The daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1889-1890, 1890-01-10
A FALLING WALL
KILLED THREE PEOPLE IN
BROOKLYN YESTERDAY.
-Four Others Seriously Iurt-The
High Winds Caused a wall OF
the ThrOOp Avenue Presbyte.
rian Church to FAN.

NEW YORK, January 9.-An appalling
disaster occurred in Brooklyn this morn.
ing. The heavy winds OF last night shook
the new Presbyterian church at 296
Throop avenue to it's foundation, and AT
+.3O this morning one OF its walls fell
with crash on q three story frame build
ing adjoining and brought with it deaf h
and destruction. The ruined building was
tenanted by the Mott and Purdy iami
lies. They numbered nine persons; five OF
them are reported dead. Two were car
ricd out of the ruins SO seriously injured
that their death is only a question of a
few hours. The following is list OF
those reported dead: David Purdy, aged
IL; Caroline Purdy, aged 16; May
Purdy. aged ID; Mrs. Caroline Mott,
aged rs; Sarah Mott. aged As. The in.
iurcd are: Emma ]. Purdy, aged 40, and
Robert Poole, aged 63.
DIR. Lewis Foote is pastor. The ten
ants in the little frame house adjoining
were alarmed by the manner in which thv
church walls shook and ratified. Their
own dwelling was considerably shaken
and il 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.
The heavy brick wall of the church fell
suddenly with a crash, and in a heap
that broke through the hecockleshell struct-
ure adjoining like n battcring ram. The
dwelling seemed to part in twain, and in
stGntly the shrieks and groans OF the
injured startled the residents for blocks
around The noise Of falling walls at
tracted the attention Of policemen. and
he sent in fire alarm and summoned
reserve from the police station near.
A great crowdgathered, gazing blankly
at the ruined dwelling and shattered
church. The house had been torn in such
II manner that bedroom was exposed,
and i'll the bed. in plain view of those in
the street. lay the dead body of Miss
Mary Purdy, borne down beneath the
mass of debris. The fearful spectacle
seemed to stun those who witnessed it,
aud for a few moments nothing was done
to render assistance to those within.
The police and firemen then arrived and
started in to the rescue. They first found
Mrs. Emma Purdy lying beneath mass
ot tiinhers and bricks, so seriously injured
that she could not speak or move, even
when they had carried her out Of the
clarncl house into the street.
Mary Purdy's body, crushed and
manglcd in a fearful way, was brought
out and laid on the sidewalk under the
blankets on which she slept last night.
She was a beautiful young woman.
Robert Poole was the next one found
alive. lie is 50 seriously injured that no
hove 10 .pt.rt n incl nf his rccoyery As
far as known at this writing none Of the
inmates in the house escaped death or
injury. The crowd about the scene num-
bercd several thousand, and the search
for the bodies is being hurried on.
Later intelligence gives the casualties
at the Brooklyn church disaster to-day
as follows:
Killeh-David Purdv, aged sixteen
years; Mamie Purdy, aged fifteen years.
lnjurcd-Airs. Purdy, Mrs. Sarah d.
Mott, Miss Carrie Purdy. aged nineteen
years, and Richard Poole. aged seven
years.