The record-union., 1895-04-10
Two Buildings at Wheeling, West
Virginia, Collapse.
AT LEAST FIVE LIVES KNOWN TO
HAVE BEEN LOST.
An Entire Freight Train Dumped Into
Raging Torrent Near Sykes,
Pennsylvania, Causing the Death of
the Engineer, Fireman, Conductor,
and ELECTROMAGNETIC Accident Due
to the Washing Out of Bridge.
Special to the REcoRD-UN1ox.

WHEELING (W. Va.), April 9.-At $40
O'Clock this morning the south wall OF
the tour-story brick block of Hutchinson
IL Co.. on the corner OF Main street and
the alley south of Twelfth street, collapsed
without warming. Next north of it was
Chapman Il Son, who were just finishing
tive-story brick block, and they had al
ready stored in it about SI4, 900 worth of
paints; glass, etc., and were doing busi-
ness there.
Hutchinson Il Co. deal in hardware,
saddlery, etc., and that building was
packed full of goods. The wall on the
alley first tell out. pulling with it the par
tition wall between Hutchinson's and
Chapman's. The crash of the falling
buildings was terrific and soon drew
thousands to the scene.
The horror of the accident was increased
by fire which broke out, and as there
were large quantities of oil, turpentine
and like matter in Chapman'S, the situa-
tion was hard to meet.
-Four employees were caught in the
hutchinson building. They were: Rob-
ert Winchester, Eugene Birch, p, j.
Horan and NJ. j. Ford.
The first three have not been found,
dLNi di0 uOuDGlSSS uoaOs FOru was res
cued, and may recover.
Charles Haller, the bookkeeper, and
Adam Blum, junior partner, were penned
up against the rear wall, and were re-
leased uninjured. Mr.. Hutchinson was
IN the second story, and was badly in
Jured, out was rescued alive, and hopes
are entertained that he may recover.
When the collapse came Ford was SELL
ing goods TO benjamin Pritchard, a
wagon manufacturer of Buchanan, w.
Va. Pritchard's dead body was found
lying across Ford's legs.
Shortly before the accident Very Rev.
+. z. Parke, Vicar-GeneraI of the Cath
olic diocese OF Wheeling, was seen to
enter the alley, and be was believed to be
killed, and this belief was sadly con-
tirmed at $50 this evening, when his
body was recovered. He was Y years old,
q distinguished Clergyman, chaplain of
Mount Dechautal Academy, and has been
twice administrator of the diocese.
A Western Union Telegraph messen-
ger boy named Harry Cowl, aged IA, is
also thought to have been in the alley,
but his body has not been recovered.
No others are known to be lost, There
was an early report that a cab, its driver
and four occupants were buried by the
falling walls, but this proved TO be un-
true.
The falling brick and timbers knocked
hole thirty feet long in the Three-story
brick building across the alley occupied
by u. Nj. Rice Il Co., wholesale miIIiners,
and the smoke and water ruined their
valuable stock. The smoke also per
meaIed the adjoining house, occupied by
Speyer Bros, wholesale milliners, and
their loss will be heavy. Water caused
serious damage to Greer Il Laug's hard
ware store, aud OFT Bros. d Co., hard
ware dealers. The cellars were flooded
for block, ten streams playing all day.
and averaging 1000 gallons minute, and
yet the tire was not extinguished until 8
O'Clock in the evening.
Great indignation is expressed because
at the time the old Melodeon Hall prop
erty was remodeled, and story added in
1891 by Mr.. hutchinson, the walls were
condemned, but he persisted in using
them, and, owing to the lack of adequate
laws, could not be prevented.