The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-10-10
GALE IN GOTHAM.
A Seven Story Brick Building IS
Blown Down.
Two Families Are Buried Under
the Ruins.
TORRENTme OF RAIN.
All Wires Blown Down and
Shipping Destroyed.
The Life Saving Crews Have a
Hard Nights Work.

this morning a seven story building in
course of erection, at No. "A Monroe
street, was blown down by the gale. It
crashed through a two story building at
No 70, demOlishing it completely. Two
families with boarders lived at r. They
were all buried IN the ruins.
The building which fell had been in
course Of erection for the past two months
1t was 10 have been occupied when corl-
pleted as foundry.
Ever since the foundation was laid
there were complaints on every side that
the structure was a weak fimsy affair,
and many had expressed the belief that
it would fall before the roof could be
put on. These were certainly not far
wrong; for the roof had not been com
pleted ten hours when the crash came
1t was at 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon
that the last nail was placed IN the roof
and then there was great rejoicing. The
WOrkmen put five or six flags up, so that
the bright stripes would hang over the
streets and two kegs of beer were taken
up to the top story TO add to the general
rejoicing.
To this mornings disaster there seems
TO have been two eye witnesses and the
story they tell agrees in every particular.
Thomas Walsh il the watchman at Heck
er'5 stable in the rear of the house which
fell. 1t was lust 3 30 o'clock when the
disaster occurred. 1t was a wild night
The rain fell in torrents and the wind
blew a gale. The watchman says that
there was a sort of mysterious half light
in the air which he cannot describe. By
it, through the blackness Of the night,
he says, as be was preparing to make his
rounds of the stable, he saw the side wall
of this big new building and the slanting
sheets Of rain as they beat down upon il.
AIlI never forget that sight said
Walsh. Even as he looked there came a
change in the appearance OF the side of
the wall Tt seemed to the watchman
that a big black line suddenly appeared
diagonally across it from top to bottom.
Before Walsh could realize that the dark
line was a crack in che wall there was a
low rumblinG sound and the seven stories
of the building crumbled before his
eyes. For moment Walsh stood
amazed A cloud Of dust went up, but
the pelting rain blOtted it out before the
o reenter the stable.
Walter J. Bryan, Of II Monroe street.
was returning home, and he stood at the
corner OF Pike and Monroe street. fifty
feet away. when the building fell. He
saw the big crack IN the wall, too, and
the building topple for an instant
before il fell "Ihat building said this
witness, twas more badly put up than
any that was ever put up by Buddensiek.''
Buddensiek is the man that went to
sand in the building of houses instead Of
mortar
The list Of injured thus far recovered
from the ruins il as follows.
George RobinOvitz, 20 years old, back
sprained and ear cut
Louis Abrams, 70, left leg broken and
many contusiOns.
David Kronis, "a cut about head and
body.
Fanny Kronis. %. badly cut about the
body.
Joseph Brady, IA head. crushed and
left leg broken.
Timothy Dolan, cuts and bruises.
Bessie Abrams 40. cut about the head.
Lewis j. Abrams, 20, contusions Of
head and body
Maurice Abrams contusions of head
and body.
Fearful storm at Sea
The storm, which broke upon this sec
ton shortly after midnight, has done
great damage on sea and land. The
tracks Of the Jew Jersey Southern rail
road, between Seabright and Highland
Beach. n j., have been covered with
sand washed upon them by the waves
The fishing smack. Louise, was driven
Na2re at Highland Beach and Is a total
An grew Of ten men were taken
nyiag crew.
steaH WV, apparently in dis
tress, was sighted soon after
daylight at anchor some dis
t1A@1 I'll Long branch. w hlI0 the /
sea was running 80 high no effort was
made to establish communication be-
tween the steamships and he shore At
40 a. m the wind shifted and the storm
somewhat abated
The steamship does not seem to be in
any Immediate danger. In SeabriOht
and vicinity number Of buildings we're
unroofed at Long Island city the big
iron tank belonging to the East River
Gas company was blown to within five
feet Of its foundation. The tank was
@UO feet high and 175 feet wide
1he police wires were all blown down
and small boats all along the shore from
Long Island TO Bowers Beach were
broken and thrown upon the beach The
telephone wires were broken and twisted
and at North Beach q number of boats
We're wrecked The trolley wires of the
Brooklyn railroad at North Beach were
all broken and care are not now being
rnn- The ferry boat Harlem. Of the
Nlnety-second street ferry. was disabled
on entering ner slip at Long Island Citv.
1he new engine at the corner Of Stein
way and Flushing avenue, which had
reached the heighth of one aad one-balf
stories was blown down An unusuaIIv
high tide washed the east Ut Staten
Island doing considerable damage to