The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-08-10
BLAMES THE VINO
Officials Account for the
City Hall Disaster.
THREE MEN DIED LAST NIGHT
Foreman Warned by the Arehi-
teet and Inspector to
Brace the Wall.
Startling Testimony Expected
When an Enquiry Takes
Place.

out "Wextra News Full account of the
Fall of the City Hail." and the papers
found eager purchasers because The Jer-
sey City News was the first paper to an
nounce the serious accident at the new
City Hall building which resulted In three
deaths and five men seriously injured
Bad as the catastrophe is public feeling Is
Intensified this morning when it has leak
ed out that for a few paltry dollars ex-
pended in supports this direful occurrence
would never have taken place.
1t is unanimously agreed by those who
know what they are talking about that
had the new, green wall been properly
braced this paper would not have had
the melancholy duty imposed on it of
publishing so sad an accident.
When The News" appeared on the
street last night five men were seriously
injured, but not long after three of
these FIVE died and one more injured man
was discovered among the debris. The
complete account of dead and injured is
as follows:-
Field, Frank H., laborer, No. 1928 Third
avenue, South Brooklyn.
Kennedy, Patrick, iron worker, No. 32S
Madison street, Hoboken.
Sullivan, Peter, bricklayer. age and adj
dress not known.
INJURED.
Detterming, Nicholas, So; No 300 Mon
roe street, Hoboken; legs and body
crushed; City Hospital.
Dwyer, Thomas, 81; No. 17Sk Third
street; arms, legs and body crushed and
injured internally; st. Francis Hospital.
Fleming, Michael, No. 172 New York
avenue, this city; head and body bruised;
City Hospital.
Foley, John, aged 95; b~ricklayer; No.
464 street, this city; arm
and leg fractured and body bruised.
Jansen, Mansett, %; No. 42 Washing
ton street, Hoboken; ribs broken; City
Hospital.
Fields died in the City Hospital at
eleven o'clock last night, and almost at
the same moment Kennedy expired. Both
these unfortunate men were in horrible
agony before death finally released them
of their sufferings.
AS to the others, some may die. Their
injuries mainly consist of fractured limbs
but a few have received internal injuries,
which may terminate fatally. The morn
ing reports from the hospitals, where
the men are, seem favorable to their ul-
innate recovery.
THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT.
The old Roman axiom about many
men and many opinions is thoroughly
amplifed in this instance. Scarcely two
people agree pcerisely as to the real
cause; but a great number think it must
be either the wind. or the weak wall.
or. the weight of the Orders, or a hun
dred other things as absurd as possible.
A careful investigation of the facts by
ssNTau-S,, ranortor fhic rnorpipo noiptS
to. criminal negligence as the true cause,
and nothing else.
The part which fell is at the top of
an interior wall running between Mer-
Ger and Montgomery streets, and high
above the doorway on the latter street
At the place where the wall broke off it
was about II feet deep and 70 feet in
length, and had just been run up by
the bricklayers. The mortar was fresh,
and, as the men called it, 1.-THE wall was
green
Dow below, some fifty or sixty feet,
men were waiting to place in position
the iron girders to support the roof,
and Contractor English's men We're
working hard to finish the wall so that
the men could set these girders in
place.
WARNED THEM TO BRACE.
In the morning the supervising archi-
tect Mr.. Louis II. Broome, had Wis
tied the building according to his daily
custom, and having inspected the work
of Building the wall told the contrac-
tors son that before the men left for
the day, the new wall should be braced.
sfr. English, it is reported, replied that
he expected to rave the iron trusses on
the new wall before night, and these
would support them.
The men continued building when at
about half past three those on the csaf-
fold felt a slight ,swaying which they at
tributed to the wind blowing. 1t did at
that time blow rather lively, for the
weather we have had lately; but not by
any means as strong as some would IN
sist.
Christ's Hospital today, horribly crushed,
was on the scaffold at the time and
shouted out:
Look alive there" to his co-laborers,
tsthe wall is sh5ky."
He had barely uttered these words.
when a sudden gust of wind caused the
wan 1S e e5e The JAWS OF DEATH.
Jump for your life screamed Sui
Ivan, and setting the example, leaped
from the scaffold toward the second
floor. He was followed by the others.
The last man had just left the trembling
platform when the wall waved ,trempled,
IOIlSESu,- alt l. a. AtDiA&A
sound fell over amid a deafening roar
and a binding shower of dust, brick,
and motar. 1t fell through the lower
floor and carried the fire proof brick
flooring with it.
From every point of the building the
workmen rushed. They had heard the
ominous sounds, and with blanched
faces and terror stricken eyes, they
rambl up the planks over the Grove
street doorway to the first floor, where
a sad sight met them. There. a little to
fine right of The entrance on the brick
flooring, was a pile Of debris partially
hurled in which they could see some of
their companions. Tenderly they We're
nxtrlcated, but SO badly injured were
these poor unfortunates that when any
one touched them they groaned and
shrieked with pain.
AZ that moment Captain Fred Far
rier. with Detective. McGinnis, rushed i'll,
allowed by a score of helpers and a few
seconds later by DR.. William w. Var
lex.
Ter Skiff. who was standing or Mercer
street, opposite the building. new to the
Gre alarm box at Adams Express Com
nnny's stables, and sounded an alarm.
another man gal1oped as f2st as his
legs could take HON to- Police Head
ularters, and from thence issued a call
70 the hospitals in the city for ambu-
iances.
Rev. Fathers Prendergast and limerick
Of ST. Peters College, notified by a mes
senger. hastened to administer religious
consolation to the wounded, and did
much to assist the doctors in their duty
Of improvising splints and bandages for
The broken limbs.
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