The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-09-19
CLEARING AWAY DEBRIS
Good Progress Made in the York
Block Ruin.
CRUSHED TO SPLINTERS
Nothing but Kindling Wood Left OF the
First Floor-A Marvel That No
One Was Kiled-Thousands
Visit the Scene.

The ruins Of the York block, as
viewed yesterday. gave a better idea
even than on the day before Of what a
marvellous thing it Vas that no one was
killed or seriously hurt in the collapse
OF the building. The force OF men put
TO work by the mayor the day before
made good progress yesterday in clear
ing away the debris. The floors OF the
rooms and partitions OF the different
compartments had fallen very general
ly in whole sides or a whole floor, and
piIing up. hid the worst part OF the
wreck from view the day before. Yes
terday these were removed and IL was
then 10 be seen what a %frightful disas-
ter a kind Providence had averted. n
work progressed to a point where II
could be seer how the ground floor had
been crushed to splinters and he tan
gled mass of iron and wooden beams
and columns and piles of brick and
broken lumber had filled the basement.
Looking at the ruins one could only
marvel that three stories of brick, iron,
timber. sheet iron, etc. could have been
piled in such a heap n that a large
number Of people had gone down
amongst IL and not only live to tell the
story but come out with no more seri-
Gus INJURY imam was Huhtith " any
OF the un~fortunates.
The ruins presented a sorry appear
ance. What had once been a valuable
structure was totally destroyed and not
a remnan of the big building remained
intact except a section at the rear, com
prising the last two rooms on the sec
ond and third floors. These four rooms
were all that did not go down in the
| wreck. They were all intact and moth
- - 49,, A,I FA,. .Ng-F.aglaI Thay
presented the appearance of the rest oi
the building having been chopped clear
Just I'm front of them. II seemed an.
| other peculiar circumstance OF the dis
| aster. for il seemed singular that the
rest of the building could have faller
away as though a crOsscut saw hac
been run down through and left this
section standing while the rest wen'
down as IL the earth had dropped GU
from under IL.
The ruins proved a strong attraction
during the day, and thousands of PEG
pie visited the scene to view the worl
Of ruin that had been wrought. A grea
crowd stood about the place all day
and IL was curious to listen TO the eN
pressions of wonderment that were OF
the lips of every one relative to how
marvellous good fortune had been 5
si~ngularly mixed with the misfortune
! At WI VI us "N"F AAhN 49,
age has not as yet progressed TO a poin
at which the exact cause Of the collaps
can be a~sCertained. Indeed. II is doubt
full If the exact cause will ever be defir
itely fixed. The iron column found a
good as ever explodes the theory q
first entertained hat II had broken, an
leaves one Of but two other causes {
be assigned. Either the brick founda
ton upon which the column rested wa
I fngagYipa mud gave IVA \ t1oIpp the WRiul
thrown upon II. or the ledge spiked {
the center gfrder. upon which the joi.
Of the upper DOR rested. was not Su
fciently strong to withstand the strait
but II will be hard to establish eithe
as the fan Of the building has destroye
the brick foundation which held the CO
umn, and from the same cause the gi
der is shattered. so il is doubtful IL II
responsibility will ever be located.
Neither Mrs. Henry Birch nor n
/, dodgers will lose as heavily as was FIR
! believed. as much OF the belongings
the rooms have been recovered. as we
as considerable furniture. Those WI
lost diamonds and money. or simil.
valuables, however. will hardly recov
q. them. at least not all of them. A sing
/ lar circumstance is the excellent cond
/ ton in which some Of the furniture W
5 saved. In several instances foldir
beds and dressers with plate glass mi
rors were taken out from under pill
! Of debris without even the glass broke
I All that has been recovered has bee
: stored in the armory, which was placl
at the disposal Of Mrs. Birch by May
J Harrington until she can find a pla
to put them. All the people who we
in the building have reported and the
can be no doubt all are safe.