Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-08-08
FLOORS GAVE WAY
Collapse Of an Eight Story Build
ing.
MANY WORKMEN IN TIE RUINS
Two Killed and a Number Miss
ing.
A BRAVE POLICE OFFICER

NEW YORK, August SAN eight-story
building in course of construction at the
northeast corner of West Sd street and
South 9Th avenue fell with a crash this
morning, and number of workmen were
carried down in the ruins. At least five
men are thought to have been killed and
several others seriously wounded.
Those thought to be dead are:
John Burke, plasterer. Of Brooklyn.
John Murphy of Atlantic avenue, Brook
lyn, a plasterer.
Christopher O'Rourke, plasterer, ST.
Marks place and Grand avenue, Brooklyn.
Michael oHare. plasterer. Myrtle avenue,
Brooklyn.
An Italian named Frank or James kenny.
VIM. Fox, plasterer, is also missing.
Charles Smith was taken from under a
pile Of bricks horribly cut about the head
and body.
1t is said that eighty-two men were en-
pioyed In the building on the different
floors.
policeman was near the scene when the
accident occurred. He said he heard the
roar of the falling building. and immediate
ly after 1t saw a horse running away Hur-
rying toward the animal he saw the cloud
OF OF DUST near Sd street and turned toward
It, There he saw two men struggling in a
pile or debris He pulled them out and
began TO release a third when the floor he
meath him gave way and let him down into
the basement. He was terribly cut, and 1t
was feared his back was broken.
Inc structure was to be an office and
warehouse building, the property of John
Ireland. real estate dealer.
the center Of the third floor gave way
and let the upper stories fall. crushing the
lower floors.
The Killed and Injured.
At AS the revised list of the dead and in
jured was as follows:
The dead-Charles Smith, electrician;
lived at PIC East 98th street; died ct St.
Vincent's Hospital; his skull was fractured,
right arm broken, right side crushed in
and severely injured internally. John
Burke, laborer; married; forty-four years
old; Brooklyn; dead when taken from the
ruins.
The injured-William Fox, laborer; broken
thigh and injured internally. John Clune,
laborer James Kenny, forty-eight years
old; laborer; Commissions of back; not Seri-
ously injured Cornelius Guider, laborer,
and contusions: not seriously injured. Will
lam Frank, laborer, residence unknown;
seriously injured. - Smith, two ribs
fractured and Commissions.
Atlantic avenue. Brooklyn; Christopher
O'Rourke, laborer, Brooklyn; Michael
O'Hare, laborer Brooklyn; Michael Savage.
laborer, Brooklyn; Edward IL. Hanley,
laborer, Brooklyn; John MCGUIRE. Brook
lyn; Michael Flynn. Brooklyn; James Far
rell, Michael Fahey, Charles Reilly, Charles
Peterson.
Arrest of the Contractor.
What adds to the confusion is that
number of the men who were engaged on
the building soon after the accident oc-
11f% he mol oS
possible to state just how many men are
actually missing and the true number will
not be known until those have reported to
their foreman.
The ruins fill the center Of the building
with broken timber, twisted iron girders
and columns bricks, laths and plaster: 1t
makes mound as high as the second floor
and Is mass as dense and hard to handle
as bank of clay.
It is said that seven men were at work In
the cellar directly under the center of the
wreck. The building was filled with plaster
ers, plumbers, electricians, gasfitters and
laborers.
Contractor Parker and Foreman Selig-
man have both been arrested.
Another Cause Alleged.
It was said at the scene of the disaster
that the cause was undoubtedly the over
loading of the sixth floor with plaster and
building material.
Harry Alexander of the Alexander-Cham
berlain Electrical Company, which was do
ing the electrical work in the building.
said that his men had reported to him on
Monday that the wires that had been
placed on the sixth floor were out of line,
showing that the walls had already got out
Of plumb
Mr, Parker the contractor. said that
the plasterers had overloaded the center
Of the building. The iron work was sound
and well made.
The bolts were sliced clean off where the
iron work parted, showing that heavy
pull had been exerted downward.