The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-11-22

n glance. and telephoned to Police Head
quarters. Chief Murphy ordered the
patrol wagon filled with policemen
to the scene OF the accident Inspector
Lange and Captain Smith hurried to the
place in carriage. The reserves were
ordered to the scene OF the
calamity. A telephone message brought
the fire crew OF Truck No. 2 and
Chief Farrief to the gro und. An
immense crowd OF people pr essed around.
Messages were sent to the hospitals, and
the ambulsnces from Christ, st. Francis,
and the City Hospitals were driven post
haste to the drug store. which had been
turned into a temporary hospital.
EXCITED ITALIAN woMEy.
Soon after the news spread, the half
wrecked building was surrounded with
shrieking, gesticuIatinr crowd of Italian
women, They attempted to climb upon
the debris and besought the workmen
around to tell them who was hurt.
The police drove every one out
of the building and established guard.
allowing none to enter the block on which
the building stood Then the heads of
the police and fire departments held a
consultation as to the advisability Of dig
ging into the debris, which lies for a
depth Of thirty feet.
THE CONTRACTOR soBs.
Brennan, who had the contract for
building the structure. was around the
wreck, sobbIeg in a crazy manner
and wringing his hands. He would
not say anything to me when first ac-
costed him, but afterward said:-'I don't
know how 1t occurred. The wind was
very strong at this point It was blowing
like cyclone right there pointing 20
the wrecked portion Of the building.
After this he would say no more.
The Lamp Inspectors wagon, filed
with picks and shovels. arrived at the
scene with Inspector Conk In charge and
three men to help.
RUMoRs OF MISSING CHILDREN.
All kinds of strange rumors were rife
around the wreck. The little children Of
the neighborhood have been in the habit
Of playing in the building, and one Of
the workmen said this morning that two
girls were on the ground floor Of the
building when the girders fell.
From Monmouth street the nature OF
the accident can be seen. The building
was about two hundred and fifty
feet along Pavonia avenue and
is about 100 feet deep. The west wall,
which fell. faced an empty lot for its en-
tire length. This space is covered with
fallen bricks. A small tool house stood
against the wall, and this is almost com
pletely covered with brick. About 75 feet
Of the west wall fell. The depth
of the fallen portion varies. At the cor
ner where it joins the front it has fallen
from the first story to the roof; towards
the rear the fallen portion is not so deep.
The force of the falling girders ripped out
a lot of the bricks in the front wall near
the northwest corner.
A great mass OF bricks. broken tinbeTs,
and twisted and bent iron trusses rises in
a confused tumble to height of thirty
five feet from the ground. The
front wall for a distance of fifty
feet from the northwest corner is ex-
tremely weak and shaky and looks as il
a strong blast OF wind would blow ii
down upon Payonia avenue below. The
building would have been rooted by the
end of next week as it had risen three
stories and the work of the bricklayers
was almost over.