The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-05-15
FALLING BUILDINGS.
Two Buildings In Brooklyn, n. II. Collapse
and Catch Fire-Frightful Loss Of Life.

~ FALLING BUILDINGS.
Two Buildings In Brooklyn. n. r.. Collapse
and Catch Firs-Frighsful Loss Of Life.
NEW YORK, May 5.-Whcn the workmen
were engaged putting up girder in the
basement Of the building in the rear of No.
IS Atlantic avenue, Brooklyn, this morning
one of the needles used in packing up
beams gave way, causing the en-
tire building to collapse. On
the second floor was soap
manufacturing company, in which were
the furnace for heating the cauldrons. The
building took fire Immediately. and terri
BILE panic ensued among the inmates.
There were two hundred and fifty persons
i'm the building, including many girls EN-
ployed on the upper floors. The west
wing of the building fronting Atlantic
avenue went down entirely, and 1t is sup
posed that many persons were carried down
i'm the ruins. The flames communicated to
the remainder of the structure, which was
standing and soon the whole building was
in flames. The fire alarm sounded after
much delay and brought the first
firemen, but they were unable to
cope with the flames. which were now
mounting high above the building
and leaping forth from different windows
A second and third alarm and finally gen.
eral one was sounded and soon the streets
swarmed with fire apparatus Of all kinds.
| The firemen soon had streams playing on
the structure.
The buildings were parted In the rear
| of the buildings fronting Atlantic avenue,
Hicks and State streets, and Columbia
Place. The entrance to them was on
| Columbia Place. State street and through
| the alleyways OH Atlantic avenue. When
the wing of the collapsed building fell,
it crushed into the tenement houses
So and 55 Atlantic avenue. Mrs. Henrietta
Hans, sixty-eighI years old, and her daugh-
ter, Emma, aged thirty years, were in the
rear of the second floor Of the house, No.
30. They were buried under the
ruins. Fireman Duff. of engine
No. 4, soon succeeded in digging
them out. They were both badly
injured. Mrs. Ilans died while being
moved to hospital and little hope is en-
tertained for the daughter. Subsequently,
while the men of the engine were en-
gagged in throwing streams on the
flames, the wall gave way and buried
Firemen Bernard and Stark and Michae,
+. Regain. They were quickly eXtricated
by companions, but were both badly injured
around the body and suffered severe scalp
wounds. Both were taken to the hospital.
Fireman Dougherty, of the Star Company
was struck on the head By falling brick
and badly hurt.
1t is now believed that thirty lives were
lost in the Brooklyn disaster. The building
was occupied by twenty small manufact
.lrers and there were about 500 men and
women employed therein. 1t was five
tories high and erected twenty-seven years
ago.
The cause of the fire was the overturning
of the boilers i'm the soap factory on the
second floor.
The west wall of the middle wing on At
lantic avenue had settled.
The workmen were screwing 1t up with
Jacks The middle jack had been screwed
up too high and it was lowered, when the
whole weight of the wall came upon the
two Jacks at the end and it fell with crash.
Policeman Mccormick, of tile third sub
district. heard that the building had fallen
and ran thither Immediately.
The fremen injured were Bernard StOrt
and Michael +. Grcgan of engine company
No. 4; Patrick DOcherty of hook and ladder
company No. 8, and fireman Hardy. Their
wounds are all scalp wounds caused by
falling brick.
Among the employees known to be injured
are:
Henry Maurer, scalp wound and fractured
leg.
Mrs. Henrietta Hass, reported to have
died on the way to the hospital.
Miss Mamie Hass, her daughter, severely
hurt.
Two unknown women were pulled from
beneath the burning timbers by the chic
of the fire department, Mr.. Nevins.
Rosa Partridge, an employee of Mile Hynes
is among the missing.
Edwin Butler was seen to jump from the
second story into the ruins. He has not
been seen since.
-Four of the men employed by the Judd
manufacturing company are also missing.
Tho women were taken from the second
floor by firemen who had raised ladders to
the State street building.
Chief Nevin said: 81 believe there are
at least twenty-five people in the ruins.
There may be more"
The loss is estimated at $500, 900; insur-
aDce unknown.
The building was owned by Nat Cushing.
of Boston.