St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-12-05

relgned supreme for few minutes, and
then cool heads came to the rescue, and
order was restored.
To the Rescue.
An alarm was sent to police and fire
headquarters, and in few minutes the
patrol wagons and fire apparatus cam e
laundering down the streets, and
the work Of eXtricating the dead
and wounded was begun. BY
dint of exercising discipline
Chief of Police Clark and Fire Chief
jackson organized a rescuing party
from the laborers, and they set to work
with worthy zeal, using pick and
shovel to eXcavate the towering mass of
fallen brick under which their COM
rades were buried. In about twenty
minutes the first body was found, but
the man was dead, the skull being
crushed to pulp and the features per-
fectly undergraduate. 1t was that of
Edward Wilcox, a young contractor
who had charge OF some boiler
building in the vicinity, and was watch
ing the men at work when death came
to him in most horrible form. The news
Of the terrible accident had spread far
and wide, and hundreds of excited per
SONS gathered in the vicinity of the
wreck, but the police guards, under
Capt. Cook, would not allow anyone to
approach the buildings.
1t seemed almost an age ere another
body was brought TO light, and a shout
went up from the reScuing party when
they found that the poor fellow was
alive, but terribly injured. The crude
Stretcher and the rough-jOlting patrol
wagon which in st. Paul is allowed to
take the place of the properly equipped
ambulance were then brought into
service. and the injured man was
placed in the bottom of the wagon and
conveyed to the city hospital. A large
gang OF men was then put TO work, and
soon
Body After Body
was taken out, covered with blood and
dirt. Bye o'clock the men had been
taken from the wreck, five of whom
were dead and five still living. The
dead were taken into the Great. North
ern baggage room of the union depot,
while the injured. after being attended
to by DIR. Murphy, were placed in the
patrol wagons and sent TO the city hos
pitai.
In the baggage room of the depot the
bodies were covered with rough Quilt
ing, and the police had the greatest
difficulty to keep back the crowds or
persons who were anxious TO gaze upon
the dead, Only those who had the right
TO enter the room were allowed in by
the police, and when Coroner Quinn ar
rived he ordered the bodies to be taken
to the morgue, the patrol wagons being
used for the purpose.
BY $50 eight dead had been re COW
cred. Their condition was terrible in
the extreme and caused the stoulest to
shudder. In most cases the skulls were
crushed in, while hands and feet were
mangled to pulp, and the limbs twisted
and broken. Though the men met
death in most horrible manner, it is a
consolation to know that the transition
from life was instantaneous, and that
the poor fellows were
Spared Suffering.
Five men who were alive when re-
covered were sent to the city hospital
in the patrol wagons, while two men
hurt by falling bricks, and who were
not buried, were sent to their homes at
their own request. The last man re-
covered was taken out at O'Clock, and
the work of carting away the pile of
bricks was carried on until dusk. when
the labOrerS ceased work.
The general opinion of the foreman in
charge of the Inflated gang was that all
had been accounted for bV O'Clock.
There were fifteen men at work near
the wall, while about twenty more were
working la the ruins. where the fallen
bricks did not reach. It's possible, how
ever, that more bodies are beneath
the ruins, for no definite information
could be learned as to the exact number
of men at work. Last evening Mrs.
John WOl6nger visited police headquar-
tiers with her son. and stated that her
husband had gone to work that morning
on tue ruins. and up to s o'clock had not
come home. The poor woman visited
the morgue and the city hospital, but
her husband was not among the dead Or
injured, and she went to her humble
home weeping piteously.
A E1eartrending Scene
was enacted at the mOrgue on Hill
street. where the work of identifying
the bodies was carried out. A large
force OF police was necessary 10 keep
order among the crowds of men, women
and children of all nationalitles who
Swarmed around the building eager to
find If husband, father or son was living
people were admitted at a time, ana
the police would not allow the mothers
10 take the young children inside the
building. The scene was gruesome
one in the long room where the eight
dead men lay side by side OH the slabs.
All were covered in CRIME and dust.
which mingled with the blood ooZing
from the CHASTITY wounds. Here lay one
man with the whole left side of his skull
smashed in like a baoken egg shell, while
the face was battered TO pulp.
Another had his feet and hands crushed
fiat, muscles and bones protruding.
while anOther'S chest was beaten in by
the tons of falling brick Slowly the
work of identity proceeded, and as a
loved one would be recognized by face
or clothing or contents OF pockets. the
stricken wife or daughter was led away
by tender-hearted policeman. Before
O'clock in the evening all had been
recognized, and access to the building
closed to all but those having business
there. Four of the bodies were removed
by relatives to undertaking establish
ments last evening.
At the Hospital
Within few minutes of the accident
telephone message was sent to the
al %oI