Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-02-28
ID EDITION.
CRUSHED BY WALLS.
A Terrible Disaster Caused by High
Winds.
MANY MADE HOMELESS BY FLOODS,
Contributions for Mckinley to Be
Accepted.
OTHER TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

OTHER TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.
CRUSHED BY TONS OF BRICK.
frightful Disaster in Chicago Caused by
Failing Walls.
CHICAGO, Feb. 2s.-By the falling Of the walls
| Of John York's burned dry goods store ct
Halsted and 18th streets at 1850 o'clock this
morning seven and perhaps eight people were
instantly killed and four others seriously in
jured.
ing before the high wind Of the walls Of tho
burned York building These had been stand
ing since the fire which last winter destroyed
the store and contents. At this time the
walls were soaked with water. which.
however. coated them with Zoe and aided with
ice added in holding thom together. 1t was
feared that a change OF temperature would
weaken the walls by thawing ont the ice which
held them together, and last night these fears
were realized.
and last nights wind shook the tottering walls
until they fell with = crash. burying two houses
| with their sleeping inmates.
The two houses destroyed were the saloon Of
John Smith at 76l Halsted street, and
the ,i iswslsy store Of s., A. Kuuss At
| 3oo iAaIsLco sticcbs botn Wcro itbIuo
structures, and both we're occupied on
the second stories by the families Of the
owners OF the places Of business below. That
all IN the buildings were not killed seems almost
a miracle. but while two were taken out alive
one Of them-Mrs. Amelia Smith, wife OF tho
saloon keeper-can scarcely survive the day.
WONDERFUL ESCAPE.
The other one to escape was Fred Kunze, son
Of the jeweler, aged twenty.one years. He,
v;Sl l.; An,l ~ ha En-
the basement. A door wac thrown against
the bed and. supported against the wall. served
to guard the occupant OF the bed from injury
by the falling debris.
SOUNDING TIE ALARM.
Policeman Hanks was near the corner Of
Halsted and 10th streets when the disaster
occurred. He hurried to the spot and
could hear the groans and cries for
help of the people buried In the
ruins. He sent in an alarm OF fire. for; to add
horror to the scene, smoke was seen curling up
through the ruins, which had caught fire from
u stove overturned in the crash.
The fire department arrived In few
minutes and began playing on the debris. Sergt.
Loughran of the Canal Port Avenue
begun work Of rescue. While near the
center Of the ruins crash came
and the sergeant WAS struck in the back by
falling brick and thrown down on the burning
rubbish. As he was struggling to his feet
another brick struck him on the RICH. ha nd,
man Smith was also struck and knocked down
by flying rubbish.
Mrs. Amelia Smith was the first Of the victims
found.
She was lying beneath section Of the wall
which was still held together by mortar and II
was fifteen minutes after her frat cry was heard
before she was rescued. She was then uncon-
scious. It was thought at the time that she
could live but few minutes, but much to the
surprise Of the physicians at the county hospi-
tai she was still alive this morning.
RESCUE OF YOUNG KUSz.
Young Kunz was rescued but slightly In
jured. The work OF rescuing the imprisoned
people, aside from great danger to
firemen, was attended with much difficulty,
1t unknown in what portion Of the
buildings the missing families had been sleep
ing, and the iremen. who were on the spot
almost before the sound Of the crash
had died away. were without any guide
in their work save their own in
stinct. Disregarding the smoke and the
licking tongues Of flame tina: appeared here
and there amid the debris they dug along the
base OF the York wall, at q point which ap-
peared to be about the center of Kunz's
jewelry store.
Their search was finally rewarded by a shout
from beneath the bricks and broken timbers.
They dug steadily on. but could not locate the
voice.
At last, however, came the cry, Here I am"
and a. the same instant n hand was thrust
through the open air. 1t was the hand OF
young kunz His rescue was then but a mat
ter OF few minutes. After being rescued he
told the fremen where his father and mother
had been sleeping, and he was then removed to
the county hospital.
DIGGING IN THE RUINS.
Superintendent OF Streets Burke put $50 men
at work on the ruins early this morning. The
work of excsvsting is difficult owing to the heat
and smoke that still ascend from the debris
1t is absolutely impossible that any Of those
buried in the debris can be still alive.
The hope that the bartender, George Mesterle,
! as his name was learned TO be today might be
still alive, dissipated this forenoon when
his body, terribly mutilated. was taken from
the ruins. 1t was taken to the morgue.
TIE LIST OF VICTIMS.
At II O'Clock the police gave out the follow.
ing revised list of the killed and injured, which
| is believed to be the correct one:
| The killed-Wm. Kunz, Mrs. Mary Kunz,
John Smith (or Schmidt), Lizzie Smith, Hattie
| Smith, Paullna Mortin, George Mesterle.
The injured-Mrs Smith, Annie Smith, Fred
| Kunz.
| Cen Steyenson'a COMING.