The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1904-03-09
TERRIBLE ACCIDENT.
A Great skyscraper Frame Collapses
in New York.
PERSONS ARE KILLED.

Criminal Carelessness on the Par,
of the Contractors, Who Had
Disregarded Repeated
Warnings.
In the city Of New York fourteen
persons, are believed to have been
killed, about a score injured and sew
eral are missing through the collapse
Wednesday Of the steel SHELTON of the
Hotel Darlington, a l3-story apart
ment house in course Of erection at
81 Forty-sixth street. The steel
frame work had been erected as far as
the eleventh floor and tie structure
was swarming with iron; workers,
masons and laborers, when, without
an instant's warning, the upper floor
sagged aud collapsed and the whole
structure fell with a crash that was
heard for blocks, and shook all the
buildings in the vicinity. A portion
of the steel frame fell upon the rear
of the Hotel Patterson, on West For
ty.seventh street, crushing in the
wall of the dining room and killing
Mrs. Ella Lacey Stoors, the wife of
Frank Storrs, a wealthy resident Of
Rye, WeStchester county, as she was
sitting at luncheon with the wife Of
the Rev. DR.. Minot Savage, who
escaped unhurt.
The cause of the disaster generally
accepted is the overlooking Of the
floors. Foreman James Halpin, in
charge Of the iron workers, stated
that there was large quantity OF
cement and other building material
on the fifth floor, and that on the
ninth floor were the three iron beams
which were to have been used in con-
structing the remaining floors Of the
buildings. That criminal careless
ness is chargeable to somebody is
shown by the fact that the building
department had placed repeated
violations" against the building, the
last one being filed Wednesday at the
instance of Inspector Charles French,
because ''the side walls were more
than two stories in advance Of the
front walls, and the floor beams were
not properly boltedand tied"
In spite Of this and previous warn
ings, those responsible for the con-
strucUlon OF the building went ahead
regardless Of consequences. Adjoin-
ing the collapsed building on the west
is the fOur-story brownstone residence
of Harold Brown. Some of the huge
iron beams struck the side of ;he
house and stove holes in the wall
and roof and disloged part Of the
brownstone front which was thrown
to the street. The occupants escaped
uninjured. On the east side is a
house occupied by A. Walpole Cragie
as a school for boys The pupils had
gone home to luncheon a few minutes
before the crash occurred. Some of
the beams struck the house tearing
off portion Of the roof and smashing
holes in the side walls.
Mrs. Stcrrs whose husband is in
London, England, was sitting in lun-
cheon with Mrs. Savage when the
crash came, and she and Ernest
Meier, a waiter, were Instantly buried
under the debris the roof and walls.
Mrs. Savage barely escaped being
struck but her skirt was pinned to
the floor by mass Of fallen bricks.
Mrs. St0rrs was breathing when eX-
tricated. but died within a few min
uteS. The waiter is believed to be
injured. The other occupants of the
dining room escaped unhurt. The
Hotel Patterson was shaken to its
foundations and the rear fire escapes
on seven stories were torn from their
fastenings and all the windows on
these floors were smashed. The oc.
cupants of these apartments hastily
quilted the building. Rev. Minot j.
Savage was i'll in his apartments in
the front of the hotel at the time OF
the collapse.
At IL o'clock tonight the contractor
In charge of the wrecking work said
that bis men haC discovered seven
bodies and that two were known to
be pinned under the wreckage on the
east side Of the building.
Splendid work was done by the fire.
men, who at the risk Of their. lives,
crowded under the tangled wreckage
to rescue the imprisoned workmen.
They were accompanied by Chaplain
Smith Of the fire department., who ad-
miniStered the last rites Of the church
to several 'of the injured. Harold
Clark, a watchman, was rescued un-
hurt from the cellar after being i'm
prisoned for four hours. He said that
he left Frank Allison, one OF the
owners and builders, on the ninth
floor few minutes before the crash.
Patrick Murphy, the engineer of the
hoisting engine, and six workmen
were arrested and held as witnesses.
Representatives Of the district attor-
news Office examined the wreck We'd
ncSdav and began an investigation
to place the responsibility for the
disaster.