Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1895-04-11
Five Lives Crushed Out.

Falling walls caused serious loss Of
| life and property in Wheeling, this
State, Tuesday morning. At twenty
minutes past eight o'clock the south
wall of the four-story brick block Of
T. t. Hutchinson & Co., on the corner
of Main street and the alley south of
Twelfth, collapsed without warning.
Next north of it W. H. Chapman &
Son were Just finishing fve-story
brick block, to be used as paint, glass
and builders supply store, and they
already had stored in it about $l4 900
worth of stock, and were doing bust
ness there. Hutchinson & Co. dealt
in hardware, saddlery and wagon
makers supplies, and the building was
packed full of goods. The wall on the
alley first fell out, pulling with it the
party wall between Hutchinson and
Chapman's. People who were near
say the cracking of the timbers was
like the rattle of musketry, and that
in a few seconds everything was rem
dered invisible by huge cloud of
dust The crash of the falling build
ings was terrific, and soon drew thous-
ands to the scene. The horror Of the
accident was increased by fire, which
broke out Immediately, and as there
were large quantities of oil, turpentine
and the like in Chapman & Sons, the
situation was delicate.
AS soon as people about the place
became cool enough to think, it was
learned that there was buried in the
Hutchinson buildings ruin four en-
ployes named Robert Winchester, Eu-
gene Birch, P. J. Koran and NJ. j.
Ford. Charles Halter, the bookkeep-
er, and Adam Blum, junior partner,
were penned up against the rear wall,
and were released by pressing out the
windows
They were unhurt. Hutchinson was
in the second story, and was badly m
iured, but was rescued alive, and
hopes are entertained that he may re-
cover. Ford was reached after hard
work by a large force of men, and
found alive, but unconscious. He was
taken out after an hours work and
removed to hospital. He may get
we'll The other three employees were
killed, and their bodies were not re-
covered until yesterday. When the
collapse came, Ford was selling bill
of goods to Benjamin F. Pritchard, a
wagon manufacturer of Buckhannon,
w. Va. Pritchard's dead body was
found lying across Ford's legs. He
was literally crushed to death. Very
Rev. F. H. Park, vicar-general Of the
Catholic diocese of Wheeling, was seen
passing through just before the acct
dent. His body was found in the
evening under lot Of bricks and tim
Der. He was seventy-two years old,
distinguished clergyman and chaplain
of the Mount De Chantal Academy.
The falling brick and timbers
knocked hole thirty feet long in the
three-story brick building across the
alley occupied by S. NJ. Rice & Co.,
wholesale milliners, and the smoke
and water ruined that firms valuable
stock. The smoke also permeated to
the adjoining house occupied by Spey-
er Brothers, wholesale millinery, and
their loss will be heavy, Water caused
serious damage to Greed & Laing's
hardware store, and the OFT Brothers
& Co., hardware dealers. The cellars
were flooded for a block, ten streams
playing all day and averaging 1000
gallons a minute, and yet at eight
clock the fire was not extinguished.
Great indignation is expressed because
at the time the old Melodeon Hall
property was remodeled and story
added in 1891 by Mr.. Hutchinson the
walls were condemned, but he persist
ed in using them, and, owing to the
lack of adequate laws, could not be
prevented.