Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1906-11-15
CRUSREDTO DEATH
California Hotel Building in Course
Of reconstruction Falls With
out ANY Warning.
nearly 100 WoFkmen Were Carried
X Down in Ruins Of seyen story
structure at Long Beach
= One AIIssing.

Long Beach, CAL. Nov. 10.--With no
warning save the cries Of the work
men who first felt the floors sag be-
meath their feet, five stories Of the
central wing Of the new S75O,OO0 Blk
by hotel collapsed az 9:35 Friday
morning. carrying nine men to death
In the tons Of tangled wreckage.
About 15O artisans and 1aborers were
catered through the structure at the
moment it fell and Of these nearly a
.undred were carried down in the
ruins.
Seven bodies have been recovered
from the mass Of debris In the base
ment and one Of the injured died late
Friday afternoon at the Long Beach
hospital. The last two victims were
found at s O'Clock Friday evening and
the rescue crews are still at work in
the hope OF uncovering the body Of
another man supposed to be buried
there. Nine injured workmen are be-
ing cared for at the hospital, but II
is believed that all will recover. All
of the men on the contractors rolls
are accounted for save one, supposed
to be still In the ruins.
Immediately after the collapse Of
the structure hundreds Of by-standers
lent willing aid in the work Of rescue.
The Southern Pacific, Salt Lake and
Pacific electric railroads sent crews
Of laborers to the scene and under the
direction Of City Marshal Young, May.
or Downs and Contractor Spalding
the task Of removing the wreckage
was begun.
Company H, Seventh regiment, N.
G. G., was called out and lines were
thrown about the building, all but the
rescuers being excluded.
Pitiful scenes were enacted among
the throngs who stood outside the
lines waiting for news. An aged
mother sat all day long on the bluff
overlooking the hotel, weeping and
watching for the body Of her son.
Five times the stretcher bearers were
called and headed by a Catholic priest,
a little procession emerged from the
building to where the undertakers
wagons were waiting.
At the first call for help the women
Of Long Beach began preparing food
for the rescuers and established COM
missary tables near the building.
When 1t became apparent that the
bottom Of the ruins would not be
reached Friday night the lights were
placed over the wreckage that the
work might not be interrupted. Late
In the day the Salt Lake railroad
brought a steam crane to the bluff
behind the hotel, where It could be
used to move the heavier pieces OF
wreckage.
Conflicting causes are assigned for
the collapse Of the central wing. and
to Investigate the disaster commits
sion Of architects and engineers was
appointed.
The new hotel Is built on the beach
and stands facing the ocean. To this
fact contractor A. F. Spalding attri.
butes the disaster claiming that the
were insecure and weakened
the structure.
John A. Austin Of the firm Of Austin
& Brown, architects for the buildlng
ascrlbes the disaster to the prema-
ture removal Of the supports Of the
concrete work on the fifth floor al
Ieging that the cement has been given
but three instead Of SIX weeks 70
'set."
Almost without exception the men
rnntand that The building fell from the