The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1905-08-18
POORLY BUILT
Many People Crushed to Death
by Collapse Of a Store.
DISASTER in ALBANY

A"Shf aho thirty Eaj
Were Killed. Many Injured
and Fifty Entombed.
At Albany, N. Y, the middle seo.
tion OF the big department. store of
the John G.. Myers company on north
Pearl street, collapsed early on Tues.
day OF last week, carrying down with
1t over 100 persons.
Caught In chaos Of brick, plaster
ana wooden beams, between 20 and 30
men, women and children met death.
Twelve hours frantic work on tho part
OF rescuers disentangled so people, six
OF them dead and many of the rest;
oadly injured. Three bodies were in
sight at late hour Tuesday night.
out many hours work will be required
TO get them out. Anything like
complete list Of the killed and injured
will be unobtainable until the workers.
have made their wey to the very bot.
| com Of the mass of the wreckape.
| With few exceptions those caught in
The ruins were employees, q large ma
jority of them girls.
The catastrophe occurred shortly
after the opening hour when barely a
core OF shoppers were In the store. A
clock found In the debris had stopped
st IL minutes before 8, showing when
the crash came.
The best account of the event that
probably caused the ruin is given by
She head OF the crockery, glass and
rug department., which occupies the
| basement.
The workmen were saving at g
wooden floor BEAM" said he, which
runs underneath one of the central,
pillars in the middle of the store. Ex.
cavatfon for the cellar was going on
about the base Of this pillar, and I
oelieve that jarring of the beam be-
| Meath 1t displaced the foundation of
ahe pillar. The first thing l knew,
two of the counters near the placa
where the men were working began to
sag, and several pieces of glassware
slid Off ipto the floor with crash.
| yelled to my clerks to run for the
'front.' Of the store. The words were
aot out OF my mouth when there came
y creaking and everything around us
anrtns fall, The wreck came SLOW.
y, however, and j think everyone iii
ny department. escaped as we'll as the
aOrkmen.'' =,
The pillar which drew away sum-
ported the ends of two giant pirdsra.
! md when 1t fell, the main support of
5ne central part OF the building waa
one. With a noise that could ba
aeard Dlocks away and which shook
1he aojoining buildings, nearly half
5ne great structure, from cellar to
roof, and extending from one side wall
to the other, came grinding down.
Into this cavern fell scores of EN-.
ployes who were working on the four
hJors above and lacked the warning
| mich enabled those in the basement
10 escape. Some, however, were an.
prlsed Cf the danger by falling plaster
and saved themselves by rushing to
he front OF the store or to the ire
escape in the rear.
! Clouds of dust which shot out OF the
'front.' entrancs caused those outside to
Dslleve that the store was afre, and q,
nce alarm was Immediately turned In.
When the fire department. arrived
ohey had plently to do In rescuinp
htse who were pinned under the tor
"reckage. They were joined by scores
of volunteer rescurers and within an
louf 10 or ~ persons we're carried out,
zone OF them fatally injured.
In short time the city's entire hos.
pital and ambulance force was on the
scene, aided by half q hundred doc.
tors from all parts Of the city.
Ine volunteer rescurers and the
hremen continued the work until ex.
hausted, when their places were taken
by q Wrecking force numbering 800
men from the New York Central and
Delaware and Hudson railroads, These
delVed In the ruins all night, but
5he work OF rescue progressed slowly.
When darkness came 1T was estimated
that nearly so persons still remained
IN the ruins and that not more than
? half OF these could survive the weight
, pressing upon them. Fortunately tina
, wreckage did not take fire. Some 100
persons are still unaccOunted for, but
5o OF these are cash boys, Of whom the
arm mas no record and the loss of the
! payroll makes 1t diflicult to get any
thing Ike a complete list of MANY
E others. In all the company has 400
{ employees, but 80 Of these are away on
! vacations
The building which collapsed stands
in the heart OF the shopping district
1T Nos. 80 and IL north Pearl street.
{ LII is owned partly by the company and
\ partly by the estate of the late David
& Orr, The loss to the company is esti.
mated at between $500, 900 and $780,.
600. The building was q very old one.
out until now considered perfectly
sound. Extensive repairs we're un.
= Ter way when the catastrophe took
# place. After the death Of It's foun.
{ Ter, John G. Myers, two years ago
7 1he business was conducted by com
/ oany consisting Of George z. Hilton
IL. King Sturdee, Edward II. Haoketi
md Robert M. Chalmers. mir. Ohal.
ners was taken from the ruins with
{ light Injuries. About o month apo
: he firm was Incorporated as a stool
company.
iratal Collision.
A head on collision at Norfolk ha
Ween electric trains of ths reenyiev