The sun., 1909-06-28
HOUSE FALLS into A. HOLE
COLLAPSES UPON ESCAPING
TENANTS; THREE HURT.


Old Brick Dwelling In East z5th street
Cresks while and Then Pitches Into
an Excavation Next noor-Firemen
Work Two Hours. Save scared Cat.
A house fell down in West Twenty-sixth
street yesterday afternoon, injured three
persons and badly frightened something
like a dozen who were within 1t. The
house was No. 1888, one Of q row Of old
bricks with brownstone fronts which have
remained In position near the centre OF
the block while business buildings have
gone up on lots near by.
1t was a three story and basement
house and was tenanted mainly by negroes.
though there were some white persona
in It. The basement had been converted
into shop. Before it was known that
no lives were lost the whole neighborhood
had a scare. The Fire Department men
worked hours in hauling over the wreck
age after the fires which started from
cooking stoves had been put out.
Just west Of the house excavation has
been in progress for some time for q new
store and loft building, the contract for
which 10 In the name OF Jacob thinner
man. q builder OF Twenty-fourth street
bot evu sixth and Seventh avenues.
Some Of the work. according to signs on
the promises, 10 being done by Clark d
Co., workers in steel piles and founda-
tions.
A tall loft building west Of the excava-
tion was shored up in the usual way, but
the neighbors declared yesterday that
old 1s3 was not. Jules Cazanave. q grocer
on the south side OF the street. said that
ne had noticed two or three days ago that
the old house was cracking and that he
had spoken OF 1t to friend who kept the
bicycle shop in the basement Of 13s.
Yesterday between noon and O'Clock
the tenants Of tho house heard cracking
sounds and some Of them spoke with one
another about them. At 1:aO the ominous
sounds became 80 alarming that every
body got uneasy. Edward Bullock. a
boarder on the second floor with Mrs.
Berry. told her that he was going to get
out.
Il started quick too.' he said later
-just grabbing my coat and starting to
put it on as went out. i had just got
one arm into a sleeve when the building
beat mo to the street went along with
II and found myself in the hole next door
before ! knew exactly what struck me.
just tell you I'm glad IN livin', I am
Bullock was lying In an ambulance
which later took him to Bellevue.
Il don't believe I'm much hurt he
added. -but feel kind o knocked about
and my les A here s;,s aiHs right baa had LIS IS
ing more serious than bruises.
| Thomas Winson. a boarder on the same
door with Bertha Muir and Mrs Page
Barnes, said that when Bertha heard the
noises she told him II he didn't get up
quick she would throw water on him.
he got up and was precipitated by the
esans ns I'D shs ssss :sss ss building
just leaned over and tell in heap in the
excavation. Fires started quickly in
the debris and firernen and police came
promptly and took charge Of affairs,
while the frightened tenants sought
refuge where they could. Mrs, Larch-
Bellevue with bullock One Of the women
who got out crawled out Of what seemed
like q pretty solid mass. OF wreckage
with scarcely any OF her clothing left on
her body, but unhurt.
In the absence Of the Building Depart
ment's men the flremen went to work
on the wreckage to try to save the lives
VI ttto PeN Vho ~ Woo SuPpoood hoA
been buried. They were obliged to knock
down part Of the next house, No. 13l,
which the police had ordered vacated
The chimneys on this house, which stood
next the wall OF the fallen building. were
90 rotten that the fremen did not even
have to use their picks, but pushed them
over with their hands. The owner OF the
collapsed building, the police learned
was Louis Mapheimer OF 2as West Thirty
third street.
When the digging had gone on for nearly
two hours one OF the hremen uncovered
a small black kitten, dusty and fright
ened. The kitten was trembling pitt
fully, but 1t no sooner got realization
that 1t was once more in the open air
sul free than ii Garted through the air
on a long jump that gave the appearance OF
a veritable black streak across the heapA
Of plastered wreckage.
Nine lives saved tired fireman
exclaimed.
There were connecting doors between
1Ss and ISL, as could be seen after the
collapse, and policemen familiar with
the neighborhood remarked upon the
time when most Of the houses in the street
were given over to questionable uses.
and said that no doubt. there had been a
time when a person cdlild In emergency
70 by way OF upper floors from almost
any house in the block TO any other house
and 30 make exit to the street far from
his port Of entry.