, 1891-08-23

cut and burned. was lliteu from tne rulDs-
As her rescuer raised her up in his arms.
she lifted her eyes to a window on the OPP
posite side of the street and called in pite-
GUS tones: There's my mamma" 1t
was indeed the child's mother, who, upon
joy that only the efforts of the persons
standing near her prevented her from
jumping out of the window.
As the firemen placed the little girl in a
hospital ambulance. she told them her
brother and sister were both under the
bricks. dead. 1t seems hat she was play
ing in front of the building at tue time of
the explosion.
Another body, fearfullv burned, was
taken from the ruins about 3 o'clock, Al
most Immediately after, the bodies Of a
little boy and girl were found. They were
recognized as the children of Eugene
Hcagney. a plumber, and were the brother
and sister mentioned by the little girl
taken out alive.
At s O'Clock tonight an entrance to the
cellars aud vaults under the sidewalks was
effected. The workmen labored with
great difficulty, as the ruins are still hot
and in the cellar there is five feet of water.
Two bodies. more or less burned, were
taken out near the front of the building.
A second descent into the cellar at $50
resulted in seeing three bodies, which it
was impossible to meve. When a third
trip was made about 10 o'clock the body
of one man was brought up. This body
had scarcely been disposed of when a
strange noise was heard coming from the
ruins. Firemen who went to investigate
its cause returned with a big black cat,
found floating On a plank IN the cellar.
Up to a late hour tonight nine bodies
had been dug out of the ruins, FIVE Of
them unknown.
Those recognized are: Patrick Stat
terry, Annie Heagney, John Gibbs and
William Berry. The list of the injured,
so far as known. Is as follows: William
Smith, John Wallroff, LOUIS Bernard.
Morris Gottler, John Link. Bernard
Addlebrook. John Sheenan, May Heam-
ney. Frank Morrow.
All the bodies recovered tonight were
dug out of the debris which covered the
sidewalk in front Of the ruins. The
building had a frontage of about $50 feet
on Park Place avenue and t~hirty-fve feet
thirteen years ago by the building de-
partment.
There are many theories as to the cause
of the disaster. Chief Reilly of the fire
department was of the opinion hat a
boiler had exploded. another believed a
boiler in the restaurant had exploded and
caused the disaster. Then it was SAID
that some chemicals had exploded in a
drug store. The most plausible theory,
however. is hat the wreck was caused by
the shaky condition of the building and
the vibration of the heavy presses
running in the lithographiug
and printing establishments on
the upper floor. II is generally admitted
that there was an explosion OF some kind.
bnt the collapse is accounted for in no
other way than the one mentioned when
it is taken into consideration that the
building was condemned thirteen years
ago. There was practically no mortar be-
tween the bricks. and when they were
looked at after the smoke and fire had
subsidized they were as bare as a board.
Roundsman Taylor Of the fifth precinct
reports having zone to the scene on the
first alarm. Hearing cries for help. he
rushed to a n~eighboring hardware store,
secured a lot of axes, and in company
with a number of citizens cut a hole ia
the debris. Seventeen people were
rescued there. all more or less PAINFULLY
burned. Had Taylor not heard the cries.
they could not have survived long. The
police have a long list Of names OF persons
reported by friends to be missing, and it
is feared many OF these uniortuna,es are
IN the debris.