The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-03-09
FRloATFuL CRASH.

-Exc,ting Scenss-Death In the sewer.
Kansas CrrY, No., Feb. @-Just ~ the
construction eDgiue In use vt the new and
nearly completed Midland Hotel, corner of
Seventh and Walnut streets and Grand
avenue, stopped for the noon hour today
and the workmen had dropped their tools
preparatory TO eating their midday meal. =
large section Of the outer walls and the
roof came crashing tn the basement with
out preliminary warming Of any kind. At
the time Of the accident there were SIXTY
men at work IN the building. scattered over
the different stories.
The first intlination Of the catastrophe was
loud crack followed, without the spacs OF
. second intervening, by the dropping Of
bricks and pieces Of thing and then n roar
OF debris that sounded, according to one Of
the workmen like . mighty ard steady
cataract.
The CONSERVATION was great. Some Of
the men, who were at work on the second
floor, did not wait to consider matters. but
dashed across the tilc floor and plunged
through the windows, taking glass, sash
window sashes outward with the first
thing they could lay hands on, crawled
through and hanging by their hands
dropped TO the ground below.
The portions OF the roof and wall that fell
were on tho middle and narrowest part of
the hotel. fronting on Seventh street and
connecting the Walnut street and Grand
avenue portions. Its rear walls formed the
north side Of the glass rooted court.
The scene OF the wreck on the inside not
five minutes after the accident was almost
indescribable. The court had been arched
over with roof Of glass and iron. The
glass was half an inch thick, and Is tech
nicaliy known as "ced" roofing. Hardly Q
square yard Of 1t was left in the huge iron
frames, many Of which werc bent and
twisted. Car loads Of broken tile, terra
Gotta, iron, brick and glass uttered the in
terror, and above all lowered a choking,
white dust that slowly began to settle
downward.
In an incredibly short space OF time the
fire and police departments had taken pos.
session of the building aud the injured men
were at once taken care OF. The foremen
Of the different gangs in the meantime had
been consulted. and the firemen with hooks
and long handled shove.s began vigorously
to clear away the debris in search of the
missing people, OF whom there were two or
three.
Charles Burch, the foreman of the terra
Gotta gang, was ut work on the second floor
when the accident occurred Several Of
his men made their escape through win
dows, but Burch was not SO fortunate.
When he heard the fall for q moment he
imagined, like others, that it was the
bursting Of boiler, but he entertained
this idea for second only. Burch
was standing near the north SIDE of tho
building right where the wall weakened
- ~
upon him. His left leg was broken, and he
was unable to move. Several of his fellow.
workmen soon disco vered his predicament
and removed the debris from the lower
part of his body. He was at once removed
to the Office Of q physician at Seventh and
Main, where his wounds were attended to.
Peter Larson, stair builder, was work.
ing on the second floor of the building.
When he heard the sound of falling brick he
ran rapidly towards window to make his
escape. AS the brick and mortar fell
through from the third floor he rushed to-
ward it and was seen no more. 1t
was not known at the time
whether or not he had been
crushed, and o hasty search mas made for
him among the many groups of frightened
workmen or the outside, but he was not
found. A messenger was dispatched to his
boarding house at Eighth aud Grand
avenue. but he had not returned.
At 2:O o'clock this afternoon Frank Edi- |
son, young carpenter employed on the |
building, had not been found. He was On |
the second floor when the walls caved and |
was seen no more. Messengers were at |
once dispatched to his home, 1923 East |
Eighteenth street, and to the homes OF sew |
eral Of his friends in the city, but NO one |
had seen the young man.
The list of victims is as follows: Missing |
Frank Edison, carpenter, living with his |
wife at 14.S East Eighteenth street.
Probably fatally injured-JOhn o. Brien,
plumber, Of Chic go, fracture of the skull |
and badly cut about the head and face;
Charles Burch, foreman of the terra Gotta
workers, left leg broken in two places. hip |
joint dislocated, two RIBS broken, and pos
sible spinal injuries.
Seriously hurt-James Hunt, gravel
rooIer. two ribs broken. cut aud bruised;
Thomas Sigman, gravel rOofer. hand
crushed, shoulder blade broken and cut
and bruised about the shoulders and body;
Thomas Evans, terra Gotta worker, posi-
be internal injuries.
The exact loss on tho building can not at
present be estimated. Chief Hale, who
had Investigated the damaged building
pretty thoroughly stated to q reporter that
he supposed the. loss to the hotel people
would amount to abont SlSOOO.
DEATH IN TIE SEWER.
KANSAS CITY, Mo-, March Thomas
Keely and James Winn, two laborers, were
killed by the caving in Of the partially con-
struc,ei sewer at Independence and Pros
pee, avenues shortly after three o'clock
yesterday afternoon. Keely was widower
and leaves three small children. Winn was
, single man. Keely and Vim were work.
Ing together. utterly Unconscious Of dan.
ger, when the north side Of the ex.
cavatlon, under the pavement, cayed
IN. Both men were knocked on their feet
and buried, VIM falling beneath Keelv.
couple OF other labOrers saw the earth
'lde and ran to the assistance Of their com.
oanions- Shoveis were quickly procured,
md in short time Kee,y was reached.
enough OF the earth had been removed to
lllow him to breathe, and he was beginning
o talk to his rescuers, when q second cave
n, larger than the first, occurred Keely
vas buried under three feet or
'arth, and the men who were irving
o save him narrowly escaped.
he excavation was SO small that
'nly two men could work in 1t, and al
hough they worked heroically, 1t was fully q,
wenty minutes before Kelly wis reached
second Time. When he was taken out Z
nd paced in u patrol wagon which had
een sumnmed, his pulse was just ceasinx I
beat. Xinn was taken out few min.
ties later. His neck was broken and he D.,
'as badly crushed IN
Oklahoma Dedication.
W AsRrNGroN, March The delegation