Huntsville gazette., 1884-04-12
A MIRACULOUS ESCAPE.
Nine Persons Carried Down in Failing
Building and All Of Them Rescued Alive
Only One Seriously Injured--Three Grave
Children.

Children.
ST. LOUIS, Mo-, April 7.
Mr. Russell, the night watchman at No.
l5engine house, while going east on Spruce
street, about six O'Clock yesterday
morning, was suddenly startled by ter
rife crash and succession of noises that
sounded like the mutfied shrieks of women
and frantic cries of children. Looking
up quickly he saw cloud of dust rising
from Poplar street, near Second. Sup
posing the house which the dust obscured
from view was in flames he hurried
to the nearest fire alarm box, on Third
and Spruce streets, and called out the
fire department. As soon as the dust
attracting Mr.. Russell's attention had
cleared away he discovered there was no
fire as he had supposed, but that three
story brick building had literally
crumbled into pieces, and had fallen
to the ground in ruins. The build
ing proved to be that portion of the
Kimpel carriage mandatory designated
by the number 20o Spruce street.
There were nine people in the building
when it fell, and they all happened to be
in bed at the time in the second and third
stories The first floor of the structure
was occupied by the blacksmith-shop OF
the carriage factory, but there were no
fires in the forges as it was Sunday morn
ing. Those sleeping in the second and
third story rooms were Mr.. John Cinati,
his wife and four children, Mrs.
Dudenweiler, Peter Brennan, Henry
Landaher and Gus Winters. They
were all completely covered with
broken timbers and debris, but none OF
them sustained fatal injuries. When the
tiremen undertook to extricate them they
found it..somewhat difficult at first to To-
cate them. They soon cut their way
through the roof and into the ruins
among broken furniture of the upper
rooms. They extricated Mr.. Brennan
and the three children who were sleeping
in the room he occupied. Mr.. Brennan
shouted for help at the top of his lungs,
and having a good voice succeeded in
getting rescued among the first.
As soon as he worked his way through a
hole in the roof, made for him by the fire.
men, he said there were three children in
pressing need of assistance. When Mike
Herter shouted to the children they an
swered him family. He then told them to
keep their mouths closed and prevent the
dust from entering their lungs. They
obeyed like little soldiers and waited pa
tiently in their disagreeable prison for
assistance. Finally they were taken out
in good condition. They were prevented
from being crushed by the bedding on
which they were sleeping when the acci-
dent occurred.
All the other occupants of the house eX
cepting Mrs. Dudenweller escaped with
out sustaining the slightest injury. Mrs.
Dudenweller had her right arm broken
and sustained several bruises about the
head and shoulders. She was removed
to the residence of Mr.. Kimpel and given
the surgical treatment she required.
Owing to her age, she being nearly sew
enty years old, it is not probable that she
will ever recover from her I'M uries. She
is widow, and occupied one of the
third-story rooms of the building.
Mr.. Kimpel was in Kansas City yester.
day, but he will undoubtedly arrive in this
city to-day. He owned the building, and
used it as a carriage repairing Shop, val
uing it at $4,000. The stock it contained
he valued at about $4,000. AS the build
ing was destroyed and stock totally ruined,
the loss sustained by Mr.. Kimpel, it is
estimated, will amount to nearly Sl6,'