Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-08-10
Between 20 and 80 People Meet
Horrible Deaths in Collapse
Of Big Store.
OYER 100 IN CATASTROPHE
Fifty Victims Taken from the Wreck.
Nee-Six Were Dead and the
Others Badly 1njurcd-Belicv.
ed Fifty Are sim in the
Ruins.

Albany, N. T., Aug. s.-The middle Sec
eion Of the big department store of the
Oohn G.. Myers company collapsed carly
Shis morning, carrying down with il over
oO persons. Caught in a chaos of brick.
plaster and wooden beams. between ~
end 30 men. women and children met
death in a multitude Of horrible forms.
Twelve hours fratic work on the part of
On army of rcscuors discntanglcd so poo
kle. six of them dead and many of the
rest badly injured. Three bodies are in
sight but many hours work will be re-
Auired to get them out. Anything like a
kornplcte list of the killed and injured will
be unobtainable until the workers have
made their way to the very bottom OF tho
mass of wreckage. With few exceptions
those caught in the ruin are employees, and
U large majority of them arc girls.
The catastrophe occurred shortly after
tle opening hour when barely a score of
shoppers were in tho store. a clock found
fin the debris had stopped at IL minutes of
!nine, showing when the crash came.
HOW ACCIDENT HAPPENED.
The best account Of the event that
probably caused the ruin Is given by
the head of the crockcry. glass and
drug department which occupies the
basement. The were saw
ing at a wooden floor BEAM said he.
(which runs underneath one of the
central pillars in the middle of the
store. Excavation for the cellar was
going on about the base of this pillar
and I believe that iarring the beah
beneath IL displaced the foundation of
st. II. '.Lo Gv.t fhin~ knew
two of the counters near tho place
where the men were working began
20 sag. and several pieces of glass
ware slid off on to the floor 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
came a crcaking and everything around
us began to fall. The wreck came
slowly, however, and ! think every
one in my department escaped, as well
as the workmen."
The pillar which gave way support
ed the end of two giant girders. and
when it fell tho 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 like an earthquake.
nearly half the great structure from
cellar 10 ROOF ana extending from ""'
SID wall TO the other came erlhulnS
down. Into this cavernous hopper
Nlid scores of employees who were
tNworking on the four floors above and
Faacked the warning which enabled
Whose in the basement to escape. Many,
however, were appraised of the danger
by falling plaster and saved them
eelves by rushing TO the front of the
store or to the fire escape in the rear.
"o0n ~ iHT Nr"O.H
Clouds Of dust which shot out of the
Front entrance caused tllosc outside to
believe that the store WAS atirc and "A
fire alarm was Immediately turned in.
When the fire department arrived they
had plenty TO do in rcscuinC those who
were pinned under the top wrcckagc.
They were Joined by scores of volunteer
Sescuers and. within an hour. IL or 90
ncrsons were carried ont. mono Of them
Fatally injured. In n short time tho
citv's entire hospital and ambulance force
was on tho scene. aided NV half a hun
dred doctors from all parts of tho city.
kent I'M the work unit, exhausted. when
their place was taken by a wrcckinr
force. numbering 300. from tho New York
Central and Delaware e. Hudson rail
roads. These delvcd in tho ruins all
night. but the work Of rescue progressed
~,ou.,,. yybor ,i,Lt n - -, o-,;