New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-01-13
FIVE BURIED IN THE RUINS.
WORKMEN CARRIED DOWN WITH THE
COLLAPSE OF THREE FLOORS.
HURLED INTO THE CELLAR UNDER MASS OF
DEBRIs-ONE OF THEM PROBABLY FA-
TALLY HURT-RoTTEN BEAMS
SAID TO BE THE CAUSE

/
SAID TO BE THE CAUSE
OF THE ACCIDENT.
building disaster that might have resulted
! in the loss OF many lives occurred shortly after
noon yesterday at No llS West Twenty sixth
, st. Fortunately no one was killed. but five
workmen were injured, one Of them probably
fatally. The beams on the third floor OF an old
fashioned dwelling that was being altered into a
hathouse gave way and crashed down. carrying
with them the lower floors Five men who were
eating their dinner on the third floor were car
ried down into the cellar and buried beneath the
debris They were dug out by fremen and re-
moved to hospitals. The injured are:
GdE%No%; John. lssorer hrty,seven years years old;
or No. 2i3 West Sixty-sixth- 81, confusion or
mead and face, and scalp wound. ,
No. il chrystie-st. general contusions OF head
HEYMAN. Samuel. carpenter thirty years old. Of
No y Chrystie,st.. Commissions and scalp wound
SlMPkEN, william. carpenter. thrty-one years
and con,1sions OF face face and hands ''
TENEN. Samuel. carpenter. thirty years Old OF
No. u chrystle-s'.
LOSS or LIFE MIGHT HAVE BEEN HEAVY
The owner Of the building is Albert Sire Of
the firm Of Sire Brothers He is the brother Of
the Sire who was the defendant IN the notorious
Sire-Jacobs breach Of promise case.
According to all the evidence that can be gath
ered. he personally superntended the alteration
Of the building. employing foreman to carry
out his Instructions About twenty men were
employed. They quit work usual at noon yes
terday for dinner Most Of them left the build
ing The men who wele injured were the only
ones who remained They were sitting around
small fire on the third floor. when there came
sudden crash and down went the floor they were
on. az well the two beneath.
a cloud ~ dust filled the street In an instant
and a second later the groans Of the buried men
could be distinctly heard. All had been caught
beneath IN. rubbish. that there was no way
for them - get out without assistance.
Three engines and tw@ hook and ladder COM
panies on hand. Ambulances were
rung for while the truckmen. under the direction
Of Chief Croker. set quickly TO work TO extricate
the buried workmcr. After ten minutes work.
Giennon and Heyman were released and carried
out ~ the ruins Neither was found to be ser-
ousy Injured. They able 10 walk TO one
~ the two ambulances which had arrived from
the NewYork Hospital.
HARD WORK TO DIG THEM OUT
II required harder work to rescue the other
buried workmen The nremen soon got Simpken.
however He was also able 10 walk 10 the am
bulance After being buried for thrce-Guarters OF
an hour Golden and Teven were liberated. The
former was In bad state. He appeared 10 be
fatally injured internally.
The injured men all conscious. While sit
ting In the ambulance they were questioned az TO
the probable cause ~ the accident. but could ex-
press no opinion. The other workmen had no
hesitation in declaring that the disaster was due
n rotten beams but they were unable To explain
clearly Just how the collapse occurred.
TheBuildlng Inspector in charge OF the district
was on the scene shortly after the accident He
-sas much excited. and nothing intellgibe could
he obtained from him.
The building formerly one of row of prf-
vate dwellings that line the south side of twenty
six,h-st Mr. Sire intended TO alter the building
go n o. be Ave stories In height, with n glazed
brick front. The two lower floors were 10 be ar
ranged for stores. The building had already
reached iis height \ rear addition was also be-
ing put on I'm which new beams were placed. Dut
tho oil ones IN tho front part of the building
still remained in use. The explanation tho work
men give of the cause ~ the collapse ~ that the
beams drew out from the side walls.
Teven's injuries may result fatally. He was
taken to 81. Vincents Hospital In critical con-
dition.
II ls said that Albert Sire used to visit the
building every morning 10 superintend the work
tha; was going He was not seen around
there after the accident occurred.