New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-05-24
PRICE THREE CENTS
KILLED BY FAILING WALLS.
A FOREMAN AND -FOUR LABoRERs CAUGHT.
ONLY ONE MAN FOUND DEAD, HowEvER-TH1


ONLY ONE NAN FOUND DEAD. HowEvER-TH1
CONTRACTOR ARRESTED
fatal accident, caused by falling building
occurred yesterday afternoon in John-st., few
feet from Broadway The victim was Daniel
Mahcney, q foreman employed in the work OF
tearing down the building, and the accident seems
TO have been due to the piling Of material taken
from the walls on floor not strong enough TO
support the weight. Besides the foreman, these
four laborers were injured:
CORNELIUS LEARY, age twenty, living at No "
oakst, Irish, single; contusons Of chest arm ana
Irish, single lacerated wounds Of elbow and wrist
confusion of abdomen and back and scalp wounia
MICHAEL MORTALITY, No. 15i I.eonardst, age twsn
ty-cght Irish single; eontus on Of side and back
lacerated wound OF ear.
JOHN SULLIVAN, No. 800 secondave.. age twenty.
seven; confusion OF eye.
None of these injuries were thought LIST nighs
to be serious. The accident took place in the
east end of the brick building at Broadway and
John-st. The premises are leased Nv Austin Cor
bin, and he intends putting up fine office build
ing Another building TO the east has already
been torn down, as has also the upper part OK
that in which the accident happened.
HOW THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED.
At about o'clock. according to the statement
at work on the. fourth floor of the building. The
rubbish, including bricks and timber, that had
accumulated from the work of the day lay on tho
floor, when Mahoney seeing some indication that
the floor was too weak for its load, went down
to the next story to have it propped up 1t was
just after this, at :15, that the crash came
part of the fourth floor, perhaps twenty ieet wac
on the front of the building and running back
some forty feet, came down with It's mass OK
heavy rubbish carrying the other hoors Win IT
the whole landing in the subcellar, which II hiied
several feet deep with the debris
The other worllmen, of whom there were large
number in the western part of the building, ran
to the place. and began the search for their fellows
who were In the ruins. All but Mahoney werc
quickly found and the men, excited by the GER
tainty that he was buried under the bricks. the
msrtar and the timbers began to work with al
the strength and speed they could command, with
bars, shovels, ropes and with their hands, IN ING
alive.
In the meantime such crowds had gathered in
the street that il was difficult to get the injured
men out of the building to the ambulance that had
arrived from the Chambers Street Hospital Tho
injured men, with the exception OF sullivan, were
taken to the hospital. and one ambulance stood
ready to take MahOney when he should be 10unu
There was report that shout or groan had
been heard under the ruins, and this gave new
energy to the search, but il was an hour from the
fall of the floors before Mahoney was found, and
then he was dead.
THE DEAD BODY FOUND
The body was upright, with debris packed
closely around it, and it was half an hour more
before it could be gotten out. When it was
finally brought to the street it did not appear to
be badly crushed. The indications were that the
man had died of suffocation. The body was taken
to the Old Slip police station and later, by per:
mission of Deputy Coroner Conway, was removed
to the home of the dead man, No. 100 Mott-st::
Mahoney was about thirty-fve years old, ana
leaves wife and five children, the eldest thirteen
years and the youngest six days Old
John O'Neill, q workman, said that he was on
the third floor of the building, with Mahoney,saw-
ing off ioist for support to the foor above when
the crash came. lie saved himself by stepping
back to part of the door that did not 90.
The contractor for the work OF tearing down
the building was C. II. Southland, Of No. SO Ninth
ave. After matters had Quieted down Captain
Mclaughlin sent out two detectives WHO arrested
SOutbarl at his office. Southland had nothing to
say when arrested and was locked up in the First
Precinct Station. The Captain considers the ac-
cdent due to criminal negligence. Southard will
be taken before the Coroner this morning.