The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1905-02-28
OF Catastrophe in a Brooklyn
Church Last Night.
II PEOPLE WERE KILLED
Over One Hundred Were Injured When
Floor Of African Methodist Church
Collapsed With No
Warning.

New York, Feb. s2--A searching in
yestigation was begun today by Coroner
Flayory of Brooklyn into the collapse
Of the Fleet Street African Methodist
Episcopal church last night, when eleven
people were crushed to death and over
100 injured The coroner intends to fix
the blame for the accident. The build !
ing was an acient ramshackle frame |
structure erected sixty years ago in
the heart Of the colored section Of Brook
lyn in Fleet street, near Myrtle avenue.
Arrangements had been made to hold !
the funeral services Of Sydney Tainter,
one of the older members of the church
and the auditorium, which is on the
second floor Of the building, the ground
floor being used by the Sunday school,
was crowded with an audience OF up
wards of 800 persons, Of whom the
majority We're women.
The congregation was waiting IN
silence for the arrival Of the body, and
Pastor Jacobs was standing ait the altar,
AWAITING the summons to meet the fu-
neral procession at the door, when a
sharp cracking of timbers was heard
and il. an instant the half of the all-
tiitorium nearest the door collapsed, car
rying down more than a hundred per-
sons. who were crushed ia the wreciSage
of the flooring and pews. a great vol
ume Of dust for a few moments hid
the victims from view.
The remainder Of the audience find
ing thmselves cut off from the door
and expecting every instant that the
rest Of the flooring would collapse I'M
der them, fought madly 10 reach the
windows and in some instances persons
leaped from them and sustained serious
injuries
On the arrival OF the police and fire.
men the work Of rescue began. Those
remaining uniniured on the portion Of
the floor that had remained intact were
taken from the windows by means Of
ladders. Those lying in the mass Of
wreckage on the lower floor could only
be got at after the fremen had hewed
their way to them with axes. Out Of
the wreck ten bodies were recovered
and taken to station house, and about
so removed to the Brooklyn hospital,
where three women died soon after be-
ing admitted. All the ambulances in
Brooklyn were called out and about a
score Of those hurt were able to 60
home after their injuries had been at
tended to.
Heartrending scenes were witnessed
in the station house, which was throng-
ed with relatives and friends who came
to identify the dead.
The scene in the auditorium follow
ing the collapse Of the flooring was
one Of wild excitement. Men and wom-
en- were horri6ed to see great gulf
fully forty feet in diameter, open before
their eyes. Into this great hole fully
150 madly struggling persons were
| thrown. A great cloud OF choking dust
arose and added to the panic Of those
who had not gone down.
| While inside the church men were
| fighting women and children in their
! frantic efforts to climb out of the pit,
wild scenes Of excitement were being
enacted on the sidewalk and street in
i front Of the church, The funeral party
/ had lust driven mp to the door when
the collapse occurred. News Of the di-
saster was shouted down the thorough
fares and within a few moments alarms
4 for firemen and police had been sounded.
! Engines and hook and ladder trucks
we're soon Gathering to the place, while
scores Of police reserves were hurried
to the scene.
Meantime the panic stricken audience
was in frenzy Of fright. Those who
had not been precipitated into the chasm
had dashed for the windows, broken the
stained glass and were leaping 20 feet
to the street, and adjoining lots. Others
/ were huddled close to the walls and as
4 far away from the fallen portion Of
the auditorium as possible. When the
firemen arrived they gave their first
thought and service to the frightened
persons who were jumping through the
broken windows.
Ladders were quickly raised and down
these the firemen handed scores of men,
women and children. The upper audi
t@-iuni was emptied quickly IN this
manner and then the firemen attacked
the mass of wreckage.
The work of rescue was rendered diff
cult by the momentary madness Of those
who had pitched through the aperture,
The rescuers were fought back with
desperation by those who still were
struggling to escape. Through the open
windows Of the low floor, however, the
fallen timbers, plaster, broken pews and
/ chairs were quickly thrown, and within
!, short time the victims, dead and
injured, were brought to the street.
, Most Of the dead bodies recovered
J were half nude. That the loss Of life
| was so small the police say was almost
, miraculous.