Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-10-21
A DEATH-TR
DISCOVERED JUST IN TINE TO SAVE THs
OCCUPANTS
A Big Tenement Ecaso in New York Starts to go
and ihs Tenants are Rushed Into the Street
BY he O@asn--Ihs Night Spent
Breu1d Boghrss.

~ vosK. October sO.-A catastrO-
Dbe. which would have equaHed II not
sprnassed the late Park Place horror,
has been averted by the timely alarm Oh
q night Waterman and the prompt ac-
zion of the police.
an boDr before midnight yesterday
4birtv Italian families, numbering, an
+ol5 15o souls, were driven into the
etrsets from the rOOkery In which they
l5red with scarcely moments warning
~, time no nut on their clothes. The
cookery i'm question groanod and crack
ed and would probably have buried
Them AN alive had they remained In II
NJ l. Minis. a real estate owner Of
this CITY. is erecting a large building az
No. 81 Crosby street. Contractor Lar
Kin has the job Of eXcayathg Tor d GER
lar The excavation IS twenty Ieet
deem. ON the southeast side OF the e1-
cavation there stands q grimy looking SIX
story tenement house 10 Is IN the rear
of No. 40 Crosby street ana Is reached
from the street by long, narrow, dark
and dirty alleyway.
The tenement is more than half cen
tury Old. It's o foul smelling place.
Tbe odor that emanateS from 1t is over
roverfpp. I could not stand on the
ground floor two minutes without ex-
DarieDciDc feeling of nausea. Louis
S.ein. of 40. 316 East 121st street, IS
the landlord. ,,.,-
Since the excavation on Mr.. Mills
Uroperty has been in progress, a watch
man has been employed TO warn passers
by that there is danger near. Frank
Ssvarase. an Italian, who has beer
saloon in the basement of No. 40 Crosby
street. was the Waterman last night. AT
balf-past ten o'clock Savarese heard the
walls OF the roOkery crack. Then he
heard the sound of falling earth.
A mart Of the foundation OF the tone
ment house had caved into the new eX-
cavation. The north wall of the rOOkery
swqyed. lie was absolutely without sup
mort. Then came another cracking
sound. louder than the first. There was
8 seam I'm the brick wall OF the rOokery.
II extended from the top story TO the
ground.
then ran at full speed to the Mulberry
street station house. Captain Moachlm
was there. To him the Waterman told
his story. The Captain sent word TO
the foreman Of Engine Company No. 20.
Within five minutes Fire Marshal
Mitchell was at the scene. A nasty
survey OF the rOOkery foundation
showed him that the under pinning
was nothing but sand and that the ten
ement was liable 20 fall az any moment.
Meanwhile an the tenants had sprung
from their beds and were on the street,
shivering and crying In scant attire.
The night was raw and cold. Children
walled in distress, and would not be
cuieted, and mothers wept in their dis
comfort. A wall OF woe went up from
hundreds of threats, for by this time
Crosby street for several blocks was
awake.
Presently a scene of great disorder
arose. A plateau OF police from the
Mulberry street station was posted In
and around the tenement with inStruc-
tions TO permit nobody to enter. Al
though all the Italians realized the
danger they had escaped, most OF them
wanted 10 enter the rOOkery for their
clothes and money. They implored the
police TO let them pass the lines. Then
they began TO threaten them.
But the bluecOatS would not be moved
by entreaties or tears or threats. Sud
denly rush was made for the building.
The policemen swung their clubs, and
they swung them with such effect that
order was soon restored and no further
attempt was made by the distracted ten
ants TO pass the lines.
Many of the homeless ones became the
guests of neigh bOrS for the night. But
there were many OF them who we're not
so fortunate. For the benefit Of these a
bonfire was lighted in the middle Of the
street, and its warm, genial blaze al
forded some comfort 20 the distressed.
The men huddled about this fire all
night. BY 5 o'clock this morning most
OF the women and children had found
shelter In the houses Of friends. A num-
Der of them, however, slept in doorways
with their little ones.
The bonfire was still burning hotly
when I visited the scene this morning.
A large crowd OF Italians had congre-
gated there. The police still maintained
a line In frOntO of the tOttering tenement.
A number of women with their children
were doing in neighbOrIng doorways.
Others were buddled in con-
venient corners, where the wind did not
have a full sweep. IL was pitiful
sight.
The work of propping up the walls OF
the death trap was begun Gt daybreak.
Contractor Larkin aud a number of
building inspectors were on the scene.
They had very little to say. Immense
beams were placed against the walls OF
the rockery to prevent Immediate col
Lapse.
The walls Of the three story building
IN front OF tas tenement were also
found 20 be cracked. Six families live
there. They were ordered 10 quit.
Further investigation proved that the
neishboring tenemeBt as No. SO Crosby
street was unsafe. Its walls are already
stayed by heavy timbers. Like that OF
No. it's foundation is also Of sand and
liable 20 give way st any moment.
SHE WAS A TRIFLE GAY.
Wild Capors Of q Young Girl From MUIR
hreaEhDrO. Xann.. Nashville