Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1884-06-03
Terrible Aceident-LOss of Life,

BALTIMORE, May 30.-A terrible acct
dent occurred at Hooper's building No.
q! South Gay street, at 2 o'clock this after
noon. Several persons are known to have
been crushed to death. The weight of the
cotton stored in the building caused it's col
lapse. The whole front Of the building fell
IN. Three or four persons were in the
countingroom and four in the SHINING
office, and there were at least fifteen or
twenty in front of the structure. The
firemen and police are busily engaged in
removing the debris in order to get the peo-
pie out. The body of Mortimer H. Linthi-
cum, the cashier Of the house. was found
packed in between several barrels. A man
named Kelly and colored boy have also
been found among the ruins. Eight bodies
so far have been discovered.
Up to o'clock this morning only the
bodies of Lithicum and the colored bow J.
Il. Bowen had been recovered from Hoop
er's warehouse. In addition to those al
ready named Edward Bowen, colored Dor.
ter of Messrs. Hooper, is in the wreck.
William IL. Corkran, clerk, was caught
under the timbers but was little injured.
Doigdale & Long, dealers in fertilizers,
who occupied the front office on the second
floor of the bnilding, and Benjamin Green
wood, Gildea Hook, and Kenneth McLea,
employees, are known to have been there
when the crash came. Greenwood reach
ed window, and was rescued without Sc
r1ous injury. Hook and McLea are still
under the debris, the whole of which is fill
ed with gas from broken pipes. The build
ing was supposed to be one of the most
substantial in the city, with heavy side
walls and blue stone front. It has been
1niPd fOr
Hooper q Sons, cotton goods mannfactur-
ers, and an immense stock was stored on
the five floors. On which floor the break
occurred is not known, and all are down
from the front to within about forty feet
of the rear, which opens on Frederick
street. The counting room is located in
the rear of the first floor, and most of the
persons We're there when the break occur
red. One-half of the upper front was
thrown down and the remainder so broken
and pushed outward that it is liable to fall
at any moment. The warehouse was built
about twenty-five years ago and was long
used as tobacco house. The ground was
filled in, having been river. The shore
foundation is said to have settled down,
and the immense weight of goods was the
cause of the calamity.
LATER.
BALTIMORE, May 31.-At 2 O'Clock this
afternoon the workmen at the Gay-street
disaster very unexpectedly rescued a point
where they could see Gildea Hook He
was still alive, and stimulants were adj
ministered to him; but at 5 o'clock he was
dead, and only his body was : tricated.
Near him was found Kenneth McLea's
body
Thus far four bodies have been recovered.
There still remain under the wreck the
bodies of James Kelly, shipping clerk of
MessIs. Hooper & Sons; the colored porter,
Edward Bowen; and the colored drayman,
Moulton. Men are still at work, but the
immense mass Of timber and goods,
amounting to thousands of tons in weight,
will take much time for its removal.
A jury of inquest was summoned this
afternoon, but the investigation will not
begin until Tuesday next.
The stock of Hooper & Sons was very
large but they do not expect the damage
by wreck will exceed $4,000. The dam
age to the building, which belongs to the
estate of Charles D. Deford, will be from
$50, 900 to $25, 000
The disaster is now supposed to have
been caused by the decay of one end Of a
large girder which ran the entire length of
the building on the third floor, and which
was broken off where it rested on the front
wall by the great weight of goods stored
on that floor. Many Of the heavy joists
upon which floors were laid are also broken,
and show evidence Of dry-rot.