New-York tribune., 1908-01-08
BURIED UNDER FLOORS.
BREWHOUSE COLL4PSES.
One Dead, Fire Hurt and Tsco
Missing IN Beer Soaked Wreck.

One man was killed. two are missing and
1--we men were seriously injured by the collapse
of two floors of a three-story building, used
by the Flanagan, Nay & Co Brewery, at
18th street and Tenth avenue. yesterday 1t
is supposed that one Of the ammonia cooling
pipes exploded and caused the temporary shor-
ing beneath the floors TO give way.
Thomas Fleming. OF No. 261 East list street,
en- employe of the contractor who is making
alterations in the building. was crushed to
death beneath huge girder. The injured men
ALGARp. otto No 400 West 18th street: scalp wounds
and internal injuries: New York Hospital
ooRNAN Joseph. 552 West 6sd street: broken ribs
JOHNSON Anarew No 227 West slst stsse'' back
LARSON John No seth street, broken ies and
internal injuries. win probably die; Bellevue Hospital
PEARSON Anton No an West 10th street. interna! IN
5uries New York Hospital
Immediately after the accident the contractor
in charge of the work informed the police that
he was unable to account for Peter Hogan and
Robert Ericsson. two OF his workInen. It is be-
Ueved that the men are beneath the wrec1age,
and their fellow workrnen and the fremen AM
police Immediately began the work of finding
them and digging them out
The entire second and third floors of the
building which is used brew house, crashed
to the cellar. and the huge watts of beer broke
and filled the place so that the flremen were
forced 10 wade waist high through the liquid
The ammonia pipes were broken by the falling
floors and the fumes almost suffocated the in
jured men before the pipes were shut on from
the main tank
The owners OF the building, winch was three
e,cry brick structure. decided TO substitute iron
xirdere for the wooden beams in the floors
Charles O johnson, OF No, 4s2 West oath street.
got the contract for the work, and for several
rsvs men have been at work snoring up the
floors Eight men were at work in the building
yesterday afternoon The crash was heard for
several blocks. and some passerby turned in an
elerm of fire. The brewery employees rushed to
the scene. and when the ammonia was turned
of they began the work of rescue
Ambulances were called and the flrenIen
placed ladders against the standing portion or
the walls. Andrew Johnson was dragged from
beneath the wreck on the second floor Both
Larson and Algard were unconscious when taken
out Fleming the dead man, was lying beneath
"a huge girder in a pool of ammonia, and the
fren1en were compelled 10 work in relays to ex-
tricate his body.
The injured men were rushed in the arnbu-
lances To the hospitals. and the police reserves
from nearby stations formed lines No traffic
will be permitted in the street until the Build
ings Department makes an examination Super
intendent Edward S. Murphy and a squad OF
men from the Department Of Buildings began
the work of clearing up the wreckage and shor-
ing UP the bulging walls
Fire Chief Croker said he thought the accident
was caused by the removal Of a wooden beam
before the iron girder had been properly placed
The officials Of the brewery are unable TO ac-
count for the accident. Johnson. the contractor,
was arrested by detectives later in the day and
taken 10 the West Doth street station. charged
with homicide.
Shortly before midnight Miss Natalie Hogan,
OF No 80 Brook avenue. The Bronx. visited the
West Goth street station and asked for word
of her father. Peter Hogan. one Of the men re-
ported missing. Patrolman White. of the West
10Th street station said that shortly after the
soIlapse man who said he was Peter Hogan
had spoken to him about the accident.