Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1905-08-12
MANY KILLED IN
STORES COLLAPSE
Men. Women and Children Caught In
Wreckage Of Albany Store.
WORKMEN CUT AWAY SUPPORTS


with II over 100 persons. IL OF whom
were taken out dead.
The catastrophe occurred shortly az
ter the opening hour. when ba:eiy a
score of shoppers were in the store.
A clock found In the debris had stop
ped at IL minutes before 0, 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
wooden floor BEAM" said he. which
runs underneath one of the central
pillars In the middle OF the store. Elk
cavation for the cellar was going on
about the base OF this pillar. and I
believe that jarring of the beam be-
the pillar. The first thing | knew.
two OF the counters near the place
where the men were working began
to sag. and several pieces OF glass
ware slid OFF onto the floor with a
crash. | yelled to my clerks TO run
were not out of my mouth when there
came creaking. and everything
around MS began to fall. The wreck
came slowly, however. and think
every one In my department escaped.
as well as the workmen."
Tho t,tttar t.htoh exaya v,ax, ounpnrf.
ed the ends Of two giant Orders. and
when 1t fell the main support OF the
central part OF the building was gone.
With a noise that could be heard
blocks away, and which shook the ad.
Joining buildings. nearly half the great
structure. from cellar to roof. and ex.
tending from one side wall to the 9th.
er. came grinding down. Into this
cavern slid scores OF employees who
were working on the four floors above.
and lacked the warning which en-.
abled those in the basement TO es.
cape. Some. however. were appraised
of the danger by falling plaster. and
saved themselves by rushing to the
front of the store or To the fire escape
in the rear.
Clouds of dust which shot out of the
front entrance caused those outside
TO believe that the store was afire. and
q fire alarm was Immediately turned
In. When the fire department arrived
they had plenty to do in resculng those
who were pinned under the top wreck.
age. They were joined by scores OF
volunteer rescuers, and within an hour
Is or 20 persons were carried out.
none of them fatally injured.
The volunteer rescuers and the fire
men continued the work until exhaust.
ed. when :heir places were taken by
a wrecking force. numbering 800 men
from the New York Central and Della
ware and Hudson Railroads. These
delved in the ruins all night. but the
work OF rescue progressed slowly.
When darkness came II was estimated
that nearly 80 persons still remained
In the ruins, and that not more than
half Of those could survive the weight
pressing upon them. Fortunately the
wreckage did not take fire. Some 100
persons are still unaccounted for. bu:
so of these are cash boys, OF which
the firm has no record. In all. the
company has 400 employees. but 80 OF
these are away on vacations.
The discovery that the 10 bodies al.
ready taken out will account for all
the victims of the accident is a sur
prise to Albanians. who expected that
at least dozen more mangled forms
were buried beneath the ruins. So
sure are the wreckers that no more
bodies are there, that they have sus.
pended their search and devoted their
attention to demolishing the brick
walls which overhang the debris and
threaten to collapse.
or those now In the hospital. Helen
D0nahue Is believed TO be near the
point OF death. and Mrs. william
Borst. OF Window. Mimi, a shopper.
has only an even chance OF recovery.
The small number OF deaths-small
when II Is considered that nearly 100
persons went down with the wreck
10 accounted for by the fact that
bchEceiy an! Oh tue DITCH Wills Tell.
and the debris consisted mostly OF
wooden timbers and plaster. with only
an occasional iron girder. One OF
these iron beams crushed the life out
of four young girls.
The building which collapsed stands
in the heart of the shopping district
at Nos. 30 and Al North Pearl street.
II Is owned partly by the COMPANY
and partly by the estate Of the late
David Orr. The loss TO the company
Is estimated at between 5000, 900 and
100000. The building was a very
old one. but until now considered per.
fectly sound. Extensive repairs were
under way when the catastrophe took
place. After the death of its founder.
John q. Myers two years ago. the
business was conducted by a company
consisting Of George =. Hilton. II.
King Sturdee. Edward +. Hackett and
Robert NJ. Chalmers. Mr.. Chalmers
was taken from the ruins with slight
injuries. About month ago the firm
was Incorporated as n stock company.
The collapse Of the department
store will be investigated By special