The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-08-10
FLOORS GIVE WAY
AND DOWN co A
HUNDRED
Between Twenty and Thir-
ty >MangIed Dead in
the Wreck.
MANY BADLY INJURED
MANY BADLY INJURED
A Pillar Supporting the Ends OF Two
Giant Girders Slips, and the Col.
llpse OF The Central Portion Of the
Great Department Store Of the John
G. Myers Company Follows.
(By the Associated Press.)

Albany, N. Y, August S.--The mid
die section of the big department store
of the John G.. Myers Company in
North Pearl street, collapsed early to-
day, carrying down with it over one
hundred persons.
Caught in chaos of brick, plaster
and wooden beams, between ten and
thirty men, women and children met
death. Twelve hours frantic work on
the part of the rescuers disentangled
fifty people, six of them dead and
many of the rest badly injured.
Three bodies were in sight at late
hour tonight, but many hours work
will be required to get them out. Any
thing like a complete list of the killed
the workers have made their way to
the very bottom of the mass of the
wreckage. With few exceptions those
caught In the ruin were employees, a
large majority of them girls.
The catastrophe occurred shortly
after the opening hour when barely
score of shoppers were in the store.
A clock found in the debris had stop
ped at twelve minutes before nine,
showing when the crash came.
The best account of the event that
probably caused the ruin is ~iven by
the head of the crockery, glass and
drug departments, 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 l be-
lieve that Earring of the beam beneath
ii displaced the foundation of the pill
lar The first think L knew, two of
the counters near the place where the
men were working began to- sag, and
several pieces of glassware slid off
onto the floor with crash.
Il yelled to my clerks to run fer
the front of the store, the words were
not out of my mouth when there came
creaking and everything around us
began to fall. The wreck came slowly,
however, and l think everyone in my
department. escaped, as we'll as the
Workmen.'
The pillar which drew away sup
ported the ends of two giant girders.
and when it 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 adjoining buildings, nearly half the
great structure, from cellar to roof,
and extending from one side wall to
the otneF, CANT STlilulilS eQUWff, lilLO
this cavern fell scores of employees who
were working on the four floors above
and lacked the warning which enabled
those in the basement to escape. Some,
however, were apprised of the danger
by falling plaster and saved them
selves by rushing to the front of the
store or to the fire escapes in the
rear.
Clouds of dust which shot out of
the front entrance caused those out
side to believe that the store was
atire, and fire alarm was Immediately
turned in. When the fire department.
arrived they had plenty to do in res
cuing those who were pinned under
the top wfeckage. They were Joined
by scores of volunteer rescuerS and
within an hour fifteen or twenty per-
sons were carried out, none of them
fatally injured.
In a short time the city's entire