Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-05-22
FOUR PEOPLE KILLED
a Dozen More Seriously Injured, 0la
Of Whom Mill Die.
COLLAPSE OF a Dr.LpINc.
Without Warning the Structure
Went Down, BuryIag "a score OF
Persons i'm the Ruins-PlufuI Ap-
peaIs for Rescue.

BUFFALO, n. Y. May a.-At 9:gJ
O'Clock this morning Browns building.
at the corner OF Main and Seneca streets.
which was undergoing extensive altera-
tions and repairs collapsed with an aw-
ful crash. burylng a score OF people
In the ruins. Al this writing one man
Is dead, and Il IS believed that several
other dead bodies are under the mass OF
debris.
The oh building IS one OF the clty's
landmarks. For years the Western
Union Telegraph Company had occupied
the room on the corner as a business Of
fee, and all OF the third floor as an
operating-room The building was iillet
with offices almost an OF which wero
occupied. and on the ground floor. on
both Main and Seneca streets, were stores
occupied by merchants
The Western Union LETT the building a
few weeks ago and the owners OF the
block began the work OF remodclling and
strengthening H. on the Seneca-streot
side workmen were engaged I'm putting IN
place new columns and beams and new
foundations for those--About halfpase
o'clock the walls of "a section OF 'ha
building on Seneca street collapsed. There
was no warming Of falling plaster or
creaking timbors; the walls fell with Z
crash. taking down the roof and ceiling
with them.
| BARRIERS BURIED UNDER DEBRIS.
At No. 70 Seneca street was the barber-
shop Of George Seircrt. employing half
a score Of men, one 0f whom is dead,
and others are severely injured Tho
cashier a. somewhere in the ruins. sell
merit says he first heard a noise Ike
rolE Of thunder. Then the crash came.
lie and his men made o rush for a
rear door. which opens on am alley Lead
ing toward Washington street. Just ~
those iu the lead reached the alley tho
rear walls fen, burying them under a
mass Of bricks and tiubcrs. George
Metz Is years of age. was taken out.
terribly crushed, and died at the hos-
pital.
Nos 8 and 10 Seneca street were unoc-
cupied. the fronts being torn out In
the process OF alteration Here most oc
the workmen were employed. steam-
fitting was being done by j. n. Gassicr.
who had fully a dozen men at work.
Nearly all Of these were caught In tho
collapse. and some severely injured.
Gassler's brother. youth OF IS years.
was buried under the fallen timbers but
escaped being crushed. and was taken
out practically unlniured
Az 1920 o'clock wreckers at work on
the debris uncovered the foot Of one man
and then the arm of another the faces
OF both completely hidden by great plies
OF brick. mortar and timber that lay
heaped upon them Some Of this was
removed and one Of the imprisoned men
cried, For Coos sake, men, take this
terrible weight Off me-" few moments
later another man was brought TO view,
and found 10 be- stiI alive. Both we're
seriously injured Thor names are Ed
I Murphy and William Schuad.
PINIONED ~ THE WRECK.
At n o'clock other men could be- heard
grOaning in the ruins and the rcsoJer3
We're urged 10 increased efforts 10 90
their best They responded with n viii.
and the debris flew thick and fast. Ar
the same time. the fromen. who bad en-
tered the second story OF the building.
discovered the presence ~ three men on
what remains OF the third floor OF tho
section that felL The hremen called TO
them. and one OF them answered. say
ing be was pinOned under heavy timbers.
but was not badly hurt. His name, he
said. was Joseph BoIler he was un-
able 20 tell who the other two men
under the heavy umbars were, but said
he could hear them groaninx. one OF
them was praying he said
Up TO noon nothing had been seen oc
Jennie Crbbeu toe girl cashier in Soi-
merits barber-shOp. and there Is little
doubt that she is dead I'm the ruins.
FOUR DEAD
Nine people We're In the seneca-streos
barber-shop. OF these George Metz.
barber. and Jennie Griffith. the cashier.
were killed. An unknown man WIS
! found dead 10 the ruins late tonight.
William y. Straub. a contractor IS known
| % be- in the ruins and a dozen others are
more or less injured. one Of whom Will
/ die.