Perth Amboy evening news., 1904-03-03
BUILDING DISASTER
Great Steel Frame of New
Hotel Collapsed.
MANY DEAD AND INJURED IN RUNS
Had neaehed Tenth story when 1t
Gave Way-Caused by Boiler Elk
ft pIosion or Weight of. Materi-
a- nj Placed ON the Floors

H nj PLACED ON the FLOORS.
NEW YORK, March 3.-The big steel
skeleton of u ten story apartment ho-
tel that was being erected at 81 and
SO West Forty-siXth street collapsed
at 1880 O'Clock yesterday afternoon,
carrying Il large gang of workmen
down in the wreckagc. There were
about fifty men at work on the struc-
ture when the disaster came, it was es-
timated, and but few Of them escaped
without injury.
The collapse of the building was ac-
companied by a mighty roar thai was
heard for blocks. one or two persons
who were in the vicinity said that just
before the crash they heard something
like an explosion. Some n thought
that there was an explosion Of the boil
er used in connection with the derrick
engine in the basement, and this was
advanced as a theory for the collapse.
The engineer of the derrick engine,
who escaped, said that the boiler did
not explode.
A body taken from the center of the
building was identified as that of Fred
Morley, foreman in charge of the con-
crete works. Many of the workmen
have peer taken out badly injured.
Coroner Scholer stated that he be-
lieved the collapse was caused by over
loading the fifth floor with building
Rand began an examination Of wit
nesses on the spot.
The building was an uncompleted
apartment hotel and vas to have been
called the Darlington. BY its collapse
thirteen lives are known to be lost.
Six bodies were recovered, and seven
more are known to be buried under the
debris of the ruins. 1t is feared that
the list of those killed will be still fur
ther increased when the wreckers com
plete their task. In the hospitals are
fourteen injured, several of whom are
not expected to recover. Twenty per-
sons are reported missing.
Inspector Jordan said that from the
time the work upon the Darlington be-
gan friction between the builders and
the department of buildings has been
%unceasing. Several times the plans
were rejected as faulty. The Orders
were declared to be too weak to sup
port the load they would have to sus-
tain. The weight of the building, 1t was
said, was improperly distributed upon
the foundation.
Work upon the building was ordered
to be suspended until it had been
strengthened. A final complaint was
made yesterday, and John Il. Ahcarn
had instructed that an injunction
should be obtained against the build
crs, but the collapse interviewed to
make that step useless.
District Attorney Jerome is making
il personal investigation of the disas-
ter.
When Fire Chaplain Wakeley ar
Rived he found two men pinioned in
the basement. One was Frederick
Mohn, a foreman of the Roeblings,
who was im a cage formed of the N
tangled steel. He said he was not Sc
riously injured and begged that great
care be exercised in removing the de-
bris. so that none of the iron would
crush him. Another workman of the
name of Armstrong was also in a SINH
lar cage of steel. +.
Only ten Of the fifty or more men
known to have been at work on the
building had been accounted for as
having escaped injury. One theory