Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1893-03-04
BURIED ALIVE.
Ten Persons Entombcd In the Ruins OF =
Fallen Huilding Mt Chicago-Eight of
Them Probably Dead-A High Wind Re-
spousibls for the Disnater.

Ten Persons Entombed In tho Ruins OF =
Fallen BuiIding MT Chicago--Eight of
Them Probably Dead-A High Wind Re-
sponsibie for the Disaster.
CHICAGO, Feb. 90. BY the falling OF
the north wall of the gutted John York
building, Nos. 765 and TS1 Ilalsted
street, at 1:15 o'clock this morning. the
two-story frame building adjoining was
crushed and two families wiped out of
existence. In all ten persons were
buried, as follows:
John Lunzc, jeweler, crushed beyond recogni-
ton; Mrs. Kunze, horribly mutilated, body al
most torn in two; Frank Kunze, son, slightly
hurt; John Smith, saloonkeeper, skull crushed;
Mrs. Smith, body crushed, taken out uncon-
scious; Dolly Smith, crushed; Faith Smith,
body crushed; Hattie Smith body crushed;
Pauline =, servant; George -, bartender.
The wall was shaken by the high
winds during the night, but no danger
was felt until after midnight, when
the cracking was heard by persons on
the street, but no alarm was given.
When the fall came the frame build
ings were crushed and covered by the
debris and those within had no chance
to escape. The crash reused everyone
on the block, and, as the ruins took
fire at once, a 2-11 alarm was turned
in and ten engine companies began
the work of attempted rescue. The
ruins were crushed through to the
Easements and now lie even with the
sidewalk. 1t was impossible to get
into the debris to attempt the work of
rescue and the firemen were compelled
to throw water on the smoking ruins,
knowing that their work might be
ending the life of some unfortunate
lying half dead in the wreckage.
In the building No. 763 was the
family of ohm Kunse, who keeps the
jewelry store on the ground floor. The
family consisted of the father, mother
and son Frank, who is associated with
his father in the store. To the former
the night of death succeeded in breath
that which brought cessation from the
days labor. The weight of the wall,
which came down with the velocity of
shot, demolished the little frame
died in their beds without sign.
Their bodies are still in the wreckage.
The building No. 761 was occupied on
| the ground floor by the saloon of John
| Smith. With his family he occupied
| the second story. In this structure,
which received the weight of the top
of the wall, and which now lies in a
| heap in the basement, leveled with
the street, the greatest lost of life oc-
| CURED.
| The family consisted of John Smith
and his wife, their three children, Dol
ly aged ~ years, Faith aged 10 years,
and Hattie aged 4, the servant Paulina,
and the bartender George. All were
crushed when the building became a
mass of splinters, mingling with the
brick and mortar of the ruined struc-
ture.
The fire which broke out from an
| overturned stove as soon as the wreck
occurred showed through the ruins in
tongues of flame and masses of smoke,
betraying the destruction beneath So
hot was the blaze that it was impossi-
BILE for any one to get close enough to
discover the extent of the damage or
do anything in the way of rescue.
After a time the fire was gotten under
control and the work of rescue began.
1t was no easy work to get through
the tons of debris, but the firemen and
several hundred men attracted by the
crash worked as if their lives depended
on their efforts. 1t was evident moth
ing less than a miracle could have
saved the lives of any of the unfortu'
mates in the buildings, for the force OF
the fall crushed everything that came
in its way. An hours hard work seem
ingly made little impression on the
mound of debris. The firemen were
fearful of working too close to the
south wall of the Smith building
which threatened to fall with every
gust of wind.
Frank Kunze, the son of the jeweler
was the first taken out. He had beer
carried into the basement. With the
exception of several bruises about his
feet and ankles he was uninjured. Mrs
Smith was next located in the rear OF
the brick building. she YVES uncon
scious and suffering from u broker
arm and fractured skull. She wal
removed to the county hospital in th'
ambulance. 1t is thought that she can
not recover.