The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1885-04-15
A DEATH TRAP.
An Entire Block in New York City
Falls, Carrying with 1t its
Human Freight.

rails, carrying with 1t its
Human Freight.
The Fault of a Constituencies Builder
Noble work of the Firemen
at the Rescue.
New YORK, April Is. - Eight
fve-story tenements on the south
side of Sixty-seventh street, between
Tenth and Eleventh avenues, that
had recently been put under roof,
fell this afternoon while efforts were
being made to brace them up, so that
the yielding foundations might be
made secure. The wreck was COM
plete. Not a stick remained stand
ing. Not a timber remained whole
in the entire row.
HALF A HUNDRED wORKMEN
were at work in or about the build
ings at the time. At least thirteen
of them were injured, but none
fatally, it is said. Soon after the &C.
cident had occurred it was reported
that twenty persons were buried in
the ruins, but up to a late hour no.
body had been found. The most
superficial examination of the debris
showed the cause of disaster to be
the wretched workmanship and poor
material. The mortar contained little
or no sand, but loan and mud
instead, and was unfit for use. This
and the fact that the building had
been wholly erected during cold
weather, of wet and frozen brick,
were directly the cause of the col
lapse. The builder, Charles A. Bud
densick, who was responsible, left
the nefghborhood in a carriage i'm
mediately after the disaster, and
drove to his residence. Where he
went from there nobody could learn.
The police, who arrested the master
brickIayer, Charles Frank,
COULD NOT FIND THE BUILDER.
Buddens1ck has been for years in
trouble with the authorities on &C
count of "skin" buildings he has put
up. Evidence was given by Frank
and Chas. Swager and another brick
layer, which is very damaging to
Buddensick. The erection OF the
building has been going on since last
November, during all the cold
weather. The fourth story walls
showed weakness in sudden thaw
before fifth story was reached and had
to be taken down. Men were forbidden
to carry home scraps Of timber lett
by the carpenters by builders orders.
These were to be used in fitting in
the walls to save bricks, which were
sometimes put in by the armful.
When a good thaw set in the walls
began to weaken, and steps were
taken to brace them up from both
ends, so that they would stick
together until the roofs could be puton
and the end walls rebuilt. The wall
STOOL THUS FOR A WEEK
or two, without, SO far as could be
learned, exciting the curiosity OF the
building department. The heavy
rain of yesterday morning compile
ted the work begun by the thaw.
This morning it vas seen that the
three houses at the west end were ia
imminent danger of falling The
foundation had bulged noticeab]y,
and the walls wero shaky.
The builder, Buddensick's, at
tention was called to the mater.
he set the men to work to fix up the
walls of the foundation. -Four stone
masons and eighteen carpenters were
at work on this when the crash came.
There were roofers, painters, fathers
and plumbers, in all numbering
about thirty, at work about the prem
lses at the time. Fifty men had
been laid off, as some material had
not arrived.
THE CRASH.
About 3:l5 this afternoon q shout of
warning went up that brought pale
faces to many windows. The end OF
the building toward 18th avenue, was
to toIter and then fall with
thunderous noise. Both foundation
walls had fallen out and the body OF
the house, deprived of the support.
fell into the cellar. The building adj
Joining, having nothing to lean upon,
fell next, and then the whole row
following, like a line CT card
houses, u continuous roar following
that seemed to last many minutes, as
one after another of the tall build
ings went down. The workmen in
buildings for blocks around and the
people living on streets for halt a
mile about were startled by the
shock and IN a short time the locality
of the wreck was packed by excited
people whose threats of vengeance on
the reckless builder filed the air.
When the
HEAVY CLOUD OF DUST
had cleared away, the people looked
upon the broken pile OF bricks and
timbers piled only a few feet above
the level of the street. while men
with broken limbs and bruised faces
were struggling out from under the
wreck and dragging themselves
painfully away. Shrieks and groans
were heard from one o. two places
and to these spots the people rushed.
Firemen and all available ambu-
lances were summoned. People
from all parts Of the city
focked there. Roosevelt Hospital
ambulances were the first on hand,
and carried away nine of the wound
ed. Commissioner Bremen, OF the
Charities Department, undertook to
direct the work of rescue, and Build
ing Inspector D'Oench and the Ex-
else Commissioners did work in the
same direction. Four hook-and-lad-
der companies and the ere W of three
engine companies set to work to re-
move the debris. Large gangs OF
workmen were hastily pressed into
service. and in fifteen minutes
THE LABOR OF RESCUE
was well under way. Night had set
in before the efforts were relaxed at
all. Once or twice the workers
fancied they heard cries for help,
but no person was found at either