The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1905-08-09

Fully 200 men this morning were still
toiling over the wreckage OF the John G.
Myers company department store. where
q hours ago occurred the saddest catas-
trophe in the history OF Albany.
Eleven dead bodies. many of them man
gled almost beyond recognition. have
been taken from the ruins thus far and
one woman died after being carried 10 the
hospital The known death list which last
night numbered only five, has been more
than doubled by the addition Of the fol-
lowing, all employees:
Mary McVoy, died at hospital.
Anna Cushman.
Theresa Spannhauer.
Eta Sprinks.
Grace r. Ebnor.
Helen Malone.
John E. Powers, cash boy.
Miss Winifred Kelley.
In addition 10 these II is almost certain
that u 10 % bodies still remain in the
twisted mass OF beams wires, plaster
brick and laths that was once the main
portion OF one OF the city's largest stores.
TWELFTH BODY FOUND.
Shortly after daybreak the searchers
found the 18th body. Il was that OF Miss
Helen Malone, a young girl who shared
the cashiers gallery on the main floor
and Alice Sharp and was crushed beneath
the same iron girders that killed her three
companions.
Others In the above list were carried
out OF the ruins between the hours of
2 and o'clock this morning. The in
jured in the hospitals are doing well, with
two exceptions Miss Ella Donahue, who
was one OF the first survivors TO be taken
from the wreck. has several OF her ver-
tebrae fractured and II is said. cannot
live. Mrs. William Borst of Windam,
MINI, who was one OF the few shop
pers injured, is also reported 20 be in a
critical condition.
Mrs. Richard w Brass who was in the
wreckage for several hours, was removed
without serious wounds. The only ad-
dition 20 the list OF injured is Thomas
Rogers a fireman, who was painfully
though not seriously bruised and cut
while at work OF rescue.
ALL MAY BE DEAD.
1t is thought scarcely possible that any
OF those now imprisoned in the debris
can be alive. Since midnight only dis
figured corpses have been taken out
Fifty women employees are still unac-
counted for, and as the firm has a COM
plete list OF these, grave fears are ex-
pressed for the safety of the majority.
A large PERCENTAGE OF those in the CEN
trail portion of the building which col
lApsed were women.
The number OF men unaccounted for is
about the same, but the loss OF the firm 3
books makes a complete record of the
male employees inaccessible. 1t is thought
that nine-tenths OF the bodies remain
Ing in the ruins are those Of women.
CAUSE OF THE DISASTER.
Mayor Gaus. Chief Higgins of the fire
department and Commissioner Cantine, OF
the department OF public safety believe
that the accident was caused by work.
men excavating beneath the basement
floor, who undermined one OF the key
brick piers In the centre OF the building
and their belief is generally shared
An investigation will be made a soon n =
the work OF rescue Is over. This investiga-
tion Will probably be preceded by the cor
oner's inquest, as soon as the last body
Is recovered.
The work underway when the building
collapsed was in charge of Contractor
John Dyer. Jr.
OF the 81 men employed by him on the
building every one escaped. AS nearly
all OF them were in or under the base
ment In the very centre OF the structure.
their escape is almost miraculous
Stories OF the survivors. however, show
that those on the basement floor. where