The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-10-26
A CATASTROPHE
ATNEWPORTNEWS
A Three Story Opera House Building
CoIIapses.
ONE MAN KILLED, MANY INJURED
Tho Building was Nearly Complete
and Fell with Loud Rumbiing
Noise-WorSmen Caught in
Debris-The Rescue.

NEWPORT NEWS. VA, oct 25.-Spe-
ciaL-An opera house. a three-story
building. brick structure, which was in
course OF erection in Rockets. a negro
settlement. collapsed this afternoon. KILL
ing one man and seriously injuring sew
eral others. The building was nearing
completion and a small force OF carpen-
ters. painters and plasterers were PUT
ting on the finishing touches. when the
accident occurred. Those who were in
the opera house and escaped unin1ured,
described the catastrophe as being SINH
lar to an earthquake. The building first
tremDled. then came rumbling noise.
followed in jiffy by fearful crash.
PANIC STRICKEN.
The men were panic stricken. They
made a rush for the windows. but a dense
cloud Of dust obscured tho exits. and
they stood still Ike dumb sheep awaiting
what seemed TO them 20 be certain doom.
Hundreds OF people were attracted 20 the
scene OF the accident by the noise of the
crash and the frantic yeils for help. COM
ing from those imprisoned under the de-
brs. The first man taken out was J. ".
Rodgers. a suo-contractor FOR the car
penter work. he was buried beneath
pile Of bricks aud timbers.
BEGGED TO BE KILLED.
when ho was reached by the rescuers
he begged piteously to be killed. saying
his pains We're too agonizing for endur-
ance. Rodgers was carried 10 his home
and expired a few minutes later.
He was hfty-ive years old and Is sur
vived by his widow and six children.
From the top of the building came cries
for help. Men fastened TO the assist
ance OF the imprisoned workmen. cut
away tmbers and extrcated them. They
were three colored plasterers, Henry
Ewell. Sam Jones and James Stores. All
three OF the men were painfully hurt.
Jones is injured internally and may die.
They were in the third story Of the hIiid-
ing and had a miraculous escape from
death.
Two white painters. S. L. Bowen. Of
Charlottesville. Va. and W. w. Reean.
We're az work on the roof and Slid down
an incline made by the second story
flooring. Bowers left arm was mashed
but Regain escaped injury. Other per
sons injured in the accident We're Mel
win Timberlake, carpenter; Jesse Dud-
y
borers. They will recover.
SAW A MAN JUMP.
An eye witness Of the accident says ne
say a man jump from q second story
window and get caught under the wall.
His body has not been recovered.
As yet the responsibility for the acci-
dent has not been fixed, but light will
De- thrown OF IL at the coroner's inquest.
which viii be held tomorrow.
The Opera House was being construct
ed for the Columbian Investment Com
pauy. an industrial organization differed
by weil-knOwn colored PEOPLE and the
general contractor was Il. fl. Stage. of
Richmond. Va. who has been doing con-
siderable work I'm Newport News for
coiored people
He sub-let the work 20 local contrac-
tors. The roof of the building seemed
90 De the first 10 give away, and it push
ed asunder the Pinch brick walls. II rs
believed that warrants viii be sworn out
tomorrow and criminal proceedings in
stituted 81 the cor0uer's jury fixes the
responsibility for the catastrophe.
The building is a complete wreck.