New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-08-09

WHERE THE FLOOR FELL THROUGH.
ten feet into the ground. The floor beams were
all eight-inch I-beams. and between them were
set the hollow friedrich which compose nrep'oof
partitions The architect was Charles r. Ben
rens of No los Fulton-st. The contractor was
John H. Parker whose place Of business is No.
215 East Ninety -fourth-st. The iron work was
sublet to J. B. & j. NJ Cornell, of Twenty-six;h-
St and Eleventh-ave
GUESSING AT THE CAUSE.
Nohoav knows what caused the accident
Everybody has a theory. young man from the
office of the architect was sure that 1t must have
been caused by a hidden flaw in the iron work
The superintendent of the Cornell Iron WORKS
which furnished the metal portion OF the
structure. was equally sure that 1t resulted from
overlooking the floors with bags OF plaster. He
said that the floors were designed TO hold only
$50 pounds to the square foot including. OF course
their own weight. but that he had seen plaster
piled up the floors about the elevator to double
that amount per foot. Coroner Fitzpatrick. VINO
was builder before he became great politically
inclined the theory that one OF the Iron COL
umns cracked. The workmen put great stress
on the fact that the building had been run up
eight stories when the original plans called only
for seven stories and intimated that it was the
weight OF the extra story that did the business.
APPEARANCE OF THE wRECKAGE
Whatever the cause, the result was appalling
and as unresponsive the sphinx to any ques-
ton of What did it, To passengers on the
passing elevated trains the building looked all
right. except that daylight could be seen through
the windows in the western front, and part OF
the wall was bulged out level with the first
floor From the west there sign Of
trouble. except the ragged skyline Of the western
wall where the roof beams had gone down and
taken few courses of brick with them. An in
spection Of the corn.ce on the West Broadway
front showed that 1t was badly bulged out
portion OF the first floor. swinging downward like
a trapdoor, had knocked out n few feet Of the
wall and swung some stones from the line Of
granite outward like gate. Their ends were
still bedded in the brick WALL and that held
them in that position.
Inside was a mass Of twisted I-beams. broken
friedrich and bags Of plaster in one dense pile.
out OF this projected the end of "A broken cast
iron column The mass Of wreckage filled the
cellar and above the level OF the first floor.
Above IL was a straight, chmney-like space.
formed the east and west by the Scared
brick walls and on the north and south by the
clean-cut edges OF the second and NTH section
OF each floor. which we're left standing intact
EFFORTS To RESCUE THE VICTIMS
| The first official knowledge OF the disaster was
| obtained by Policeman Livingston. OF the Park
| force. He saw horse running away. and on
| starting to head off the runaway the cloud
| OF dust and heard the roar Of the avalanche Of
building material which had startled the animal
| into a run. Turning his attention from the runa-
! way 70 its more important cause. the policeman
| jumped into the ruins ana pulled out several or
the haf-buried workmen. The uckier inmates
| OF the building swarmed down staircases and
| fire escapes. awled down the walls or burrowed
| their way out OF the cellar. Men standing on
| the upper floors just outside OF the danger line
| had been nearly Frustrated by the rush OF the
| descending mass. Others working In the cellar
| had the shovels knocked from their outstretched
| hands and buried by the downward torrent.
| SO near did death without even soaring
! them
| Ambulance calls and fire alarms brought
| prompt responses. Acting Inspector Brooks and
| Captain Eakins arrived with the reserves from
| the neighboring precincts and the work Of res
cue went on T. p. Gallgan's Sons. who make
speciality Of wrecking contracts had their men
| on the ground by o'clock and began to shore up
| the trembling walls which threatened the life
savers Half a hundred men were sent into the
cellar to dig away the wreckage but their
progress seemed painfully slow in the face OF the
| immense mass Of material.
| CONTEST OF AMBULANCE SURGEONS,
Dying men were taken out by the fremen and
workmen BE- fought by rival ambulance
surgeons. and blessed by the priests Of their re-
ligion who came to the scene of the accident to
'
| was evidently short. The weeping wives and
| feartbroken friends of missing men were passed
| through the police lines to gaze at the huge pit
! where their loved ones lay buried, while the nap
pier but less favored curiosity seekers were kept
| at a distance by lines of the buecoated hench-
| men Of Mr.. Roosevelt.
/ Late last night further bodies had been
! found Nearly all Of the wounded were doing
well In the hospitals. and their recovery was
hoped for.
Superintendent Constable. Of the Building De-
/ partment refused to talk to the newspaper men.
but issued the following statement in the even
ing:
| Relative TO the sad accident which occurred this
| morning by the coapsng OF the central portion
| ~ The u.ding located on the northeast corner OF
West Third-st; and South Fifth-ave., I would say
, that said building was erected under plans No.
| AZ of new buildings Of 1884 was filed In this De-
partment on November Of the same year. These
| pians were amended on February 10. 1895 for the
purpose OF adding another story. Said plans were
| pcted upon ard approved by my predecessor and
| the work practically done during the winter Of
I fave this day personally visited the building.