Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-06-25
BURIED UNDER
TONS OF DEBRIS
Seven Persons Killed by Collapse
OF an Old Tenement House
In New York.
GAVE FORTH WARNING SOUND
Just Before il Tmnblcd Most OF the
Occupants Escaping, Having Been
Weakened Up 10y Boys.

New York, June 25.--seven persons.
SIX of them members Of one Italian
family, We're killed early today IN the
collapse of ramshackle tenement in
the downtown Italian quarter. Three
other members OF the same family. in
GLIDING the father and mother are In
hospital painfully injured, but win
recover. There were some exciting
scenes Immediately following the acci-
dent. one Of which was the rescue of
an old man from a two-foot ledge 40
feet from the ground, this portion Of
the fallen building having adhered to
the adjoining structure long enough to
permit the tremen to get to the scene,
raise ladder and take the man, Ja-
cob Reigler, safely to the ground. Then
it also fell into the ruins.
The collapsed building was a four
story affair, built over 50 years ago,
and was located at the corner of
Walker and Lafayette streets. 1t be-
longed to the Nose Taylor estate aud
for some time has been in n dangerous
| condition because OF excavations for a
new building on the adjoining prem
ises. 1t had been shored up, but its
weakened condition caused it to fail
in at o'clock, Most Of the tenants
warned by OminOuS Crcaking, fed Il
few minutes before It collapsed,
The dead were buried under tons Of
| debris, and 1t was not until the flremeu
and volunteers had worked Tor four
hours that their bodies were recovered
George B. Lumonthal the contractor
who had charge Of the recent repairs
and snoring UP of the building was
arrested and charged with homicide.
That many more persons did not lose
their lives IN the collapse of the old
building was due to two of the younger
| occupants of the house having attended
an Italian celebration last night. The
| boys reached home shortly before }
o'clock this morning and, warned by
| the severe shaking and creaking OF IT,
house. ran through the building and
| warned the sleeping tenants of the I'M
| pending danger Dozens OF persons ran
into the street in their night clothes
and many Of them had scarcely gained
| the street before the crash came. Five
minutes later scores of firemen were at
work tearing away at the piles of brick
and broken tinbers in the hone that
| some of the buried persons might be
taken out alive over them tottered the
| remaining wall of the Lafayette extern
enins 10 fall upon the rescuers every
| moment. After a few minutes tearing
| at the timbers and bricks, the tremen
| heard a low moan and in the dim light
saw mans hands moving convulsive-
| ly, The men caught it and the man
| under tho ruins murmured For Gods
| sake save my sister,!
! 1t was George Torchino, six Of whose
| brothers and sisters persisted In the
| ruins.
The firemeu dragged away the debris
trying 10 free the young man. Just
then watcher cried. Look out boys
run; she's falling' The fragment Of
wall tottered and fell, throwing up a
cloud of dust and concealing from view
of the anxious crowd In the street, the
fremen everyone supposed were
buried. Only Battalion Chief Calvin
and Ladderman Samet were badly hurt
The others went back 10 digging in
spite of their cuts and bruises.
1t was thought that George Torchino
would be killed by the second fall Of
brick, but his life was saved by a
strange happening. Part of the wood
en- roof that had remained upon the
wall fell directly over the hole which
the firemen had opened to him and
the bricks and timbers rained harmless
ly on his canopy The firemen pulled II
off and soon had Torchino out. A few
moments later the tiremen took out
Torchino's father and mother, They
We're the last TO be taken out of the
wreck alive They are suffering from
wounded heads and Commissions on their
bodies.