St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-01-10
WRECKED BY THE WIND.
Two Persons Killed and Five In
Jured by the Collapse Of a
Church.

- W. u Va 6OhS AIIlOu aIu HI
Jured by the Collapse OF a
Church.
New YORK. Jan. 9.-An appalling
disaster occur red in Brooklyn this
morning. The heavy winds of last
night shook the Presbyterian church at
296 Throop avenue to its foundation
and at 4:9O this morning, one of the
walls fell with crash on three-story
building adjoining and brought with it
death and destruction. The ruined
building was tenanted by the Mott and
Purdy families. They numbered nine
| persons. Five of them are reported
dead. Two of them were carried out
of the ruins so seriously injured that
| their death is only question of few
hours. Following is list of those re-
| ported dead.
MARY PURDY, aged nineteen.
DAVID PURDY, aged fifteen.
Wounded
Mrs CAROLINE MOTT, aged seventy, shoul-
| der hurt.
Miss SARAH Mort, her daughter. cut about
| head.
MRS. EMMA PURDY, widow and mother of
| the two killed, a few scratches, suffering
! much from The shock.
CARRIE PURDY. her daughter aged seven
| teen, ankle and left shoulder hurt
RICHARD POOLE, cousin of Mrs. Purdy,
| back strained, head and shoulders injured.
| DIR: Louis K. Foote is pastor. The
| tenants in the little frame house ad-
| joining were alarmed last night by the
| shook and ratified. Their own dwell
| ing was considerably shaken, and it
was with fear and trembling that they
retired. Twice during the night some
| of the inmates were aroused by the
roaring wind, but every one was in bed
| and asleep when the disaster occurred
! this morning. The heavy brick wall of
| the church fell suddenly with crash
and in heap that bore through the
cockle-shell structure adjoining like
battering ram. The dwelling seemed
to part in twain, and instantly the
! shrleks and groanS of the injured
startled the residents for blocks about.
The
| NOISE OF THE FALLING WALL
| attracted the attention of policeman,
| and he sent in fire alarm and sum-
moned the reserve from police station
! near at hand. A great crowd gathered,
| gazing blanbIy at the ruined dwelling
! and the shattered church. The house
| had been torn in such manner that
| bedroom was exposed, and in the bed,
within plain view of those in the street,
| lay the dead body of Mary Purdy, borne
fearful spectacle seemed to stun those
! who witnessed it. and for a few
| moments nothing was done to rem
| der assistance to those within. Then
the police and firemen arrived and
| started into the rescue. They first
| tound Mrs. Emma Purdy lying in her
bed, crushed beneath a mass of timbers
and bricks. so seriously injured that
she could not speak or move even when
they had carried her out of the charnel
house into the street. Robert Pool was
the next one found alive. He is
also SO seriously injured that
no hope is entertained of
his recovery. AS far as known at this
writing, none of the inmates of the
house escaped death or injury. Miss
Mary Purdy's body, crushed and
mangled in fearful way. was brought
out and laid on the sidewalk under the
blankets in which she slept last night.
| She was a beautiful young woman. 1t
is reported that she was engaged to be
married soon. The church itself is rem
dered useless, and will have to be re-
/ placed by a new one,