The herald., 1895-08-09
BUILDING FALLSIN NEW YORK
Five Persons Killed and Several In.
jured
Eighty Workmeu Were Upon the Structure
When II CoIIapsed-List Of Those
Thought to Be Dead

NEW YORK, Aug. s.-With scar cely a
sound to warn the seventy or eighty
workmen of their danger, an eight-story
building in course of erection and near
ing completion, at West Broadway and
Third streets, collapsed an hour before
noon today.
The structure was to be an Office and
warehouse building, the property OF John
Ireland, real estate dealer 1t Is sup
posed one OF the supports in the center of
the third floor gave way and all the up
per stories fell, crushing the lower floors.
At least five men are thought to be
killed and several others seriously
wounded. Thought to be dead: John
Burk. John Murphy, Christopher Burke
and Michael O'Hare. plasterers, all OF
Brooklyn; Charles Z. Henderson, elec-
trcian.
There IS a difference of opinion as to
how the accident occurred. The idea is
that an i'm m en- Sc iron beam on one of the
upper floors snapped, the floor gave way
and crashed through the building.
There was great V-shaped Jagged hole
IN all the floors and at the bottom of the
wreck were piled up bags of lime which
mad been stored on an upper floor,
mingled with bricks, imbers, beams and
TOOLS, anu lfOUl lU6 uldSb GAME THE RTOanS
and cries of wounded workmen. The fire
men and police who came early to the
scene could hardly see to perform
their work of rescue because of the
cloud OF dust that poured from
the wreck ~, Many Many md friends ana "a
there and witnessed the distressing Incl
dents resulting. When Coroner Fitzpat-
rick arrived to look after the dead he
said as a practical builder it was his opin-
ion that the collapse was caused by the
sandy nature of the land on which the
who said that tho bduilding had been
originally intended to be only seven
stories high and the eighth story. when
adued had been too heavy for the iron
work. The builder denied this, without
being able to form any idea as to the
cause OF the collapse.
number OF men who were engaged in
the building soon after the accident oc-
Cured left the scene. This makes it i'm
possible to say just how many men are
actually missing, and the true number
will not be known until these have re-
ported to their foreman.
Contractor Parker and Foreman Selig-
man have both been arrested.
1t was said at the scene of the disaster
that the cause was undoubtedly the over
loading of the sixth floor with material.
Harry Alexander of the Alexander Elec-
trlcal com 'paly. which WAS uOlHR lDe eleC-
trcul work in the building, said that his
men had said to him on Monday that the
wires that had been placed in the sixth
floor were out of line. showing that the
walls had already got ont of plumb.
Mr.. Parker, the contractor said that
the plasterers had overloaded the cent er
Of the building
Workmen came to the legs OF man in
the ruins at 80 and after digging for two
hours extricated tho body, which was
that of Charles Peterson. the electrician.
Harry Alexander, manager of the cleo
trical company, has written a letter. as
serting that when John Smith. the wire
man, was brought .gh from the runs, runs, the
terms "oloodthrsty butchers" fought
for the body and almost upset the stretch
er. But for this delay he thinks Smiths
life might have been saved. He died on
the way to the hospital.