Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1905-08-09
frlshlful Catastrophe in Estab.
llsllment of john P. Myers
Company, at Albany.
ftW SHOPPERS IN THE PLACE
Majority Of Those Caught in Chaos of
Brick, P!aoter, and Wooden Beams
We're Employees, and Most of Them
G'rIs-work of Rescue Slow and
Difficult.
Uiy Associated Press !

| uiy Associated rrcss.)
ALBANY, n. V, Aug. S.--Thc mid.
dlc section of the big department store
Oh John q, Myers Company in North
icarl street, collapsed early today car.
rying down with it over one hundred
persons.
Caught in Il chaos of brick. plnstcr
anu wooden beams, between 20 and
5" men, wcmen and children met
ncl'll Twelve hours Of frantic worl,
Oh The part of tho rcscucrs disenlnn:y.
ica 'o people, six of them dead anu
many of the rest badly injured.
Three bodies were in sight at lato
hour tonight. but many hours were 70.
CURED to get them out.
Anything like n complete list of the
Killed ana injured will he unobtatn.
able until the workers have made
'heir way 10 the very bottom of the
mass OF the wreckagc. With few cx-
ceptions those caught in the ruins
were employees. large majority Of
Them .irs.
The dead thus far removed from the
ruins are:
MICHAEL FITZGERALD, aged 40,
married.
FRANK LEONARD, aged 10. cash
boy.
MISS ANNA L. WIIlTDECK.
MISS MITTIE BULLARD.
MISS ALICE l.. SHARP.
Unidentified woman.
Misses Whitbeck, Dullard and Sharp
were in the cashiers gallery on the
main floor.
Crushed Out of Shape.
They were crushed out of shape by
an iron girdcr and identified by their
clothing and jcwclry.
Another girl with them is missing
and is supposed to be dead.
The fatally injured:
Miss Helen Donahuc, spinal column
fractured
Miss Mary McEvcr.
The list OF injured, as compiled to-
night, shows thnt thirty-six employees
Of the company were injured, three
seriously. Besides these five shop.
pers were injured, among them Mrs
William Borst, of Window, MINI. A
number of rcscuers received slight
cuts and bruises.
Few Shoppers in Store.
| rhp rot lctr e-h e.
ter the opening hour when barely a
score Of shoppers were in the store.
~ clock buried 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 given by
the head Of the crockery, glass AMI
drug department which occupies the
basement.
'rhc workmen were saving at a
wooden floor BEAM" said he, (which
runs underneath one of the central pill.
lars in the middle of tho store. FIX
cavation for the cellar was going on
about The base of this pillar, and | be
licve that Earring of the beam beneath
it displaced the foundation of the pill
lar. The first thing knew, two Of
the counters near the place where the
men were working began to sag, and
several pieces of glassware slid of
onto the floor with crash.
Told Clerks to Run.
II yelled to my clerks to run for the
front of the store. Tho words were
not out of my mouth when there canlc
| a crcaking and everything around MS
began to fall. The wreck came slow
ly, however. and think every one IL
my department escaped. as well rs Tho
worlimen."
The pillar which drew away sup
ported the ends of two giant girder!
and when It fell, the main support
Of the central part Of the building
was gone. With noise that coult
! Il T..