The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-02-16
The Water Causes a Weakening of the Walls
and the Falling of Two Buildings in
the Flooded District.
Ten of the Thirty-Five Occupants Of the
Structures Lose Their Lives.
Effect of the Disaster on the Occupants of
Other Water-SurrOunded Buildings
The Daily List of Casualties.
TEN PERSONS KILLED.
Two Buildings Undermined by the Flood
Tumble Into the Water.

Two Buildings Undermined by the Flood
Tumble Into the Water
CINCINNATI, Feb. 15.-At $40 this morning
the fire alarm was sounded for the box at Lud-
low and Pearl streets, where the water sur
rounds the houses. When the engines reached
the place it was discovered that the rear part of
two brick buildings on the south side of Pearl,
near Ludlow, had fallen in, and that ten per
sons were buried in the ruins or drowned. The
occupants of the front portion had given the
alarm, and before the real cause could be ascer
tanned the fire alarm was sounded The FIRE
men, in conjunction with the police, used every
effort to rescue the living and dead. The living
were soon brought out Four members of a
family named Burk. Mr.. and Mrs Coulter
Maud Ellis, Lydia Ellis, Willie Kyle, and an
other, name not known, are supposed to be
crushed or drowned Mrs. Webb, an occupant
of the room in the part that fell, was awakened
by the cracking of the walls and tried to awaken
others, but fell with the ruins, and yet escaped
without injury
The buildings were occupied as boarding
houses by Robert Kyle and George Oyster
There were about thirty five people in the build
ings at the time. The following are known to
have been killed either by falling timbers or
drowning
John W. Kyle son of the proprietor; Mary E.
Golfer Maud Ellis. James Ogden, Barney Wink
Ter, Mrs. Winkler, Thomas Burke, Mrs. Lena
Burke and two children, William and Louis
Burke, making ten lives so far known to have
been lost.
The rescued women were conveyed in the pa
troll wagon to the fire engine-house in the vi
cinity, where they were made comfortable by
the fire. Mrs. Kyle, whose son was lost in the
ruins, was inconsolable She imagined her boy
was alive and struggling for his freedom. Then
she gave him up for lost and her agony was
heartrending. Mrs. Webb who occupied
room in the part that fell, says she
could not sleep for the cracking of the walls
She thought at first it was the paper affected by
the water but afterward supposed it was some
thing worse
II got up at last" she said, land awakened
Mary Golfer, and told her we must get
out something was going to happen
1 went to the door of the next ROOM
where Maud Ellis was sleeping, and tried
to awaken her Then l called Mary Golfer again
to hurry. She was sitting on the bed. l was
the door, 1 felt the house going. could
have stepped through the door to the front part
but turned to get Mary 1 could not see, and
felt all around for her. and then we all went
down together. L do not know how 1 escaped
but 1 crawled out and screamed"
This was told between sobs, as the poor woman
bemoaned her roommate, Mary Golfer, and the
girl Maud Ellis. The occupants of the house
say they called the attention of the owner last
summer to the weakness of the rear wall
but it was not repaired. One of them thinks the
wooden lentel over the rear cellar door was
broken by the effect of the water and so let the
rear wall down. The body of Thomas Burke
was recovered shortly before noon. 1t was
crushed fearfully.
The accident has spread terror among the oc-
cupants of similar old buildings in the flooded
districts. Many who can do so are getting out to
safer quarters
By the confusion of names the report was cur
rent that two additional bodies had been found
making the total number of victims twelve 1t
was afterwards learned that the two people
hitherto called Winkler in the reports. were Mr.
and Mrs. Woenker This leaves the total num-
Der of victims, SO far known, ten. The body
of Maud Ellis has also been recovered. The body
of another woman was found fast under a parti-
ton wall but owing to the danger of other walls
falling further search was abandoned till the
water falls.