New-York tribune., 1896-09-02
A FRAME BUILDING FALLS.
ONE DEAD AND THREE INJURED FOUND
IN HE RUINS.

IN HE RUINS.
CEILING BEAM LEFT UNSUPPORTED WHILE MEN
WE'RE AT WORK REMOVING THE STRUCTURE
THE FOREMAN AND Ills ASSISTANT
DISCL,iM RESPONSIBILITY
y two-story frame building or tie northeast
corner of one hundred and forty seventh ST
and Amsterdam-ave owned by James Lena
han and occupied by him as "A 7aoon. collapsed
al 1:3O o'clock yesterday afternoon. John
Ryan. forty-fivc years old. Of Onc-hundred-
and-foYty-ninth-sG ana Hohbns-ave.. a la
borer. vas crashed under falling beam and
killed. His back was broken and his head and
side badly crushed. Phiiip Meyer forty
five wears old ~ ono hundred and thirty
iourth-st and Amsterdam-aNc.. va crushed
about the body and may die. John Campbell
thirty-ninc years old of One hundred and
forty -sevcntn.st and the Boulevard, was
bruised and received severe laccrated wounds
about the head John Dompas, ;hiry-six
years old. of one -hundred-a forty -eishth-sf
and Willis-ave.. had his rish, and leg in
iured The three wounded men were taken to
the Manhattan Hospital. John Van bort. OF
ono hundred and fort y-eiqhth-st. and Willis
ave the foremau and Gcorgn German. the as
sistamt foreman. Of Onc-hundrcd-a forty
siXth-si and Nillis-INc.. were arrested. ana III
the Morrsin'a Police Court yesterday after
noon we're uaro.d iIagiuratc Simms. pend
ing an examination September III.
I.enahan owns the ground on which his saloon
stood and two months ago began the conStiuc-
lion of a fvc-stor. brick fat house the same
site. In crder to keep his business running he
built around the little frame house. the r"llar
was undermined. the second stOiN torn a"nY
and the structure supported on beams. f"si"r-
day morning the brick house was so nearly fin
shod that Lenahan moved his stoch ana hAt-
urcs ou' of the fran" huildirE. """palHt"lN !"
having il removed tho same day. The partitions
in the WOODEN building were torn on. leaving
the roof without support Wy whose order this
was done he's not been learned ~ set.
THE JOlsTs CRACK.
After the dinner hour the foreman. his as
sistant and the men went inside. th" iahorers
shovelling out the broken plaster that had been
torn from the ceiling and walls. Van Dor ana
German were near the door when the m.ddl"
beam Of the ceiling that supported IN" j"isis
on either sid" cracked ana sank at IN" rear
carving al OF the heavy beams with II. Botn
the foreman and -siani cried ont To IN" Ia
borcrs. ana then spfang out "i tie door on l."
the pavement.
Their cry Of warning was too late. Dompas
ard Campbell for tn" door and would nave
escaped had not the side wail sage'd. l''rng
go all Of the ceiling structure. E"th mon ~"i"
Knocked down pompas was ~ the i"ar rf the
room Immediately under tho break. ana was
instantly buried under the mass ~ fallen TIM
bcr The noise and dust of IN" collaps" and
the cries Of the men on tn" uutsid" caused in
tense excitement Word was sent tc the West
one hundred -nfty second-si. station at one"
and the reserves were sent out owing 10 the
fact that so many Of tho mon had started Tor
the parade before Ii Hung Chang at mon
square Police Captain Kirchn"r was all" -
line ont only half many men as he would
otherwise have dore
REMOVING THE DEBRIS
The laborers hystandc-s and police began r.
moving the debris and I'm a comparatively short
time Campbell was found lying with three
iosts across his legs. II head and body
were saved from being crushed hy several
heavy wooden horreq supporting IN" tempo
rarv staging on which h" nad been working
close beside him lay Meyer with beam acr"sS
hia chest He vas no lscioIS. ana at INST II
was though, that he would ci". bompas was
found further inside. H.. too. was saved 'N
one Of the wooden horses. ard his injuries
are thought to j." slight -
prs Rohcson and Levison. - Manhattan
HOSPITAL responded 80 an amhuancr 'al. INA,
after dressing the vounds of IN" ihl"" Nnlui'h
men hurried them away 20 ~" hospital w h''"
no ornlulauce was there Ryan was found dead
His head was crushed almost beyond tt''tnl,
tion His body was removed - IN" station. anu
The Coroner Informed.
When German ard Van bort w"r" questioned
I'm cnurf neither one seemed :" know VINO -
r.snonsihlc FOR the ceiling Lean being unsN''
uo,ted Van bort denied ~ ~ hr nad gwen "h'
,,a.r +. that effect poiicc captain hli' 'h''
is making an investigation. and may MAX"
other arrests.