The morning call., 1892-04-03
CHICAGo's CATASTROPH

Huletts Frame building Was higher
Than the Law Allowed.
CHICAGO, March 2.-The people injured in
the terrible disaster at Halstead and Pierce
streets, caused by the collapse OF Huletrs
seven-story building, appear to have a fair
chance of recovery. Seven is the total num-
Der of those dead. They are: Edward
Mott. aged two years; Horace Mott, aged
FIVE years; David Hulett. aged six months
William Cowap, aged 10 years; Missionary
Walsh of Joliet, H.. and Mrs. James
COwap. The bodies Of Samuel Barsdale,
Miss Walsh, Mrs. Cowan and the latter's
10-year-old son. William, are still In tie
ruins. OF the injured, eight-year-old Alice
Hulett died to-day. 1t Is charged that the
Huiett building was four stories higher
than it should have been. The permit
issued TO the owner, Samuel Young, was for
thTee-story structure. In behalf OF the
owner il is asserted that the strength of the
building was fully up to the municipal re-
quirements. just before o'clock p. NJ. the
first of the bodies buried under the ruins
was reached. The body was so frighrfuliy
crushed that identification was we'll nigh
Impossible. The remains were thought to
be those Of Miss Walsh.
In two of the demolished houses upset
stoves set fire TO the ruins, but before
serious damage occurred the flames were
extinguished.
An Untimely Visit.
At 10 Pierce street the wife and nIne-year-
old daughter OF Lissell and the eghty-year-
old father-in-law and Miss Lodera Reach
were making call on the other family at
the time OF the accident. When the place
at u Pierce street was struck it was thrown
against Aliens house. 4 marble slab pinned
the elghty-yeaT-old man 10 the floor. MIS-.
Allen and her daughter were released by
fremen. Miss Reach was pinned to the floor
| by the mantel-piece, which she succeeded in
| crawling from under. The dust was SO
| dense that she could not see, and, stumbling,
| fell on the stove. In her great fright she
| did not realiza her situation and was fright
! fully burned before discovered and taken
| from the building. On the top floor OF the
| same building Charles Edmund and Hilda
! Jayland were visiting Alexander johnson
and wife. They were deluged with falling
plaster, but alter groping about in the dust
while found their way ont of the ruins.
thus narrowly escaping injury beyond few
scratches about the face aud hands.
Nearly two hours elapsed after the dscov-
| cry before the debris was sufficiently re-
| moved to allow the body of Miss Walsh to
be carried out of the ruins. Her left arm
was crushed 10 & pulp and her face was
| swollen and dlShgured. Just before her
| body was removed the fireman who had
| been digging in the kitchen discovered the
| body OF young woman. She was clad
! only in a wrapper, and evidently had just
| arisen from her sick bed and was endpavOr-
ing TO escape when the crash came. Her
| breast was fearfully bruised, and the lividty
| of her features indicated that size died
| from asphyxiaton. In about half an hour,
| and near the pace where Mrs. Cowan'S
| body was found, the remains OF Samuel L.
| Barsdale were found. lie had evidently been
| caught under tile heaviest part of wall His
head was crushed almost fat and his left
arm reduced TO a jelly. Almost touching
| Barsdale body ON the left was found the body
| of William Cowan. He was BADLY crushed,
| but the appearance of his features ind lcated
| that he was smothered 20 death. AS soon
| as they were taken from the ruins the bodies
were removed to the Morgue and were later
| inspected by the CorOner's jury. After an
examination of the bodies the jury adjourned
until mex. Friday when witnesses VIII be
| heard