Milford chronicle., 1905-08-11
MANY KILLED IN
STORES COLLAPSE
Men, Women and Children Caught In
Wreokags of. Albany Store.
wORKMEN CUT AWAY SUPPORTS
- - =


S the John G. Myers Company in NORTH
Pearl street, collapsed, carrying down
with it over 100 persons. Caught in a
chaos of brick. plaster and wooden
beams. between 20 and 80 men, women
and children met death. Twelve
hours frantic work on the part of an
= army of rescuers disentangled so peo
pie. six of them dead and many of the
= rest badly injured Three bodies were
in sight at late hour last night, but
many hours work will be required to
get them out. Anything like a COM
plete list of the killed and injured
will be unObtainable until the workers
have made their way to the very bot
tom Of the mass of wreckage. With
few exceptions. those caught in the
ruin were employees, a large majority
Of them girls.
The catastrophe occurred shortly af-
! ter the opening hour, when barely a
score Of shoppers were in the store.
A clock found in the debris had stop
ped at II minutes before 9, showing
when the crash came.
The best account of the event that /
probably caused the ruin is given b.
the head of the crockery glass and
drug department, which occupies the
basement
THE wOrkmen were saving at a
wooden floor BEAM" said he. (which
runs underneath one of the central
pillars in the middle of the store. Ex-
cavation for the cellar was going on
about the base of this pillar, and
believe that jarring of the beam be-
meath it displaced the foundation of !
the pillar. The first thing I knew, /
two Of the counters near the place
where the men were working began s
to sag, and several pieces of glass
ware slid off onto the ioOr with a
crash. | yelled to my clerks to run \
for the front of the store. The words
were not out of my mouth when there I,
came a creaking. and everything d
around us began to fall The wreck
came slowly, however, and I think g.
Every one in my department escaped, 2
IS well as the workmen." ie
The pillar which gave way support.
ID the ends of two giant girders. and ts
When it fell the main support OF the y. ~
central part of the building was gone.
With noise that could be heard ol
locks away, and which shook the ad 81
Dining buildings. nearly half the great NJ
tructure. from cellar to roof. and ex. QT
ending from one side wall to the 9th. COZ
r. came grinding down Into this Ha
aVern slid scores of employees who n
-ere working on the four floors above, 70
nd lacked the warning which en- 70,
OIed those in the basement to. es- 7 !
ape. Some, however, were apprised -
the danger by falling plaster. and h
wed themselves by rushing to the Col
ont of the store or to the fire escape Pas
the rear. Pa
Clouds Of dust which shot out OF the
ont entrance caused those outside g
believe that the store was aire. and s.
hre alarm was Immediately turned g
= When the fire department arrived s.
ey had plenty to do in rescuing those g!
10 were pinned under the top wreck. St
e. They were Joined by scores OF q
rescuers, and within an hour II
or 20 persons were carried out q
ne of them fatally injured 49,.
The volunteer rescuers and the fire At
n continued the work until exhaust 70 ~ ~
when their places were taken bv sOni
Nrecking force, numbering 800 men Pm; , 4
m the New York Central and Della II
re and Hudson Railroads These
we'd IN the ruins all night. bat the s.
rk OF rescue progressed slowly. &
len darkness came it was estimated IS
t nearly so persons stfn remained 5s
the ruins, and that not more than Il
OF those could survive the weight y
ssing upon them. Fortunately the 8 3
sckage did not take FIRE. Some Ion S
sons are still unRccounted for. bu. 50
OF these are cash boys. of which s.
,nanv has @ IOo @ a1oUIu-., .geUiu, IN ail the WOO
Sc are away on vacations.
he building which collapsed stands IL
he heart Of the shopping district MIL
Nos. 80 and Al North Pearl street
s owned partly by the company
partly by the estate of the late m.
Id Orr The loss to the companv NU0
at between 5000. 900 and
1000. The building was verv
one but until now considered per. EAST
y sound. Extensive repairs were neau
er way when the catastrophe took Daily, PP9lly
e. After the death Of its founder sun.
G. Myers, two years ago. the i6S
ness was conducted by a companv ExpTes
isting Of George P. Hilton a
Sturdee, Edward F. Hackett and ",
'rt M. Chalmers. Mr.. Chalmers $50
taken from the ruins with slight &.
les. About a month ago the Arm 5.1s
Incorporated as stock company. s59
go
I 6W