Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-10-08
Mang!ei andBru!!sed.
FrightfuI Disaster at a Corner
Stone Laying.
A FLOOR SUDDENLY GIVES WAY

And Piles Over a Hundred People in a
Struggling, MANNED Mass-seventy-six
Of the Unfortuuntes Badly Hurt, Three
Fatally and Many Others Probably So
Awful Collision on the Rail with Three
victims-A Family Cremated.
READING, Pa, Oct. S,-The corner stone
of the Polish Roman Catholic church, Twelfth
and Spruce Streets this city, was laid yester
day afternoon. During the ceremony
the floor, on which fully 1000 men, woman
and children were standing, gave way, pre-
cipitatiBg several hundred persons to
the basement, a distance of fifteen feet Over
100 men and women were thrown in heap,
and all were more Or less injured, some seri-
ouSIy and others fatally, The widest ex-
element followed, and the 5,0t0 spectators
became panic stricken. Cooler heads how
ever, went TO the rescue of the unfortunate,
and the injured were taken into neighboring
dwellings, and physicians hastily summoned.
Later the wounded were removed to their
homes and to the various hospitals by am
balances.
GAmong the injured were: Mrs. Joseph
Bowers, seriously, and her two children
slightly; Mrs. Jennie Henry, head; Augustus
Helfrich, internally, can not live; Mrs
Josephine Martin, leg broken; August Weis,
jaw broken; August B. Selling, leg broken;
George Siegfried, leg broken; Fred Wholey,
internally, and badly cut about face;
Emanuel Reisinger, head badly cut; Mayor
J. R. kenney, leg and face; George Standt,
leg broken; WILDE Martin, cut about head
and limbs; Sammy Mining, head cut and
legs badly bruised; Wilson Eek, back badly
hurt; Ambrose Lennig, serious internal; Mrs.
Lille Biting, arms and head; Miss
Josephine Heiney, leg broken and
badly cut about head; Josephine
Brisbee. back; Harry Harp, back broken,
will die; James D. Stapleton, leg broken and
badly bruised; Mrs Rebecca Hickman. cut
about the head; Wilson Eek, member Ring
gold band. back sprained; Charles Zahl
boy, leg broken; William Koenig drug
gist), seriously cut about head; Mamie Bar
low, aged S, tongue bitten of and very seri-
ousy hurt internally; Aaron Yeltis, inter-
nally; Katharine Broatman, seriously hurt
internally; Augustus Helsrich, contractor
and builder, supposed fatally, removed to his
home in critical condition; Peter Born and
wife, legs broken; Joseph POLISH, arm
broken: Fred Doll and wife, internally, the
former may die; WilIism Hewmeyer, foot
broken; Hugh O'Rourke, very seriously
| about hips; Matthew Breidegam, legs badly
hurt; George aud John Neidis, broken legs
| Patrick McDonough, leg broken; Ambrose
Lenig, hip dislorated; Mrs. John Boro.
ski, internally; George Hipp, leg badly
spraned; Richard Hanlon, knee car
broken; William Koenig, internally, may
die; George Neidert, legs cut and hurt in
| ternally; Catharine Broadham, hurt intern
ally; Mrs. c. A. Broadham, terribly cut
about the head and arms; Phillip Francisco
| legs broken; John l. Smith, hurt internally
John Rotz, ankle broken; Lewis Reisinger
badly hurt internally and face cut; Freder.
lex Meilant, legs, seriously; Eva Shade, in
ternal, severe. r. Hulsizef badly cut abou
head; Mrs Joseph Boyer, both legs broken
| John A Neidert, leg broken; John Felix
leg broken, hurt seriously internally; Theo
dore Breezy, back; Anthony Boceowoski
broken leg and cut about head, critical con
dition; Joseph Bowoski, both arms broker
and legs badly cut; Stanisiaus Hibsli, spin,
hurt face crushed and arm broken Tht
above are from this city
The following persons from Lancaster
were also injured: John B Bessnger, no
tel-keeper, head cut; Frederick Shroid, pro
prietor Continental hotel, head cut and hur
internally; John Spangler, badly bruised
about the head aud hurt internally; JOIN
Shide. leg crushed, amputation necessary
Valentine Shde leg broken aud badl,
bruised; William Guerrnne, an Italian
ankle broken; John Hertz, leg badly bruised
Henry Hertz, sprained leg; Gottleib Strei
ner, leg broken; A P Kerchner, leg
Marcus kerehner, hack; Rudolph Walter
and John Heinbeeker, slightly hurt Tn
Lancaster people who we're unable to retur
home were taken to st. Joseph hospital
Total number of victims, III; fatally hurt
5; may die, 8; seriously injured, s
The scene was a horrible one. Men an
women fought with fury to free themselves
aud struggled in agony to save their live
! The imprisoned people, hardly known
what had rappened, cried out to their friend
to save them. The thousands on the outsid
were apparently just as much frightened
and for few minutes the victims of the al
cident were left to themselves Then tn
people rushed in through the basement vii
dows and began the work of rescue Tt
wounded were carried one after anothe
and put in neighboring houses until the
could be safely removed to their homei
There were children " tn bleeding wound
and men and women with limbs broken.
great many were placed for the time bein
on the green grass in the vicinity, and til
scene was not unlike that after a grea
battle
Archbishop Ryan and the officiating prizes
were standing on the speakers platform an
4 81
troll wagons, ambulances, and private COZ
veyances were called upon to carry Il
wounded to places of safety. Some wei
| carried away at once by their friends,
: that it is impossible in the confusion to &,
the names of all But seventy-six are q
the list as having been injured, and it is
lieved that from twenty-five to fifty m o
were also hurt, hut were hurriedly bori
away. The accident happened at 49,, al
Is ten minutes afterward half a dozen .docto
Is were on the ground setting broken limbs al
d making the bruised comfortable Half
d hour later nearly the entire staff of ply
clans in the city were busily at work
The accident was caused by the wal
n which had only been completed on Ssturda
b spreading Rev Father I,ebicl, had ju
II commenced his sermon when the collar
e came, aud the ceremonies were brought to
$, sudden cIose. Three bands of music we
lie stationed on the main floor, but fortunat
ar but one of the members, Mr. Eek, of t
t. Ringgold band of this city, was injure
b. although many of their instruments we
ID crushed
r. It is reported several of the injured ha
De died, but the story can not he confirmed.
K |
n, DEATH IN PITCH DARKNESS.
We
n, Two Trains Come Together on the Bal