Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1893-10-20
The Wall Fell
And John l.. Warner
Died Without
Warning.
Charlie Davis Escapes Death, But
Is Badly Hurt.
Others Injured and Some Marrow Es-
capes

CapeS.
The Virginia street wall OF the
Blumenstiel Carriage Cos, brick
building on the corner of Eighth and
Virginia streets fell without warning
at 8 o'clock yesterday morning and
the entire eastern half Of the building
was wrecked. Three brickmasons
were working on the wall that fell and
all were thrown to the ground with
the ruins. One was killed, another
badly hurt and the third slightly in
jured. The man thai was killed was
John l.. Warner, of Nashville, Tenn.
He arrived the day before with his
wife, who went out in the country
and Warner took board at j. ID. Hills
He was taken out alive but died in a
few minutes. Coroner Dennis held
an inquest at IL O'Clock and the jury
composed of w. H Merritt. J. J. Aus.
tin, J. W. Ysncey, f. A. Dryer, j. l..
Kennedy AMI j. Y. Gray, returned
verdict of accidental death by the fall
ing OF wall. Warner was stranger
here and was about 80 years old. 1t
is not known what family he has be-
sides bis wife. Charlie Davis, who
came from GAINESVILLE last spring,
was working few feet from Warner.
He had his left leg broken above the
ankle, roth bones being badly frac-
tured. His lip was cut, several bruis
es received and other injuries sus-
tanned. He WAS taken to Hills
boarding house and physicians sum
moned, He will recover.
The third man WAS named /. w. u
of Racine, Wis, and an ertire stran
ger. He arrived the night before and
reported for work az 7:l5. He had
been on the wall less than fifteen
minutes when the crash came. He
was near the corner next TO the ad-
joining building and escaped with a
sprained ankle, one bone being brok.
an. His injury was not serious.
The building frouted about 30 feet
on Virginia and about so on Eighth,
1t was an old house put up forty
years ago and was later known as the
Poindexter g. Baker building. 1t
passed into the hands of the present
owners, F. E. Blumens iel, r. f. West
and w. H. Lee, some years ago.
They had removed the roof and were
raising the house to three stories. The
arches on the Virginia street side had
been removed from over the windows,
the walls had been torn down to re.
ceive:the joists and all these bricks
were stacked up on the second floor.
The work was being done by day Ia
Dor and not by contract, Jack Blum.
Blumenstiel being in charge of it.
The crash was caused by the giving
way of the second floor which pushed
the end wall, mostly doors and win
dows, outward and the timber being
fastened together half Of the building
collapsed Besides the three masons
there we're about a dozen men in and
about the building. 1t was miracle
almost that others were not killed,
Mr.. Blumenstiel, whose Office was
in the end wrecked, had stepped out
on the street for a moment. The other
proprietors Mr.. West and Mr.. Lee
had just come down from the top OF
the building and gone intothe smiths
shop in the west end.
Jack Blumenstiel was on top and
was left standing on the last joist
that remained ia its place He had a
close call,
Joe Ferguson, trimmer, was in the
Office and leaped through the window,
sash and all, just in the nick of time.
He escaped with few scratches
Clarence Nixon, wood workman,
had just stepped out Of the room.
9, b. Williams, Luther Turks and
George Pollard, blacksmiths, were in
the work shops in the west ca I.
George Anderson was in the paint
shop. Henry Belote, carpenter, had
just left the top of the building. Josh
Holloway, cot, hod carrier, was in the
building and escaped as it fell, He
was slightly scratched about the
head. John Bonte and Hay den
Ferguson were at work 10 Ducker's
ship adjoining, and section OF
Duckers division wall went down
within few feet on them, but they
we're not hurt.
1t took but a short while 10 get out
the three men hurt. Many people
set to work and soon cleared out the
debris enough to find out that no
other persons were underneath. TIE
floor gave down in the middle and
the broken joists were leaning upward
against both side walls, which re-
m iined standing.
A rumor that child was heard to
scream proved untrue, as no child was
found under the wreck and none is
reported missing,
The property loss is severe upon
the young men who own the build
ing. Stock 10 the amount Of $1,000
is ruined or damaged, six vehicles are
wrecked, the furniture destroyed,
etc, to say nothing Of several humid
red dollars worth of damage to the
building. Morris Cohen's surrey and
Il, f. Henderson's phaeton were
among the vehicles lost in the repair
shop,
Tho n.Nal.. D..t,Ig..Ia