Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-08-09
Big Apartment !. Store at
Albany, n. y, Co||apses.
Over 100 Persons Engu|fed--
Only Half So Far Taken Out.
Most Of Those in Ruins Must Be Dead
and Most Of Them Are Girls.

section of the big department store of
the John G.. Myers Co. on North Pearl
street, collapsed. today. carrying down
with it over 100 persons. Caught in
a mass of brick, plaster and wood of
the beams, between 20 and 80 men,
women and children met death in q
multitude of horrible forms. 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 are
in sight, but many hours work will be
required to get them out. Anything
like complete list of the killed and
injured will not be obtainable until the
workers have made their way to the
very bottom Of the mass of wreckage.
With few exceptions those caught in
the ruin were employees and large
ma iority of them were girls.
The Gcad thus far removed from the
ruins are:
Michael Fitzgerald. aged 40. married
Frank Leonard. L. cash boy.
Miss Annie L. Whtbeck.
Minnie Billiard.
Alice L. Sharp.
DHlueltllleQ woman.
Miss Whitbeck. RulIard and Sharp
We're in the cashiers gallery on the
main floor. They were crushed out OF
shape by an iron grder and identified
by their clothing and jewelry. Another
girl with them is missing and supposed
ID be dead.
Tie injured: Helen Donohue. cannot
1iI-a- NJ, MnIr
Clotse. seriously; Lena Hess, serious
ly; Elizabeth McManus, seriously; Alb
bic Phelph. Harriet Palmattier, Wini-
fred Kelley, Spatz. Mary Ben
sen. Lena Dansinger, Nellie Burns
Bette Clouties. Jessie Weaver. Eliza
beth Myers, Elizabeth Hesbrandt,
kinnear. -- Stafford. Robert Chal-
mers, member of the firm; Dudley
Weaver. James Lusk, Hector Fleming
j. b. Hawkins. William Sims, Henry
Snyder. John Griffin. Charles Ottman,
Horace Smith. Thomas Burns, William
DcvlIn. George Miller. Thomas Fraver
Ward Fisher, j. 3. Harkins. Matthew
Fisher. Frederick Mergenthaler. Ella
KINNEY, Miss Van Vleeck. Mrs. Rich
ard W. Brass, seriously; Miss Gilmore,
Satie Mccormick, Mrs. Edmund S.
Baldwin. slightly; Mrs. William Borst,
Of Window, MINI.
Glory kearns, a fireman, was severe
ly injured in the stomach and Thomas
Manning was badly cut.
The catastrophe occurred shortly af-
ter the opening hour, when barely a
score Of shoppers We're in the store
A clock found in the debris had stop
ped at S.4S A. NJ.
The best explanation of the cause of
the accident is given by the head of
the crockery, glass and drug depart
ment. which occupies the basement.
The workmen were saving at a
wooden floors BEAM" he said. (which
runs underneath one of the central pill
lars in the middle of the store. EX-
cavation for the cellar was going on
about the base Of this pillar. and l be-
lievc that Earring the beam beneath it
displaced the foundation of the pillar
The first thing l knew, two of the
counters near the place where the men
were working began to sag. and sew
cral pieces of glass ware slid off onto
the floor with a crash. l yelleC to my
clerks to run for the front of the store.
The words were not out of my mouth
when there came a creaking and every
thing around us began to fall. The
wreck came slowly, however, and
think everyone in my department cs-
capped, as well as the workmen.'
The pillar which gave way supported
the ends of two giant grders and when
1t 1ell 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
like an earthquake, nearly half the great
structure from cellar to roof and extend
ing from one side to the other, came
down. Into this cavernous hopper slid
scores OF employees who were working on
the four floors above and lacked the
warning which enabled those in the base
mcnt to escape
Many. however. were appraised of the
danger by falling plaster and saved them
serves by rushing to the front of the store
Vi 70 the fire escapes in the rear.
LIQUIDS OF dust which shot out of the
a oht entrance caused those outside to be-
iie'c mat the store was afirc, and a fire
h'ilh was turned in. When the depart
hieht arrived it had plenty to do in res
cuihg those who were pinned under the
"rechi'ge. The tiremen were joined by
'coles OIL volunteer rescuers and within
It" rour 10 or 20 persons were carried out.
.ioiic Vi Them fatally injured. In a short
inc the city's entire hospital and am
pu,aice lorce was on the scene aided by
.hn d hundred doctors from all parts of
oi'F. The volunteer rescuers and the
@h Kept up the work until exhausted,
;a 'heir places were taken by wreck
'o.ce numbering 800 from the New
central and Delaware & Hudson
- aus. These delved into the ruins
.nloushout the night but the work Of res
cue progressed slowly. Wi u ''
e', nisht came it was estimated tina.
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