The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1885-04-14
PAPER DWELLINGS.
Eight Large Tenement Houses in
New York Fall in Ruins.
Large Numbers of WOrkmen Buried in
the Ruins.
Three Men Missing and Seventeen
Seriously Injured.
The Disaster Attributed to a Builder
Who Constructed "Skin" Dwellings.

NEW YORK, April l3.-Elght hVo story tene-
ment houses on the south side of West 62d
street, between 10th and 11th avenues, that
had recently been put under roof, fell down
this afternoon, while efforts were being
made to brace them up. The wreck was COM
pete Not stick remained standing, and not
a timber remained whole 10 theentire row. Half
hundred workmen were at work in or about
the buildings at the time, and at least 13 Of
them were injured, but none fatally. 1t was
said soon after the accident occurred that 20
persons were buried in the ruins, but up to
late hour no body had been found, and ramor
had reduced the less in killed to g. The ex-
ctement about the place was SO great that it
was difficult to obtain any reliable informa-
tion as to who might have been lost, and the
gangs of workmen employed in searching for
remains, found no cluet0 any object of their
search up to nightfall.
A most superficial examination OF the de-
bris showed the canse of the disaster to be
wretched workmanship and poor material The
mortar contained little Or no sand, but loam or
mud instesd, and .was @holly unfit for use.
This, and the fact that the building had been
erected, during the cold weather, of wet and
frozen brick were directly the cause OF the col
lapse. The builder, Charles A. Buddensilk,
who was responsible, left the neighborhood in
a carriage Immediately after the disaster, and
drove to his residence in East 77Lh street.
Where he went from there nobody could learn.
The police, who arrested the master brickiayer
Charles Frank, could not find the builder.
Baddinsilk has been for years in trouble with
the authorities on account of the ''skin" build
ings he has put up. The erection Of those
buildings had been going on sinoe last De.
cember, during all the cold weather. TIE
fourth story walls showed weakness in a sud-
den thaw before the fifth story was reached,
and had to be taken down. When good
thaw set in the walls began to weaken, and
steps we're taken to brace them up from both
ends SO that they would stick together until
the roof could be put on and the end walls re-
built.
Four stone mesops and 48 carpenters and
roof6rs, painters, lathers and plumbers num-
beriDg perhaps 30 were at work about the
premises at the time, and fifty men had just
baen laid off as some material had not arrived.
About 3I5 p. ~, a shout OF warning went up
and the end of the building toward Eleventh
ayenue Wasseau to toler and than fall with
thnuderous noise. Both tho foundation side
walls had fallen oat and the body OF the house
deprived sof its support fell IN batween to tho
cellar. The building adjoining it having
nothing to lean upon fell next, then the whole
row followed, like line Of card houses, with q
continuous roar that seemed to last many
minutes as one after the other Of the tall
buildings vent down after its neighbor.
Men in buildings for q block were aroused
and people living in the street for half mile
about were startled by the noise and shock,
aud in 8 very short time the locality OF the
paper dwellings was packed with an excited
populace whose threats of vengeance on the
reckless builder filled the air. When the
heavy clouds of dust had cleared away the
| people looked upon q heap of broken bricks
| and timbers which vas piled only few feet
| above the level Of the streets, while men With
| broken limbs and bruised faces and members
| were struggling ont from under the bricks and
| dragging themselves painfully away
| 6hrieks and groahs were heard from one or
| two PLACES. and TO these PLACES the people
| rushed. Firemen and all the available ambu-
| lances in the city were summoned to the scene.
| The Roosevelt Hospital ambulances were the
| first on hand, and they carried away nine OF
| the wounded. Four hook and ladder COM
| panlee and GhA crews OF three engine COM
| panies set to work to remove the debris. A
| large gang of workmen vas also pressed into
! service. and in 15 minutes the labor OF rescue
was we'll under way, and night mad set IN be
fore their efforts were relaxed at all. Once ol
twice the workers fancied they hsard cry fol
help, but no person was found.
About o'clock, Louis Walters was found
| between many crossing timbers, and held ias
| In the rains, and he was extricated with grea
difficulty. He had been engaged in bolsterine
| up the building. He sill breathed, and wa
| removed to the Roosevelt hospital. DiggiDs
was then resumed under strong calcium lights
1t was said that Buddensilk had been hart BY
falling brick when the buildings fell. Ther'
were many threats of lynching the man, ant
it was lucky for him he stayed away.
Bnddensilk is notorious as builder OF chea]
ediices.
Many narrow escapes were had. Andrev
Lane and John Gainor were painting on tn
third story windows of one of the houses whel
it fell. Lane landed in the cellar and Gaino
on the sidewalk, almost uuhurt. AT G1idnigh
it is thought four pereo stairbuilder
and two plumbers are still in the ruins.
The injured are Otis Arnt, Robert Bender
ick, Henry Brandt, John Cavanagh, job
Dexter, John Flynn, Thomas Flynn, Thoma
King, John Lavorty, John Mclnery, very SC
riously; Thomas Nolan, George Saverbrfe, Js
cob Seh1chl, James Trainor, Frank NaiC
Hans Walters, badly crushed; Adam Zavel
man. There are now three men missing.