Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-03-01
ON WINDS OF DEATH
Seven Persons instantly Killed by
Falling Walls
BLOWN DOWN BY THE WIND
Two Adjoining Houses and the slorp-
ing Occupants crushed Under
Brick and Tnnter.

CHrcAoo. Feb 2s--Seven persons.
possibly eight, were instantly killed snd
four others seriously injured by the fall
ing II the walls II John lork's dry
goods store at Haistead and Nineteenth
streets At 10 o'clock this morning. The
killed are: John Smith. A. years old;
Dolly Smith. aged - years; Baby
Smith. D years; Hattie Smith. lyears;
Pauiina Reutich. 10 years: +. kun1e, -
years. Mrs Mary kunze. ~ years.
The injured: r. kunze. Jr. Patrol
Sergeant Loughran. Mrs. Amelia Smith.
probably fatal; Police Officer WiIlisra
Smuh.
. Missing: Joseph -. bartender. aged
- years.
High winds caused the walls Of the
burned York building to collapse and
the victims were buried in the debris.
The walls have been standing ever since
fire destroyed the store aud its contents
last winter. At that time the walls
were saturated with water. which freez-
ing. kept the bricks together. Fears
have been entertained all along that
change in the weather would thaw the
ice and cause the walls 10 go down. and
last night they were realized. The pour.
ing rains and warm weather Of yester-
day melted the ice and the high winds
of last night rocked the tottering walls
until they fell with crash and buried
two houses with their sleeping inmates.
Two Persons Escape.
The two houses destroyed were the sa.
loon Of John Smith. at No. 74l Halst,sad
street. and the jewelry store Of A. kuuze.
at No. 763 IIalstead street. Both were
frame structures. and both were occu-
pied in the second stories by the families
of the owners OF the places OF business
below. That all in the buildings were
not killed seems miracle. but while
two were taken out alive. one Of them
Mrs. Smith. wife of the saloon keeper.
can scarcely survive the day.
The other one to escape was Fred
kunze. son of the sjeweIer. aged 2l years.
He with his bed was carried through
the fioor To the basement. \ door was
thrown across the bed and, supported
against the wall. ser ved te guard the
occupant of the bed from injury 10y the
falling debris. lie was rescued but
slightly injured.
The work Of rescuing the injured pco-
pie. aside from being very dang, ..,ls.
was exceedingly difficult. None knew
in what portions of thx5Sntdings the
families had been sleeping. and the fire.
men had to work by instinct. Disre-
garding botfsuke)rtsadrfiame thai ~
peared here and there in long tongues
through the debris. they dug along the
walls at what appeared To be about the
center OF kunze's jewelry store. Finally
they heard shout come from beneath
the mass IL wood and brick. but could
not locate the voice.
Here | am shouted the voice. and
at the same time hand was thrust into
view. Ii was the hand Of young kunzc.
lie was quickly rescued.
Al Work in the Ruins
After being rescued he told the fire.
men where his mother aud father had
been sleeping and he was then removed
10 the county hospital. The tate Of
Smiths bartender, whose full name is
unknown. Is a mystery. He occupied a
room on the second story Of the Smith
house. but as his bed. when found in the
ruins. showed no trace ~ having been
occupied. IL is thought he may not have
been at home at the tIfne Of the catas-
tropIie
Superintendent % Streets Burke put
100 men at work on the ruins early this
morning. The work ~ excavation is
difficult owing 10 the heat and smoke
that still ascend from the debris. ard il
y absolutely impossible that any ~
those buried in the ruins can be still
alive.
S'>ciii shifts the Blame.
Buildiag Commissioner O'Neill. upon
whose shoulders the responsibility for
the disaster az the York building on
Halsteai street this morning seems 10
rest. charges that the owners and con
tractors are to blame in the matter.
When asked today why the walls were
not ordered 10 be DESTROYED i'm
mcdiateis after the fire last .Jann
ary. he said he had given orders 20 tear
down all dangerous walls. but il was ihe
business - the contractors Ia look after
them he claimed that the north and
front walls were perfectly secure aud
would BE- standing now we're IL not for
last nights gales lie bad no power to
tear down dangerous walls. and had he
given such orders 20 the Ere depsrtnsnf
they wonld have refused % ohcy
Inspector Lusiewing made a report 10
Commissioner - 'Seill Last week. that in
removing the debfie from tho burned
fnilding when two men we're severely
laiurrd from falling scatfold. tho TAX
ine cut - the burned floofs and g,rslerz
left the walls IN very dangerous rtndi
fion. but D'Neill claims that there il
Hhere the rcegnnsibilify ~ the con
tractors hcgiua ~ the face n the facts
~ refrted - him. the halldine com rnia
alln..r Lsal...l 4 l...rl.llf IN Nlll-ls -. lie