The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-06-27
OLE DEAD IN STORM WRECK.
TORNADO BLOWS down WALL,
DlRlING THREE MEN.
Foreman's Neck Broken BY the Beam
which saved the other Two-Hard
Work Digging Them Out G Coroner
orders Four Arrests other Damage.

sades Yesterday afternoon at few minutes
before o'clock, whirled across the Hudson
River, hit an unfinished fat building at lseth
street. near Broadway, wrecked 1t and
buried the foreman OF the construction
gang and two laborers under tons Of bricks,
sand and timber.
Tho foreman. James Lawler OF 425 East
Seventy-seventh street, was taken out
dead after two hours dangerous work by
the fremen and police. The two laborer-.
Italians we're dug out alive and hurried to
the j. Hood Wright Hospital. They are
likely to die.
The tornado went skipping northeast
ward over Manhattan and The Bronx, up
roofing trees, smashing windows and rip
ring of chimneys. Lower Manhattan
didn't get it.
A, about half past o'clock Foreman
LAWYER in charge Of thirty laborers. all 1tal-
ians except few Irish. completing Ave
story brick fiat building, the westerly one
Of a row on the north side Of lseth street,
near Broadway, saw black cloud across
the river He told his men to knock OF
work for the afternoon. The wind was
blowing a gale and the rain had commenced
t. fall heavily.
The aborers went across the street to
shelter while the foreman with two men
went TO the fourth floor to brace up the
Pinch west wall. The wall had risen i've
stories and stood unsupported by beams
although. according to some of the laborers,
heavy timbers braced it against possible
storms. The other walls were only four
stories high
While Lawler and his men were on top
Of the building the tornado hit it, and the
west wall went down. 1t fell inward. carry
Inc with il parts Of the other walls and
loose timbers. The men across the street
who saw the storm coming describe IT as
an enormous black cloud with streaks OF
dirty yellow that swept across the river
at express train speed
They yelled to the foreman and his men
70 look out, but Lawler had no time to save
himself. With his men he was earned
under tons Of debris to the basement. When
the other laborers got there there wasn't
q thing TO he seen OF any OF them Inc
pile Of bricks and sand filed the basement
level with the first floor
Outside the building the tornado turned
things upside down. The foreman's shanty
was picked up and spread out on the ground,
a mass of smashed boards. donkey en-
CINE was lifted from its base, the smoke
Stack torn off and some of the heavy iron
piece. carried llock. Toward the nVer.
a few fee, from the wrecked tlat pig Tree
was up, Dotted and thrown down the hill
side.
The storm passed as suddenly as II came
There was a sweep of wind a bombardment
Of hail and rain, and then the sun
Some of the lahorers ran to Broadway
and got policeman.>who notified the west
l?5th street station and sent word to the j.
Mood WRIGHT Hospital
Inspector Dennis Sweeney with Capt.
NrGlvnn came with all the reserves ne
could muster. Supt. Richard Townley
of the hospital was there in jiffy with two
Scholer got there at the same time. Fire
Commissioner Haye' was there almost as
soon and so was Battalion Chief hhearn
with the man Of 20 Company, Policemen
were lined up at Broadway and l36th street
to keep the crowd rack. ana the ponce ana
mon.
The wind was still blowing hard from
across the river. swaying the green walls
and shaking the loose timber framework
that survived the crashing blow OF the
tornado.
The fremen and the police went to work
with picks and axes The space in which they
had to work was about twenty foot square
and only a few men could be used. After
an hour and half they saw two arms, the
hands olasped together. The rest OF the
six inch &c feam. which lay right across his
neck and chest DR.. Wrenn OF j. Hood
Wright, injected morphine into the wrists /.
hoping Lawler was still alive. They
chopped the beam to pieces and drew the
lody out Lawler was stone dead. His
neck had been broken by the beam.
The wind blew mortar dust into the eyes
Of the rescuers. and the doctors we're kept
busy treating the firemen and policemen.
Outside there was crowd Of Italian laborers.
relatives and friends of the two men still
buried.
At half past o'clock the workers found
broken LAWYERS neck saved their lives
by supporting the bricks and sand that
would have crushed them fiat other wise.
They were dug out and sent to tho hospital.
Coroner Scholer took antemortem state
ments from them after they got their senses
nil Savae of 22l Fast 18th street and
Alexis Soldaterio Of $40 Fifth street. Both
were bruised all over their bodies and
hurt internally. They have only fighting
chance for life.
Foreman la =F!er'a body was taken to the
West l25th street station. where his brother,
q policeman attached to the East l04th
street station, took charge of it, Lawler
had wife and several children.
Coroner Scholer made an investigation
on the spot. James Duny, one oil the brick
layers, told the Coroner that no attempt
had been made to brace the west wall,
and that it stood twelve inch shell against
the wind, Another bricklayer, Edward
r. Burke, said that wasn't So that the
vail had been braced on Saturday. and that
Foreman I.awer had reinforced the braces
by / o'clock yesterday afternoon. Build
mg Inspector Sweeney, who had visited
the place recently. told the Coroner that
the building regulations had been COM
Piled with.
The Coroner ordered the arrest of the
builders Brown Il Perlman, Of 81 Mangin
sr rect. of Robert Smith, the brick con-
tractor, and Abraham Bardech, who super
intended the construction for the builders.
Bardech was arrested last night on the
charge Of homicide. at his home, 295
Seventh street. Bardech said that the |
building laws had been complied with !
and that no wall would have stood the !
rush of the tornado. Abraham Perlman !
was arrested later at his home Is Morning
side avenue, on the same charge. His |
partner, Isaac Brown. is not in the city.
9Th the pr, soners gave bail.
Just east Of the row Of flats is the Hebrew
Orphan Asylum in Amsterdam avenue.
The lornado, jump ng straight east, struck
II fairly Four chrHneys we're demolished
and half the windows were shattered.
At Manhattan street and Amsterdam
avenue an old maple was torn up and thrown
Into the street. At Park avenue and i2sth
l., IL, L., .oe