured.