Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-02-28
Fifty Injured in Collapse
Of the Flooring
In Episcopal Church During
Funeral Ceremony.
nuiidiru Was Weather Worn and
Ramshackle-A Heartrending Scene

snn!r l,robably fatally, by the col
l.Irs,. Of tn. flooring OF the Fleet street
African Methodist Episcopal Zion
church in brooklyn. tonight. OF those
,ilI.d 10 were women, two men and one
cai!d. The building was an ancient
r.,r,si,a,.k!e frame structure erected
60 years a@o in the heart of the col
nr..d section of brooklyn i'm Fleet street
.,D.,r Myrtl- Avenue.
arrangements had been made. to-
,izl, tu hold funeral services of sgd
,,.y Fainter. OH. of the older members
Of Tie church ANA the auditorium,
=, hieh e, CA the ond floor of the
buil,,in3 III" ground floor being used
hy tnr sunday school. was crowded
,,.:th am audience of upwards of 300
Versions. of whom the majority We're
,y,tl.u The congregation was wait
i.g la silence. ror the arrival Of the
L..n ana Pastor Jacobs WAS standing
~ TN, altar awaiting the summons TO
MIA, thu funeral procession at the
door Nucn 4 sharp cracking Of tim
L.re yaS heard ANA in an instant the
u,f 81 tii. auditorium nearest the door
,nilrls,d, carrying down more than
., hundred persons who Were crushed
in tie wr.cklge of the flooring ana
r.v... y 4rnat volume of dust for Il feN
ly,nr.u- hill the victims from vie%.
ri Il. remainder Of the audience, finding
themselves cut off from the door ana
,Nr--;nr every instant that the rest
III III. iicnr would COLLAPSE, under them.
fujght inn Y 10 reach the windows
Ana III some. instances persons leaprd
from them and sustained serious nJu-
rics.
ON the arrival of the police and fire
men linz work of rescue began. the
PERSONS on that portion of the floor re-
raining intact who were uninjurei
were taken from the windows by
means Of ladders. Those lying IL the
mHs, Of WrpckHg" on the lower floor
could only be reached after the fire
trch had cut their WHY to them with
A<,s. Dut Of the wreck. 10 bodies were
r,.,.n .crnI and taken to Il station nous"
and about - persons were removed TO
the i;rnoIllyn hOspital where three
women died soon after being admitted.
M tn" anihulaUces in Brooklyn Were
called ont. over - score of those hurt
Till, ,,S,. ...,,laa ~
,..,a,.;,.,r c,.,,,as uara vii
;,. ,,,s., ,,.bi,, ,,-,e
:, r..;,ae ,a r.iande
III, la
The known dead are:
Bertha Green.
Teresa ellis.
Samuel Chisholm.
''''.''
,.,.
;,,.;ro1 ,,.o,nonf ono mi
1,,,,;,i.l ch,,d ANA one unidentified
r.,,
The cans. Of the COLLAPSE was the de
,,,.J ronditinn or the beams and sup
,,r,. If ~. r.n;.in.
,:.. r.bosa funeral
''- 49,, ,.,,anod ,,.,s tho
p -, .o,ts
49,, n,,,,n,.i, had h.en
.l... ,,,o,,,,,a,s, ,,bo were
H., l,aa,. ,rbis laa to the
!" n '"'''i'','', ~ pnns !, ono
,.,a,,T,..,,t .onranrr,tion
~ .,, roo ha,ns
,.,;,. c,oro,ar
aI-ary
10y ~ e, a,,feo.,+io1,
',' ~, ,.;,.;,n. h.i,r ni,nd on
.,,l.,. i, o., ,,,.,.s several feet
,car. 'rh,. coroner said that the church
WIS coqdrnIn-d as unsafe several wears
aro and ,l,.,t !, was his intention to
,,osncrt. :. t1,nrou,-h inquiry to fix the
rasnnreihilitv far the disaster.
N.,or,irc IA Pastor Jacobs. money
,',;,a, VII T, re,v church The
,;,, i, ,,bicb v.,s soon to have
L,., h,,un
,.o,ni.+ p,;r,,r v,s member o
,.,i ,'..;,,,;,.,,. tho r.lke and on 3c
,, It,, ,,,.,,,,,;no,,oo in the organ
coca, out,orrin.
e.o,.s nod hoo,
.,or ,rri,.ed II,
t '.,.- ,,,.d o,amorin.
,.,.... Hill, ,,oc.,,., c,tarinp III
,,.;, Ill. ,,.>,;on,,,,n 10 keen IN
n.,,I, i, ,l,.t
rn ,,,,ia,..,,.o, ,,d b,s assistant
"''''' - -, ,,;hrt.
which ,,-orn ,,rnrus,s TO the floor above
ard tho ,,ar,b.rs of tha society wcr
f,,r.ir.~ in TN. vrstibuIt, preparatory t
fonwiu~ the casilct up the stairs.
I