Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-08-27


quality. IL crumbled to the touch like
sand. An excited citizen standing by |
this afternoon declared with great vehe-
mence that II was manifestly death
trap, and had only been allowed to exist
because the owner, d. Jones Grain,
| father Of City Chamberlain Grain, is a |
leading member of Tammany Hall, and |
had a "pull' which exempted him from |
the safety provisions of the building laws. !
One of the chiefs Of the fire department |
when asked his opinion said that while |
he would not state positively that the |
building was unsafe, he thought "it was
taking pretty big risk to put machinery
in a building held together by such
mortar" 1t is rumored, too, that the
building had been condemned by the in
| spectors.
Chamberlain Crane and his father are
at Richfield Springs. They were seen
there, and both denied emphatically that
the building was ever condemned. II
had been built only 10 years, and they
had every reason TO believe it perfectly
safe. 1t was insured for $4,000, and
had frequently been inspected by insur-
ance agents at times when changes were
made in the machinery.
David Anderson, who was foreman
for A. W. Lindsay for three years, says
in regard to the cause of the accident
"The machinery was too heavy for floors
resting on T-shaped timbers supporting
their own weight There were about
25 presses in the building, those on
Lieber q Mas floor weighing at
least so tons. The regular steady roll
ing Jared the floors from the supports,
weakened by the weight and bent the
street edge downward At last lar
more severe than those before (oran al
teration in the number of revolu-
tons the machine was making
might have been sufficiently sent the
floor of the main cross beam, and the
shock sent the wall outward with presses
rolling after it. When the ruins are
cleared away the presses will be found
resting on the unbroken floors.
The floors have simply been torn
from the supports fastened to
the walls. The loss of life would
not have been so heavy on any
other day. All the firms here observe
Saturday as half holiday, and the
hands work till 1890 or o'clock. That
is why so many were in the building.
On any other day at that time every
body but few foremen and bosses, per-
haps, would have been out at lunch"
NARROW ESCAPE FROM DEATH.
Louis Bernard, of No. SIS West
Eleventh street, had miraculous es-
cape from death. He was working on
the fifth floor, and when the floor gave
way lie dropped all the way to the
. ground. "The only thing that saved
my life" said Bernard, in relating his
experience, twas that l landed between
two of our immense lithographing
presses, which prevented the roofs
crushing me to death. When |
! reached the basement the first thing
| noticed was that escaping gas
! was suifocating me, while the
kissing of steam told me of the awful
death in store for those that were yet
alive and could not extricate them
selves. soon worked my way into the
open air, and gained the top of the
ruins, where some people helped me
. out. The fifth floor of the building was
filled with immense photographic presses
and great lithographing stones. II
makes me shudder to think what awful
havoc they must have caused when
they crashed through floor after floor on
: the many people in the building below
u.s."
Mr.. Bernard is not fatally injured.
His head was fearfully lacerated, his
clothing torn into shreds, his left arm
. badly splintered, while other portions Of
his body were burned and hurt
Henry Mass of roth street and
Washington avenue, the photographer,
had Just discharged his men and walked
into No. rs Park Place when the crash
came lie says that his losses were
/, fully $4,000, but were all insured. He
l was at the time getting out bills for
Madame Modjeska, and had all the
! plates destroyed.
New YORK, Aug 24.-The work of
delving for the dead in the ruins on
0 Park Place continued uninterrupted
S through the night, except at the times
when the rain poured down in such
+ torrents as to render labor beneath it
!, impossible. Except at these times, also the
:, fire lines at either side of the block were
4 lined with waiting friends or relatives
t, Of the missing. When they were driven
n from the street by the rain they sought
i shelter in doorways or wherever protec-
D ton might be found, but as soon as il
: ceased THAR weary and mournful vigil
d was resumed.
q ANOTHER BoDY FOUND.
. At9.25 O'Clock this morning there was
!. a hustle of excitement among the work
K men that instantly communicated itself
! to the eager watchers at the fire line.
:, Another body had been found. 1t was
~ that of man and lay beside the tangle
of presses at No. 70. II was taken out
\. and placed in one Of the pine collins on
Ie the sidewalk. 1t was terribly burned
l. and unacceptable unless its identity
a may be disclosed by the tattered frag.
n ments of clothing that but partly GOV.
a cred it,
y FOUR IN QUICK SUCCESSION.
& The work again went on unmarked
by incident until TAO O'Clock this morn.
u ing, when a second body was found
also that of man, near the spot where
the first was discovered. Five minutes
a later third body of o man was found
!, in nearly the same place. Both were
~ taken out and placed in collins on the
sidewalk, beside that containing the
~ body found at 1896 o'clock
" Hardly had this been done when the
AZ body of another man was found, but i
- lay beneath heavy press and it will bt
impossible to remove it until derrick
Is is obtained TO hoist the press from the
T. ruins Almost simultaneously the dis
Y covery of fifth body making 81 in all
= was made among the brick and paper Al
a. - No. "a. 1t was that of large man
~ but, although the face was visible, i
q was like the others exhumed, un
recognizable. At o'clock the Italian
lahorers were still at work removing th,
rs bricks that buried the body and hinderet