Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1885-08-06
THE SOUTH SIDE HORROR
REVOLUTIONS OF THE MAJORITY
AND MINORITY.
The Coroner's Jury Upon the
Fallen Iron Will Disaster = The
Building strong, but Blown Down
by a Tornado.

by Tornado.
A tremor of horror spread throughout
the city yesterday afternoon week over
the terrible news of the collapse of the
large finishing mill of the Diamond State
Iron Company, at Heald and Peach
streets. Men stood on street corners and
discussed the awful affair, while from
every quarter came the query, "Where
lies the responsibility
Following is revised list of the dead
and injured;
THE DEAD.
George w. Elzey of No. 210 Walnut
street, Diamond State Iron Company's
mill carpenter, killed instantly.
Wilbur II. Jones of No. lila West
street, draughtsman for the Diamond
State Iron Company, also instantly killed.
Elzey's body was found in the ruins
under pile of heavy lumber. 1t was
badly crushed and life was extinct.
Jones' body was found with heavy
crowbar across the stomach, which it is
thought caused his death.
THE INJURED.
II. Ferris Giles of No. 1411 Harrison
street, carpenter, left thigh broken, injured
across the hips and supposed to be injured
internally.
William H. Sinex of No. 804 West Sixth
street, carpenter, back injured and leg
broken.
Alfred Downward, Townsend street be-
tween Lobdell and A, carpenter, breast
and leg injured.
Charles g. Goodman, Apple street near
Heald, carpenter, back and heel injured.
Arthur Brown, colored, of No. 100 A
street, laborer, arm injured.
Charles White, colored, of No. 100 A
street, laborer, hand and ankle hurt.
Henry Holiday, colored also of No.
100 A street. laborer, head and side
injured.
George Wilbur, Claymont street,
laborer, head, face and legs hurt.
William Lacklnnd carpenter, head
bruised.
William Gosson of No. So Fast Twenty
second street, carpenter, arm broken.
Andrew Ray of No. 413 West Front
street, laborer, bruised about the body.
Charles White, colored, laborer, wrist
and ankle broken.
THE DEAD MEN.
Wilbur II. Jones, the dead draughts-
man, was about 2S years of age. He came
to this city from New York short time
ago TO superintend the erection of the ill
fated building. He was of fine physique,
was member of st. Paul's M. i. Church
and was mn active worker of Kingswood
Chapel. lie was highly esteemed by all
who knew him. Late in the afternoon
his body was removed to the home of his
father Joseph Jones at No. liza West
street. The shock to his young wife
whom he left in the morning very i'll
wns terrible, and it was thought at the
time that she could not stand the strain.
A large number of sympnthizing friends
called during the evening.
George W. Elzey was 80 years old. He
was employed MS carpenter by the
Diamond State Iron Company. He was
n kind father and an aifectionate bus-
band. delicate wife and three children
survive him. When his body was re-
moved 10 his home at No. 2i0 Walnut
street late in the afternoon, it was
such IL severe shock to his wife that her
life was dospaired of,and physicians were
summoned. After remaining in n swoon
for some time she returned to conscious
ness but is wholly prostrated.
wAToHMAN pEAoE's STORY.
Harry Peace, watchman ut the Old
Ferry rolling mill, made the following
statement TO reporter of the GAZETTE j:
"When the storm came up, thinking there
would be a hard rain aud desiring to make
my rounds ms speedily MS possible, | left
the building in course of erection and
running proceeded about 10 feet when |
heard cracking noise. My father-in, law,
Joseph Quinn, was with Inc and we both |
halted beneath II trestle and, glancing
backward, saw the unfinished building
aslnnt, falling with an easy, gliding
motion eastward over towards Hoald
street. The falling structure did not
make much noise in the descent. At the
time of the accident there were, judge,
about Is men in the building,
Most of them We're Mt work.
To my knowledge the only per-
son in the building was Mr.. Wilbur,
an nged man who sought shelter there
from the rain. As soon MS / saw the
building fall | hastened to the Office to
inform my employers, but they were
aware of the accident before arrived
SLATE pUNcHER's STATEMENT.
William Bowers, lad employed by G.
Spcer, slnte-rOofer, was in the building
when it began to collapse. He was punch
ing slate and, rising from STOPPING
posture, glanced i'll II soutllward direction
and saw u wall trembling. Grabbing up
some tools he rushed towards n
door, about 20 feet distant, and
M soon ns he got outside he turned
around and saw the structure lying in
ruins. He did not hear any noise until
he reached the door. He says the build
ing fell very rapidly, in less time than il
takes To count l5. No one was near him
when the disaster happened.
HARRY scoTT's VERSION.
Harry Scott, who is employed at the
Old Ferry Mill as catcher ON pudding
rolls, was working near the door of the
mill. CHANGING outdoors he saw the
structure tottering and ut once shouted to
his fellow worknen '"rherc goes the
new building" lie says the building fell
fast and that there was n low, rumbling
noise, like unto thunder.
THE SCENE OF RUIN.
A cloud ms dark MS the dingy walls of
the Id Ferry mill hovered over the
scene of ruin last night week md when it
seemed nll nature much distressed would
weep, the black thing broke revealing
clouds ns white MS funeral shrhllds TINT
folded and unToltlcd while in letween
the moon pcrrcd often nnd shot its
ghnStly ruyS ncruSS the sea of debris.
Such freaks Of nature cnurtCd imIginn-
tiOn until the cultural toned murnuring
of II few sympathetic workmcn near by
seemed MS the gronns of the supposed
victims not yet uncarthed until encli
ilickerng ray from the coal oil torches
across the yellow lumber was ms n Strenk of
blood. When GAZETTE representative
reached the place all work OF removing
the fallen bricks and lumber had ceased
for the night, while sevenl flaming oil
torches stood on the lumber 10 mark the
spot where the awful catastrophe hnd
been.
''AIen / think they'll find n body or two
under them big poles yet" said a little
man with his countenance MS gloomy as
his remark.
"Aye." replied another, "but my God
what an awful place to leave them over
night. If they had n chance Mt life they'd
surely die"
81 think there must be somebody
under thnt building. There were good
many in there when it fell"
'Were you ?" asked n reporter.
eyes sir. I was one of the carpenters
and was standing with my tool chest
about 10 feet from the west side door
when l saw the wall totter toward me. l
sprang to the door and while passing
through it the wall caught my tool box,
iarring me considerably but escaped all
right. 1t was not hard to hear the moans
and cries of the victims after the
accident" he concluded.
''My father was in the building raid a
4 A