The record-union., 1896-02-07

OAKLAND, Feb. Gone Of the most
disastrous accidents that has happened
in Oakland in years was caused by the
high wind at noon to-day, when a two
story frame building at Twenty-second
street and San Pablo avenue, in course
of construction, was blown to the
ground, carrying one man to his death
and seriously injuring six Others who
were employed on the building.
The dead and injured are as follows:
James Hurley, lather, neck broken;
killed instantly.
Edwin L. Mcdonald, plumber, seri-
ously injured about the head and face
and may die.
Thomas Hurley, lather, head crushed
and arm broken
william F. Judson, carpenter, left
shoulder injured.
Joseph Mcdonald, carpenter, injured
about the head and face.
Edward J. Pierce, carpenter, serious
1y injured about the left shoulder and
hip.
Just how the accident happened no
one appears to know, but William f.
Judson, the foreman of the building,
who was on the second floor, says
that the crash came without any warn
ing, and they were all in the air before
they knew what struck them.
The building is a two-story frame on
the gore lot at San Pablo avenue,
Twenty-second and Brush streets, and
when completed would have been worth
about 81, 800. 1t was being built for r.
J. Williams, the grocer, at Twenty-first
and San Pablo, and H. E. Jones was the
contractor.
AS soon as the building fell an alarm
was turned in and the Fire Department,
under the new Chief. was soon at work
clearing away the debris and searching
for the bodies of the dead that were
supposed to have been carried under the
falling walls.
1t was first reported that beside the
injured workmen there were two chill
dren in the ruins, but this is now be-
lieved to have been an error.
Young Hurley's body was the first
taken out. The unfortunate man was
tightly pinned between the heavy raft
ers and the scamolding, and must have
been instantly killed. The elder Hur-
ley's body was next released. He was
found near his sons, tightly wedged in,
but still conscious Edward Mcdonald
was taken out from the wrecked kit
chen, where ne had been working on a
sink. Mcdonald was unconscious, and
was Immediately taken to his home at
542 Sycamore street. The elder Hurley
was removed to the Receiving Hospital
while the body of his son was taken to
the Morgue.
All the carpenters working on the
building We're more or less bruised and
bleeding, but were able to go to their
homes unassisted. The escape of the
carpenters is regarded as something
miraculous.
1--WE were all working together on the
second floor in the corner nearest San
Pablo avenue" said Mr.. Judson, the
foreman, "and when the crash came we
all jumped, landing in the street, and
not one man was caught I cannot un-
derstand how the accident happened; I
cannot explain it. The building was
strongly braced, and a gust of wind
must have come into the large open
front and lifted the house off its founda-
ton
Mr.. Williams, who owns the property,
says that he was expecting to move into
the house in about two weeks. There
was no insurance on the building, ex-
cept $500 fire insurance, and of course
1hat cuts no figure in a case of this kind.
]. E. Bole. a printer, who stood on the
opposite side of San Pablo avenue when
the building fell, says he saw two little
girls playing in the new house, but just
before the crash came some lady took
Ehem out Of harms way. This is prob
ably where the story came from of the
two little ones killed.
The fremen and many citizens are
working to remove the wreckage, but it
is believed that no more bodies will be
found. There was one carpenter work
ing on the first floor who felt the tim
bers in the big building bend before the
fall, but everything came so quick that
he had no time to warn the unfortunate
men working on the floor with him, and
hardly escaped with his own life. It is
the general opinion that no blame can
be attached to the contractor for the ac-
cident. The foreman says that no one
IS to blame, as every precaution was
taken to brace the building, and the ac-
cident could not possibly have been
avoided.
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