The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-06-23

sent up a great shout when they saw
that she was practically unframed.
Mrs, J. H. Mailer was next taken out,
and then Miss Bessie Wilson. The three
women were hurried to a neighboring I'M
dertaking establishment. where several oil
lishe1 headquarters for such cases as were
not considered dangerous.
II was not frightened for ever so long
after the building collapsed" said Miss
Woodward. Il was never at any time un
conscious. but the whole thing was so sud
den that l did not have time to think Of
anything except to make vain effort to
grasp something solid. heard low,
rumbling sound, and then without any
warning the floor dropped from under me
and l went down, down, down, bringing
up finally with a Jolt that seemed neal
SCATTERING my teeth.
~ thought l must be dreaming, and
then like flash it came TO me that the
building had collapsed. l called for help
but my voice was drowned in noise on the
outside, which came plainly and painfully
to me in my narrow prison. 1 was more
1 heard the roar of the engines l knew
that l would be rescued in time.
In the meantime the iremen and the
hundred or so volunteers continued the
work of rescue. One by one the victims
were taken from the ruins.
Jesse May was the fifth person dugIfrom
out the de bris, and it was at once seen
that be was badly injured, and two-thirds
of those who gazed on his blood-stained
face pronounced him dead, but some
thought differently.
"His heart bestsr' exclaimed DR.. Fitz-
gihbon. There is yet chance to save
his life. Get him to the hospital as quickly
as possible But poor May was beyond
all human aid.
The very life had been crushed out of
him by the tons of falling timbers. and he
was only breathing because his magnifi-
cent physique would not give up the fight
until forced to the last trench. This 1t
did soon after reaching the hospital.
1t was sorrowful sight, the hauling
out of the manned and wounded from the
deathtrap. In all ten were taken to the
Receiving Hospital, only one of whom has
SO far died. 1t is thought, however, that
at least five more will succumb.
During the work of the rescue of the liv-
ing and the hunt for the dead Chief Sulli-
van was everywhere. His men labored
together like so many automatons, with
the difference that they worked intelli-
gently and Systematically. A hundred
hands grasped the long ropes made fast to
the fallen walls and partitions and pulled
away as though their own lives depended
on the issue. 1t was an orderly, earnest
gathering, working solely for suffering
humanity.
One of the first articles brought to light
was what had once been handsome bird
cage. 1t was crushed into an unrecogniz-
able mass, but in one corner Just large
enough to hold its wee body was canary
without even a ruffied feather to bear evil
dence to the terrible scene through which
it had just pasted.
Some of the workmen were caught like
rats in trap and were unable to escape
from under the weight of the mass that
crushed upon them.
Those who were at work on the north
side OF the foundation were more for
tunate, for when the floor sank on the
south side the timbers on the other end
rested in part on the cribs and against the
southern wall of the building on the
north, leaving triangular space from
which they were. able to crawl out and be
lifted to the sidewalk. One of these was
Cornelius Croning. hod-carrier, who was
cut across the chest by scantIing that
struck him. another was Thomas Malan-
dry, another hod-carrier.
Two brick-cleaners, as well as Byron
Bailey, carpenter, escaped with slight
bruises.
James Daley was one of the fortunate
laborers who was under the house engaged
in working the jackscrews, and on hear
ing the crushing noise of the rimbers
overhead dropped his tools and rushed
out from underneath the building lust in
time to have the place where he had been
at work few seconds before covered oI er
with heavy timbers from the flooring
overhead.
Mike Howard was another of the for
tunate ones who escaped from under the
house before the crash came. He, like
Daley, heard the timbers creak above him
and ran and saved his life.
Joseph Hicks, one of the first on the
scene, rushed on the fallen roof and sue
ceeded in resouing Mrs. Byrnes by haul
ing her through the scuttle hole, under
which she was. He assisted her to a house