The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-04-12
TUMBLES Down.
Collapse of a Four Story Build
ing in Pittsburg.
Score or More of People Inside
at the Time.
BELIEVED TO BE DEAD.
Many Are Thought to Have Lost
Their Lives.
Police and Firemen Searching
For the Bodies.

Pittsburg, April PA four story brick
building on the corner of Wood street
and Second avenue occupied by Arm
strong, McKelvy & Co, wholesale paint
dealers collapsed shortly before 10
o'clock A score or more people were
IN the building at the time and many
1t is feared were buried in the ruins
A hundred men are tearing away at
the debris, striving to release the buried
men and to get out the dead bodies. 1t
IS believed that no one person in the
building escaped. unless one or two on
the top EOOr may have escaped being
crushed to death The building fell
without warning and collapsed the fall
being out toward Third avenue, block
ing up the street.
A policeman turned in an alarm Of
fire and in a minute the firemen and
the police were at work at the debris.
The building was being remOdeled
and the center wall had been taken out
1t IS supposed that the weight of the
stock piled on the upper floors was too
great for the weakened timbers The
building extended back about so feet on
Third avenue. Half of it collapsed
Three injured and one dead had been
taken out at 1890 o'clock. The dead
body was recognized as that of car
penter whose name is unknown. Two
others who can be seen. but have not
been reached are believed to be dead.
They are Eugene Bernhardt and a. boy.
At least 25 more are believed to be still
in the ruins.
recovered, and three persons taken out
alive. The dead are:
OSCAR BINGHAM, a carpenter.
EUGENE c. BERNHARDT, a sales
man.
Two of the injured We're not seriously
hurt. The other, Noel Casper, an en-
ploye, was taken to the Homeopathic
hospital. The number still in the ruins
/ VaTiO1ElV estimated a to
few minutes before the collapse it
is said that at least dozen people were
in the front part of the building, includ-
ing several customers. These have not
| yet been accounted for. over 100 fire.
men and volunteers Immediately began
/ work on the ruins, needless of the tot
tering walls that imperiled their lives.
To the danger from the walls was
added the menace of fire, as the stock
carried by the firm consisted largely of
| infiammable paints. oils and varnishes-
Thin wreathS of smoke commenced to
c,lrl up from the ruins before the dust
/ clouds caused by the falling walls set
/ tied. These the firemen gave their close
attention, but an explosion is feared at
any time
A LATER STORY.
Pittsburg, Pa, April 12.-The big
/ double-front, four-story brick building
at the corner of Wood street and Sec.
! ond avenue, occupied by the Arm
| strong -McKelvy Lead and Oil company,
! collapsed today bGrying a number Of
| employees. customers and carpenters at
work on the building beneath the ruins.
/ The disaster involved the entire front
/ of the building, but fortunately the
! greater number of the imprisoned EN-
/ plOyes were in the rear of the building
/ and escaped with slight injuries or
| none at all 1t is certain that two clerks
| were caught in the wreck and at least
two customers were also imprisoned
| In addition five carpenters were at
| work remodeling the interior of the
| store rooms and of these but one has
| been accounted for. He was Harry
/ Bowles, and was working in the office
in the rear of the building. He made
! thrilling escape through a window, with
| Miss Annie Stewart, the stenOgrapher
for the company, in his arms.
Only one dead body and three injured
persons have so far been taken from
the ruins. The dead body was identi-
| fled as that of Oscar Rigel, a carpenter.
Eugene c. Bernhard a salesman, is
known to be in the wreck, and it is
| supposed is dead.
The injured taken out are:
Noel Casper, injured internally.
Michael Shang, leg broken and in
| jured internally.
Unknown man, unconscious and in a
serious condition.
The cause of the accident is ascribed
to the weakening of the building by the
removal of partition separating the
room formerly occupied by the company
from one which had just been leased.
The walls fell in from each side toward
the center of the building and as the
carpenters were at work in the middle
of the building it is feared that they
were all buried. A fire alarm was
turned in at once and the department
responded without delay, but ten min
utes before the first fireman was. on
the scene there were hundreds Of spec
tators gathered around. These were
pushed back out of danger by the police.
The front of the building was merely
a mass of wrecked brick, mortar and
woodwork. The rear remained stand
| ing, but the walls were visibly sway
ing and occasionally sent down
shower of bricks as a warning to the
curious adventurer not to get too close
Notwithstanding the danger 100 men
. were soon at work searching for those
who were caught in the ruins. The
, work was necessarily slow, and at l
O'clock only one body had been recov-
) cred and three persons rescued alive.
About this time a. portion of the third
. floor fell in and five of the searcheTs
were caught in the debris, but they We're
promptly rescued and were not seriously
, | injured.
. At o'clock the bodies of man and
a woman were found. They have not
I ! yet been identified