Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1885-04-14
A TERRIBLE CALAMITY.
EIGHT sUtLolNos TUMBLE DOWN.
4 Large Number OF workmen Buried
tn the Debris Bricks that Crum-
ole ana Walls Undermined

NE~ Y0Ak. April l3-Eight nse-stOry
bfIcs bulldings 10 SiKly -secOnd street fell
al 5 o'clock tins afternoon. They were ia
process N construction aud nearly com
pleted. over sixty ~CFkMen were scattered
around tie buildings and had ~ time - at
temps - escape, a. IA i've seconds the whole
structure sas a mass Of ruins. Shrieks and
-yr9an- arose from the imprisoned ~Orkmen.
The FIRE alarus soon brought 10 the spot the
nfemen, who al once began to extrleate the
workluuu from the ruins. Every ambulance
Ia the city va called 10 the sceue. Paulist
priests also hurried thirher 70 minister 10 the
wounded and dying a. they @ere brought
Out- Great crowds Of people assembled, but
Gordon OF poll n kept the space clear for the
re~cuer-. Women, and children OF some OF
the men employed, were IA the crowds, aud
their cries and lamentations added 10 the
palntulne.s of the scene. NOlunteers aided
the fireman Ia removing the deu.is, and
soon a large force Was at work, stimulated
10 the utmost exertIOn blythe heart rendin =
calls for help which came from within the
mass. Al o'clock fourteen had been taken
cut, more or less injured. A fast a. they
were reached they we're placed IN ambu-
lances and conveyed 10 one Of the various
hospitals.
Al 10 o'clock tonight large forcs OF men
were stlll searching the ruins, and II Is feared
that az least three have been killed. Charles
FRANKIE, boss bricklayer, under whose super
vision tie buildings were erected. was arrested
this evening and held 10 await investigation.
Charles Buddersick, 20 Broadway. who
furnished the material 10 the contractors
for the mason and brick work of the build
ings. said this afternoon that the buildings
were begun IA December, and were built on
a side hill at an average cost of $1,000, and
were 10 be finished June l. few weeks ago
We received notice from the building de
partmcnt that certain alterations would have
10 be made IN the foundations. We were
about doing this when the accident hap
pened. The frost got INTO the mortar and
caused two of the walls in the center of the
block 10 bulge and as the buildings were on
the side Of hill, II pulled the entire block
down. IL Is not true that the mortar was
bad. Any mortar would be affected 10y the
rain running down the side of the wall and
making II soft. During winter, rain n-water
settled IN the cellars and injured the found
atIOns. 1t was because the street has no
sewer
Charles FRANKIE, the boss bricklayer, was
arrested tonight lt i said at the station
house that loan or mud was used instead of
sand IN mixing mortar, that some of the
bricks furnished by Ruddens Eek. contractor.
were 80 soft that they could easily be broken
IL two in ones hands. Ruddenseck left the
scene soon after the buildings fell. and was
seen 10 enter a carriage and drive eastward.
Crowds of excited workmen have made a
fruitless search for him during the
night and the police have been look
Ing for him in all parts of the city.
He has not appeare AT his residence and il
j. believed that he was taken TO some Out-Of-
town train 10 escape the wrath of the friends
of the victims of his dishonest methods
Coroner Martin visited Roosevelt hospital to-
night and took statements Of four of the in
jurtd wCrkmen. From information he
gathered II Is almost certain that SIX men
have lost their lives and II Is equally prob
able that several of those taken from the
ruins will die.
Up TO l;30 a. m. no dead bodies had been
recovered from the ruins. Five men are re-
ported missing. \ gang of men are still at
work on the debris