New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-04-10
TEN BTRTED IN THE RUINS.
FATAL COLLAPSE OF TWO BUSINESS
BUILDINGS IN WHEELING. W. VA.

FIRE FpoM A NATI'RAI~GAs LEAK-ONE
OF THE STRUCTURES HAD BEEN
CONDEMNED TWO YEARS AGO
THE MONEY LOSS 100000.
Wheeling. w Va. April AT few minutes
past o'clock this morning an accident occurred
which threw the city into the greatest excitement
The hve-story buildings Nos. 1920 and l'222 Main
ST. occupied by T T. Hutchinson Co. wholesale
hardware and saddlery dealers, and W. H. Chap
man & Sons wholesale painters and builders sup
plies collapsed with deaiening report. buryng
ten men. To add to the horror oil the SITUATION
the ruins took fire from natural-gas leak, and
dense cloud Of smoke arising, the efforts OF the
rescuers were greatly impeded. me greatest
damage to life was among the employees OF
Hutchinson & Co. all II whom were AZ WORK
At a late hour tonight the lists Of the dead and
injured are follows
| BIRCH Eugene employed by TIu'chisson Co.
COWI. Harry. Western Union messenger boy
| HOItAN. Michael. employed hy I!utchisson & Go.
rAHKE. Father T. H.. Vicar General Of the Diocese ''
Wcs, Virginia. ami chaplain of Nj. pe'hnn'e'. the
pRIrCHARD. benjamin carriage builder of Buckhannon
wINcHER. Robert. employed by Iiutchsson & Co.
INJURED.
CLIFTON. @ W. carpenter; slightly injured .,n,,.
FORD VI. l.. employed 10y Iiutchisson co.; signify
bruised anl
| HUTCHINSON. r 7. senior member Of Hutchisson &
Co.: two ribs broken and h. ad cut
WILLIAMS O. T.. carpenter; head cut. and severely
/ bruised about body.
All the injured will recover. William II. Chap-
man and Elmer Chapman. composing the firm
| Of w. II. Chap nan d Sons, and Frank iialler
and Adam Blum. employees Of Hutchisson & Co..
escaped comparatively uninjured. The Hutchis-
son building stood at Alley and Main-st. the
| Chapman building adjoin!ng it. At the hour
mentioned the employees In IIutchissOns heard
! an ominous cracking. ami without a moment s
| warning the alley wall fell with a terrific crash.
carrying with Il both buildings. Only the rear
| wall remained standing. Frank llailer. Adam
! Blum and r. r. Hutchisson were IN the rear
! office and were saved 10y the aid OF two men
who pried of the bars Of back window and
rescued them just before mass OF brick fell
| into the room The men II. the Chapman build
ing Jared rather better. clifton. one Of the work
men. noticed that the plaster.ng on the wall
which separated that building from liutchisson
was crumbllug AMI falling down. He immedi-
! atcly gave an alarm and not minute too soon.
! for be fore the men had reached tho doors urick
! and mortar Were priting them III showers. Al
got out lH time. however.
| \ general alarm brought the firc Depart theh'
urorlptly 10 the scene AID the work ~ rescue Was
/ begun. Although blinded and sun Gated by the
dense smoke the hrcmen worked heroicai!y. ana
/ a
| He was VI. j Ford. VII" "a' comparatively uoih-
iurcd He was lying directly across benjamin
! PntcharI. whu was dead. y medical examination
| showed that Prli.harI had been killed hi being
| crushed about the chest. 81 more bodies were
| found untu l30 O'Clock this evening. when ue
| body Of Father Parke was taken out ~ the ruins
50 horribly crushed that II was scarcely re'"Shi%'
| Ole
| In the mean time the Ire had gained So much
hcal lway that the nremen had . give their enili'
| attention to suoIulng g. After t"clf" hours
| hard work thcy got the flames under control. bu'
| il viii be morning before the blh/" VIII %" ,ii'-
pletely exunRuishcd. Both buildings together
/ with the stocks are total iOss When IN" ifS'
/ wall feu II br. kr N clear down - IN" foundation
! and nC, ,nc stone was loft upon an"ih"r Inc
! Chapman building WAS new. ana. IN iAct. H'' !''
finished 80 The Joss will fall % tn" contractors
! \ building across tho alley. o'cuI!"I 10y :. VI
! Rice a. G.. wholesale millinery dealers. Was
struck hy the falling wall and "a big h"l" kh'ck''
/ N the side Tuc building next - mat Vas hIS'
badly strained. ana fears ar" entertainer l'I us
safety Altogether IN" loss VIII amount 70 over
100000. The insurance cannot yet De "S'''
tanned
The cause ~ the collapse was the defective con-
s;ruction ~ tho Uutchiss4n Building. which was
condemned tw' years ago. .,.
urest in the state. WAS walking up the alley
! when the disaster occurred. Harry cow. th'
messenger boy. was also killed I'm the alley while
| returning from a call Excitement was AT Z,
| fev.r heat half the police fore" being required
to keen back the immense crowd which quickly
congrcgaIcd. Strectctr travel In MAin-St' "n'
Of the chief business thoroughiaf'' mas pee"
! blocked the entire day.
\ startling rumor was current th'S 'N''i''lN
| that an explosion WAS imminent. Tor S'"t'i lH
the Chapman Building is carload ~ turp"ntin'
and oil II the flames roach thlS nothing can
| rr,vcut a horrible addition o. what is already
| ,b. most disastrous accident which has eyer oc-
| currnd i'm this city. Chlcc Hcalcy says. however
that the oil VIII not catch hr"