Asheville daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1890-1900, 1891-08-24

WHO - RESPONSIBLE FOR
THESE LIVES LOSTP
Neglect of the Architects Results
In a Terrible Tragedy in New
York Saturday-Upward of IA
Hundred Killed.

New YORK, Aug. 24.-The collapse Sat
urday afternoon of four tive-story stores,
68, 70; II and "a Park place was in
stanty followed by fire.
The four stores were all occupied, and
it now seems probable that more than
hundred lives were lost. There is con
siderable difference of opinion ,as to the
cause of the disaster. 1t seems probable
that the weight of the printing presses,
which were on the upper floors, together
with the vibration caused by their mo-
tion proved too much for the building,
and caused the collapse.
Not since the Brooklyn Theatre fire has
there been such terrible disaster. When
the body of the last unfortunate is re-
moved from the wreck and ranged with
its poor fellows in the long line of those
that wait for recognition it will be well
if the list is numbered in tens.
No one in the building who is now alive
heard the report of an explosion. There
was a rumble like the roar of thunder,
they say, and then the crash 1t was as
il some gigantic truck with wheels Of
iron, ladened with tons on tons OF
steel bars, had rolled over a pavement
of boulders and dropped its tremendous
load with one burst of sound. Then
came the fire and the smoke.
Instantly, before the frightened people
in the building could collect themselves
| I,I Z, l,aa
clouds of smoke and the roaring flames.
With one accord the people rushed to the
main entrance, on Park place. Already
it was impossible. And then, almost
tumbling over each other, men and wo-
men, boys and girls climbed and fell
down the fire escape on the Greenwich
side of the building,
Those who were on the street say they
heard the boom of an explosion. Hardly
three seconds after the report a hundred
feet of the outer wall pitched out into
he street. 1t buried in mound OF brick
men resting from their work, children
at their play, and people passing along
the sidewalk. 1t caught horse htched
to truck, and before the poor brute
could realize where the blow of the first
bricks pounded it to death. BY one OF
those rare streaks OF fortune its driver
escaped.
) The brick of the fallen wall had not
stopped rolling along the street when the
space they had occupied was a red sheet
of fire. The black, thick smoke rolled
up as from the tunnels of thousand
: ocean steamers. The south wind waited
: it away, but its volume and its color
told folks miles away its story Of disas-
, ter Then came the hremen, but it was
, not till late Saturday night that any
, bodies could be t. ken from the heated
ruins.
Ten of the injured are at the hospital i
of whom Barnett. otJohnson City, Tenn.
is most seriously hure. His skull has
been trepanned.
The building was known as the Taylor
building, and was condemned by the
building department thirteen years ago.
The authorities are no onearer the solution
of the explosion mystery than at first
but whatever caused it, there is no doubt
that the condition of the building is re
sponsible for the utter collapse and Hom
: pleteness of the wreck.
New YORK, Aug. 2+.-Nine additiona
bodies were taken from the debris OF tn,
e fallen buildings last night and this morn
$ ing, none OF which have been recognized
!. This makes total OF 25.
At the Office of the boiler inspector a
police headquarters today it was statcc
n that according to the records there tn
TAYLOR building had no steam boilers q
c | opv hind NOR had there hepn anv 4 her
d for several years The steam power use,
y in it was supplied from outside sources
n During the morning one of the Italian
J. working in the ruins stopped over tn
+ body OF one of the victims and took
a silver watch from the vest pocket. II
d was arrested and taken to the station
c followed by mob, many OF whor
n shouted lynch him"