The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1884-06-05
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GoitupSe OF u BnlttmOre warehouse Carry
ing to Instant Death Several of its In.
mates and Causing tho Serious Injury OF
Many Others-The Cause of the Disaster
Enveloped in Mystery.
BALTIMORE, Md, May 81.
A disaster occurred here about two
O'Clock yesterday afternoon, resulting in
the killing of six persons. Shortly after
the hour named the center Of the city was
thrown into intense excitement by a
roaring proceeding from the center Of the
block of valuable warehouses on Sonth
Gay street, between Second and Lom-
bard streets. The cause was soon appar-
ent, for the handsome, cheat stone ware
house No. 81 South Gay street, occupied
by VIM. E. Hooper & Sons, cotton mer-
chants, was seen to fall in with crash.
Great clouds of dust arose from the vast
pile of debris in the bed of the street and
in the interior of the structure, instantly
spreading like pail over the scene, hid
ing it completely from the passers-by or
the square.
The warehouse was completely
wrecked, all Ave floors having fallen in,
causing the death of the following:
Mortimer Linthicum, clerk for Hooper
& Sons.
james Kelly, book-keeper for the Arm.
Edward Bowen, colored porter.
James Bowen, son OF the last named
Gildea Hook, shipping clerk for Long
& Dugdae.
Long & Dugdale, dealers in fertilizers,
occupied an Office on the second floor Of
the Hooper building.
The fall of the structure was attended
by deafenlng uproar and, as several
witnesses testified, was preceded by a
noise like escaping steam. The clerks In
the Custom-house, across the way, were
the first to reach the street in front ofth
warehouse, some of them leaping from
the windows near their desks, and then
from all quarters the crowds came pour.
ing into the dusty thoroughfarc. Many oi
them were in Office coats and all were
pale with suppressed excitement Sud.
denly cry of great agony arose from the
front of the demolished building: "oh
God, help, help, helpl For Gods sake
help" "No one could tell where the
cry came from, until boy caught d
glimpse of a straw hat projecting from
the lower edge of a vast pile OF broken
timber which bulged from the north win.
dow of the building on the second floor
He pointed it out to a policeman, and
the crowd instantly caught sight of bill
of straw and traced the cries to it.
The fire alarm was Immediately sounded
and the department responded promptly
A colored porter employed IN the ware
house Of Ulman & Goldborough adjoining
the fatal building crowded out on the
lower cornice and asked question of the
man imprisoned at the window Of wlsom
only his head could be seen. BY
\ a desperate effort the captive
raised his head and exposed q ghastly
face distorted with awful torture. "For
Gods sake hit me In the head; kill
me quick,n the poor creature cried.
Several tremen undertook the peril
Gus task of rescuing, il possible, the
unfortunate man, who proved to be Ben
jamin b. Greenwood, book-keeper for
Long & Dugdale. The work proceeded
with system, and was carried out as rap.
idly as possible, taking into eonsidera-
tion the great danger Of the remaining
portion OF the wall falling at any mo.
ment.
After long and untiring efforts Mr.
Greenwood was rescued at $3.50 D. IN.
His legs were crushed In horrible
manner and his head badly cut lie was
taken to the hospital, and 1t is thought he
will recover.
About an hour later, Harry +. Sewing,
cashier for Hooper & Sous, was rescued
Huge timbers had fallen all around him
and he was thus protected lie tainted
as soon as he was taken out. Upon re.
gaining consciousness he was conveyed
to his home in a carriage.
Nothing is known as to the cause Of the
disaster. Two theories are advanced
one that the air chamber Of the hydraulic
elevator exploded and carried down one
Of the heavy girders which supported the
floor, causing the latter to give way.
Another theory Is that the upper fool
was too heavily laden with goods, causing
the front wall to bulge. The Messrs
Hooper are noted for their great attention
to the safety and comfort OF their en-
ployes. They have several hotels which
they conduct solely for their factory
hands, and at the factories and ware
houses every facility is at Iand for escape
in case Of fire. The building, which wai
built by the late Charles DeFord, in 1856
was considered one Of the most substan
tial, as it was certainly one OF the hand
soonest, in the city. The loss by the dis
aster will aggregate 100000. Th'
Messrs. Hooper had their stock insured
for $500, 600, but as no fire occurred be
fore OF after the disaster the policies o
insurance do not cover their loss.
The work of recovering the bodies i
the building will be resumed to-day.
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