St. Paul daily globe., 1885-04-14
Eight FiVe-StOry Buildings Collapse
in New York, Burymg a Score
OF WOrkmen.
Miraculous Escape From Death =
Though Many We're Injured 1t is
Believed None We're Killed.
The Criminal Cupidity of the Contractor Re-
sponsible for the astrophe-Making
Mortar Without Sand.
Five Men Killed by, a Falling smokestack in
Michigan and Another Fatally In
jured-0ther Casualties.
Buried by Falling Buildings.


avenues, that had recently been put under
roof, fell this afternoon while efforts were
being made to brace them up that the yield
ing foundation might be made sure. The
wreck was complete. Not a stick remained
standing, not timber remained
full in the entire row. Half
a hundred workmen were at work
in or about the buildings at the time. At
least thirteen of them were injured, none
fatally. 1t was said soon after the accident
occurred that twenty persons were buried in
the ruins, but up to late hour no body had
been found. The
EXCITEMENT ABOUT THE PLACE
was so great that it was difficult to obtain any
reliable information as to who might have
been lost, but the gangs of workmen en-
poyed in searching for the remains found
no clue to any object of their
search up to nightfall. The most superficial
examination Of the debris showed the
cause of the disaster to be wretched work
manship and poor material. The mortar
contained little or no sand but loan Or mud
instead, and was wholly unfit for use. This
and the fact that the building had been
erected during the cold weather, of vet and
frozen bricks, was directly the cause of the
collapse. The builder, Charles A. Budden-
sick, who was responsible, left the neighbor-
hood in a carriage Immediately after the
disaster and drove to his residence on East
Seventy street. Where he went
from there
NOBODY COULD LEARN.
The police, who arrested the master brick
laver Charles Frank, could not find the
builder. Buddensick has been for years in
IL .4~c4 IL
''skin" buildings he has put up. The evil
dence given by Frank and Charles Swager,
another bric1layer, is very damaging to Mr..
Buddensick The erection of the building
had been going on since last
December, During all the cold
weather, the fourth-story walls
showed weakness in a sudden thaw before
Inc fifth story was reached, and had to be
taken down. Workmen were forbidden to
carry home scraps Of timber left by the car
penters By the builders orders these were
10 be used in filing in the walls to save
bricks, which were sometimes put in by the
lrmful. 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 put on and the end
walls rebuilt The wall stood thus far week
or two without, so far as could be learned
exciting the curiosity of the building depart
ment The heavy warm rain of Yesterday
completed the work begun by the thaw. This
morning it was seen that the three houses at
the west end were in imminent danger of
falling. The .-ii,
FOUNDATION HAD BULGED g4aa
noticably and the walls were shally. Builder
Buddensicl's attention was called to the
matter He set men at work to fix up the
walls and foundation. Four stone m ssops
and eighteen carpenters were at work on this
when the crash came. There were roofess,
painters, fathers and plumbers, numbering
perhaps thirtV at work about the premises at
the time. Fifty men had been laid off, as
some material had not arrived. About 3:15
p. IN.
A SHOUT OF WARNING
went up that brought 2aLe faces to many
windows. The end building toward Elev-
euth avenue was seen to totter, and then
fall with Il thunderous noise. Both the
foundation and side walls had fallen out,
and the body of the house, deprived of its
support, fell TO the cellar. The building ad-
joining it. having nothing to lean upon, fell
next, then the whole row followed like line
of card houses. \ continuous roar followed
that seemed to last many minutes, as one
after the other of the
TAIL BUILDINGS WENT DOWN
workmen in the buildings for blocks around
and people living on the street for half
mile about were startled by the noise and
shock and in a very short tune the locality
of the wreck was packed with an excited
people Threats of vengeance on the reck-
less bulJhS filled the air. When the
the people looked upon bed of
broken bricks and timbers piled only few
feet above the level of the street, men with
broken limbs and bruised faces were strug-
Cling out
FROM UNDER THE WRECK
and dragging themselves painfully away.
Shrieks and groaus were heard from one or
two places, and to these the people rushed
Firemeu and all available ambulances were
summoned. People from all parts of the city
focked there. The Roosevelt hospital ambu-
lanccs were the first on hand and
carried away nine of the wounded.
Commissioner Brennan of the charities de-
partment. undertook to direct the work of
rescue, and Building Inspector Doench and
the fire commissioners did work in the same
direction Four hook and ladder companies
and the crews of three engine companies set
TO work to remove the debris. a large gang
of workmen was pressed into service and in
fifteen minutes the labor of rescuing was
well under way. Night had set in before
their efforts were rewarded Once or twice
the workers fancied they heard some one
give
CRY FOR HELP,
but no person was found at either time
Near O'Clock Fire Chief Reeves thought he
heard groans under the heap at the rear OF
the secoud building. Gangs went to work in
front aud rear At 80 hole large enough
for fireman and two citizens to grope their
way TO the cellar was made. \ search with
lamp revealed nothing but ruins. Nearly
two hours later, in the same place,
ORGANS CANE FROM MAN
caught in au upright position between many
crossing timberS and held fast. He was
extrcated with difficulty. He was Louis
Walters, sged 40, framer of 1S5 Ridge
street, A \ OF the men who had been engaged
in bolstSnng up the building. He was re-
moved TO the hospital. Then the digging
was resumed under strong calcium lights.
Policemen drew q line across the street. It
was said that the missing builder had
been hurt by a flying brick when
the buildings fell. Charles Schwazer.
the NElNhAANtAs N1e cttAAAAAE " Alll IL tue
time. .ESehwazer had refused week before to
work longer in such buildings. As the dust
arose Schwazer turned to Buddeusick and
shaking his cleuched fist in the builders
face. exclaimed; You
OUGHT To ne HUNG
for what YOU have done here" Buddensick
made no reply but Hmped sway. There were
many threats OF lynching the man afterwSrd.
!, was lucky for him he staid
ayrsx Buddeusick is notorious as
h.us,- NJ rhesD ediicas