The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1885-04-18
CRIMINAL BUILDERS.


Houses in New York Falls, Carrying
Down sixty workmeu. Many of Whom
Were Severely and some Probably Fatal
ly Injured-The Calamity Due to tho
Criminal Cupidity of Contractor and
Builder.
New YORK, April IA fve-story
brick block of buildings, which was being
erected near Tenth avenue on Sixty-sec-
ond street, fell late yesterday afternoon.
Sixty workmen were in the building.
Several have been taken out OF the ruins
wounded and some are reported to be
dead.
NEW YORK, April 1.-THE eight brick
buildings on Sixty-second street which
fell yesterday afternoon were situated
between Tenth and Eleventh avenues on
the south side Of the street. They were
well on toward completion, and men
were at work both inside and on the
roofs. The houses were intended for
tenements. About three o'clock the
easternmost wall sagged, and the sup
porting timbers broke with loud crash.
The sixty or more men who were scat
tered around the buildings had no time
to even attempt to escape, as in what
seemed hardly FIVE seconds time the
whole structure had fallen in, and was =
mass of ruins. Shrieks and groans at
once arose from the imprisoned work
men.
fire alarm soon brought to the spot
the fremen, who at once began to extri-
cate the workmen. A call was also sent
out which brought every ambulance in
the city to the scene. The Paulist priests
from the Fifty-ninth street seminary also
hurried thither, and were quickly at
work ministering to the wounded and
dying men as they were brought out.
Great crowds OF people assembled, but
Gordon OF police kept a space clear for
the work of the rescuers.
The women and children OF the families
OF some of the men employed on the
buildings were in the crowd and their
cries and lamentations added to the
painfulness of the scene.
The first OF the injured to be taken out
were the following:
Thomas King, back injured.
John Meammany, thigh broken and
badly injured internally.
John Schust, severe internal injuries.
James Coatler, back injured.
John Laverty, scalp wound.
- Flynn, scalp wound.
These were taken to the Roosevelt
Hospital on Fifty-ninth street. Volun-
teers were called to aid the fire.
men to remove the debris,
and soon large force was at work,
stimulated to extra exertion by the
heartrending groans and calls for help
which came from within the mass.
1t seemed hardly possible that all of
the men could have escaped death, and 1t
was several hours before all could be dis
covered. BY four O'Clock fourteen men
had been taken out, all more or less In
: jured. AS fast as they were reached they
, were placed in ambulances and conveyed
to one of the various hospitals, whose
: ambulances were in attendance.
One of the men, Georgo Sauerber, was
.. able to converse at the hospital. He said
he was working on the top floor. Before
: going to work In the morning he noticed
: cracked in many places, and he thought
1t was bullying, but did not think there
was any danger. About three o'clock,
while he was puting in wlndow-frame
on the top floor, the building suddenly
gave way to the southwark, and he fell
over against the wall. A beam fell ON his
J back, and he was carried down with the
floor, unable to make any effort to save
himself. r
: Mr.. Charles Buddensick, of No. 206
Broadway, furnished the material to the
p contractors for the masonry and brick
: work of the buildings. He said:
"The buildings were begun in Decem-
: Der. They were built on side hill at an
: average cost of $1,000 They were to
8 be finished June LIST and to be used as
: tenement houses. A few weeks ago we
\ received notice from the building depart
! ment that certain alterations would have
i to be made on the foundation. We were
Y about doing this when the accident hap
4 pened. The frost got into the mortar and
! caused two of the walls in the center
! of the block to bulge, and as
!. the buildings were on the side of the hill
: IL pulled the entire block down. 1t is no,
> true that the mortar was bad, any NOR.
y tar will be affected by rain running
e down the side of a wall, and making
= it soft. During the winter rainwatel
r settled in the cellars, and injured the
n foundation. This was the cause. ThC
o street has no sewer.
e The following persons were rescued
s from the debris.
$ Thomas King, roofer, of SOC Yves
e Forty-sixth street; hands and arms ter
d ribly shattered.
John McMerry, a roofer, No. 346 Eas
/ Sixty-first street, fracture of leg ant
! thigh.
:: Joseph Trainer, 500 West Twenty
II eighth street, severe bruises about tn
o body.
n Jacob Schalh, carpenter, of same ad
L dress, confusion of side.
John Laverty, No. 337 East Thirty
c ninth street.
1t Thomas Flynn, 289 East Eightiet
street.