The rustler. (Cerrillos, N.M.) 1891-1???, 1891-07-24
A Sudden Storm Strikes West
Superior. Via
kET HOTEL BUILDING IL RUNS.
score. % Men nuried-uve Killed ~ Least
The werk Of Rescue Proceeding
: Much D.maEe Done In the
city.

Trap
A number Of buildings were de-
stroyed throughout the city. but the
climax OF the storm was at the hotel
being constructed at the intersection Of
Lamborn and Third streets Over two
score unfortunate ~workingmcn were
the victims
Scarcely five minutes elapsed from n
moment when the men were progress
ing with their tasks till the frightiul
whirlwind was miles distant In It's path
Of destruction and the remains Of the
begrimed and mangled men were being
brought out Of the debris
The storm lasted only about thirty
minutes, but during that period many
thousands of dollars Of damage was
done, besides taking five lives
During the progress Of the storm an
alarm Of fire was turned In from the
Fifth ward and the department re-
spunded 10 find the new large four story
frame hotel on Third street near Lam
born avenue "a mass OF flames. The
structure had blown down and the cry
went up from a hundred excited indi-
Tiduals that the wreck was the tomb Of
many men.
In spite Of the pouring rain the visit
ors at the scene gave their assistance
In the cause of rescue. Men In all
walks of life stood shoulder TO shoulder
and worked with one thought of hui
manity. The work Is still in progress,
fresh men taking the places Of those
who give it up through fatigue. Fully
1900 were ut the scene.
Drs. Conner and Willis did excellent
work in caring for the injured and pro-
viding for their convenience.
An assistant chief of the fire depart
ment sustained a broken leg during the
work of rescue. While Il rope was
straining on IA mass Of broken frame
work the crit work TO which IL was 1T
taehed parted and struck him.
scene of intense excitement reigned.
Men worked with desperation. Women
ran about regardless of rain and mud.
waving their hands and crying, flied
with the fear that their husbands or
brothers had been buried in the ruins.
An eye witness of the disaster said
he sew Il crowd OF workmen running 10
the building to seek shelter from the
storm. Fully thirty or forty men must
have been inside. They were distrib-
uted over all the floors.
1t appears that all the men on the
third floor tool warning first and hive
were seen TO jump aud get away in
safety.
In this building was the main damage
done, but other property was injured.
The Silver Creek Morris Coal Co. works
were badly damaged and this will de-
lay the handling of coal
A large frame building at the corner
of Byrd aud Lower street, South Supe-
rior. was wrecked and the steel plant
reports II number of buildings leveled,
but no casualties The wind played
havoc with the Unitarian church, union
depot and other buildings, but no Sc
rious fires resulted. Had one broken
out it would have found the city prac-
tically helpless. There are no reports
of disasters ON the lake or harbor.
When the storm came up Boss Car
penter Gross called TO his men who
were working on the three-story build
ing at Third street and Lamborn ave-
nue. TO get out Of the building and
twelve of them jumped from the win
dows. At the same moment "A number
of passers-by ran into the structure to
escape the storm. As they entered the
building, without an instant's tremor
or warning, collapsed, burying seven
teen men. The structure did not move
a foot from its foundation. 1t simply
flattened out rs though by a terrible
blow from above. Three timers on
the roof remained where they were and
escaped serious injury, though the fall
was thirty-eight feet The ruins stood
not six feet above the ground and the
roof seemed to cover the whole, great
ly retarding the work of rescue.
II was an hour before the first body,
that of Herman Roussey, was recov-
cred. He was found in a sitting posi-
ton, zen nearly double, with spikes
driven into his spine and almost every
bone in his body broken.
John Lauer was found on his back
with four timbers lying across him. cut
ting his body into rs many pieces. 1t
was u horrible sight aud the over
worked rescuers weakened In removing
the body.
Schofeld was found in what evident
" had been a room on the third floor
and was still alive, though he died as
soon as the weight was removed from
him, his back being broken.
1t was over an hour before another
body was found. The bodies of Lucius
and an unknown man. evidently one of
those who took shelter in the Inflated
building. were found in the wreck of n
room ON the gr und floor. Both bodies
were fiattened oat Of all resem blance
TO humanity.
While the work of rescue had been