The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-09-18

on the east side, and when the build
ing fell the portion in front of his room
went down first. carrying the front side
| OF his room. The floor OF his room be-
a pitching about the same time. with
the result that he was rolled out Of bed
and went tumbling down over the
wreckage which had gone before. and
landed on his feet In the street.
Mrs. Annie r. MacCaughy. who oc-
cupied room 80. was in the hallway on
the second floor near the head of the
stairs leading TO the street. She stopped
20 look at the mail in the mailbox and
the crash came. She was carried down
into the basement and the first thing
she realized she was lying on her back
with a pile OF timbers across her breast.
But for the fact that one end OF the
timbers caught and did not allow them
to descend the fun distance TO the floor,
she must have been crushed to death.
Mrs. MacCaughy sustained a fractured
c~ollarbone and was much bruised about
the body. Hers was the only broken
bon anyone suffered.
Seriously Injured.
The most seriously injured Is James
A. Meyer. He vas at work Immediately
over the spot where the building first
gave way n had no opportunity TO
escape. He went down INTO the base
ment and was pinned down by the FALL
ing timbers. He was knocked senselass
by the fall. but recovered his faculties
before the rescuers reached him and
was moaning in great agony when
found.
Mrs. J.. J. Holland. who was in room
II. on the third door. was so frightened
hat she crawled under the bed when
she felt the building begin to go and to
this h doubtless owes the fact that
She was very slightly N iured
The York block was built in 1892 BY
j. J. York. and the present building
inspector of the city was one of the
contractors. A short time ago 1t was
purchased by J. r. Oppenheimer and
work was at once begun to remodel the
lower portion. Mr.. Oppenheimer is
said to have paid S35, 900 for the block
and lot. Mr.. Oppenheimer will lose I'm
the neighborhood of $40. 900. on which.
under the circumstances, there is no
insurance. George Symons, represent
ing Mr.. Oppenheimer, who is In the
East, sanctioned Mayor H~arrington's
action in putting a force of men TO
work to clear away the debris and
agreed 20 stand the expense. Mr.. OPP
penheimer was notified of the disaster
by wire.
1t is said an investigation will be
made TO determine the cause Of the
accident, but II is doubtful IL the facts
In this connection will ever be fully
established, for the reason II the fault
was in the foundation of the pillar, the
evidence has been destroyed by the
foundation being torn down, and if IL
lay in the carpenter work, the fact will
be dificult to settle. 1t was said at
first that the iron column broke when
the temporary supports were re-
moved, but the column was I'M
earthed last evening and found to be
whole and sound. Some other cause
must therefore be assigned.
Building Inspector Kennedy had moth
ing definite to say as to the u Of
the collapse when seen last evening. He
spoke In high terms of the efficiency Of
Contractor Whitney. but did not ven
ture a suggestion as to the person or
persons on whom the blame may be
fastened. 1t was his opinion. however,
tina either the column broke or the
foundation supporting II gave way when
the weight rested upon 1T. If the column
did break II was because Of "A flaw or
other defect in IL. which fact would be
made known as soon as the debris could
be removed sufficiently 10 allow an in
spection of the casting. On the other
hand, he said, If IL was the fault of the
foundation, such fault would no dou IT
have been removed by the great weight.
The direct cause Of the accident is
HfAh ~ AA"ANN ~
the architect and the contractor, Byron
Whitney. To a Standard reporter Mr..
Whitney stated, soon after the accident
occurred, that the men were repairing
the building and had just put in an iron
beam and had taken out the false front
work. The iron beam gave way M
caused the building to collapse. Whit
ney said he had just left The building
about five minutes before the accident
happened for the purpose Of getting
some bolts. He said an investigation
would be made and he therefore de-
clined to make any further statements,
or say what nature of pport had been
used in the building. He would give all
those facts at the investigation which
he apprehended would be made. Mr..
Whitney said he could not tell how
many men were employed or how many
were in the building at the time Of the
collapse. as his time book was in his
coat, which vas buried in the uins
Mir. Whitney was evidently very retiCent
to discuss the calamity.
The York building was 100 feet deep
and as feet wide, three stories and base
ment. Originally the street floor was
divided by a partition running through
the center the length of the building
from the street to the rear. The stair
entrance from the street was directly
over the partition and the landing on
the second floor was % feet from the
front Of the building. The west wall
was the MauAe block and the east wall
the Barrel & Jacky building. On the
east side. however, was an independent
wall extending 40 feet ack Up through
ii, jutting GU Is inches, Is a fiue three
feet wide, raising from the ground to
six feet above the wall. This great
smokestaCk served as a support for the
wall when the woodwork fell. AS IL
was. the wall parted from the Barrel
a. Jacky building and threatened TO
tumble. Props were put against 81 and
as soon as practicable the work of tear
ing away the brick was begun. Archi-
tect II. NJ. Patterson designed the plans
for the construction work. but he did
not supervise the work. He is out OF
town. The substructure Of the parti-
ton IL what is termed mill construction.
! consisting OF l2xt2 III timbers strung
the length of the basement nosr. On
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