New-York tribune., 1909-06-28
BUILDING BURIES FOUR
TENEMENT HOUSE FALLS
INTO EXCAVATION.
Woman Carried DozCp By Collapse
BadIy Hurt-AH Are Dug Ont
of Burning Ruins.

of Burning Ruins.
-Four persons were carried down in the fail OF
negro tenement house at No. 153 West 26th
street. which collapsed into an adjoining ex-
cavation yesterday afternoon Although all
were taken to Bellevue Hospital. only one was
seriously injured.
Mrs William Berry. white, who lived on the
second floor was taken from under a portion
of the front wall with broken arm and suffer
ing. possibly. from internal injuries The others
who were hurt were all negroes, They are Ed
ward Bullock thirty years old. contusions Of the
body. George Peterson. thirty-three. a scalp
wound. abrasions Of the legs and other bruises
and Mrs Lola Launchmere, forty, contusions OF
the body /
The building was one Of row Of bro7vrste1e
houses Of three stories and basement Ihe Two
adjoining houses to the west have been torn
down to make room for a twelve story store ana
loft building which is being constructed for Hen
& Stein. Of No. 1865 Broadway. The excavation
for this structure has been carried ABOUT ten
feet below the street level
For two weeks. the tenants say. they have
heard their house snap and groan, and small
cracks have appeared in the walls Yesterday
morning the noise grew more frequent About
noon Louis Biava, who had a bicycle shop in the I
basement found that in the rear Of his store the
floor had sagged and left a gap Of six inches
below the wall
TENANTS PREPARE TO DEPART
He began TO remove his stock at once. con-
WINGED that the building was about TO fall The
other tenants were alarmed. and several pre-
pared TO leave the house At 1-30 o'clock the I
noises grew louder still
All at once the shopkeepers across the street
saw the brownstOne front sway backward, top
pie sidewise and go down into the excavation
with roar that brought the whole neighbor-
hood TO the windows A great cloud Of white
mortar dust steamed up out OF the ruins and
filed the whole street with a choking fog.
Half a dozen of the tenants were on the steps
of the house when it fell. for within there had
been warning as the floors sagged downward
The four who were injured were caught on the
stairways- Thomas Williamson. who roomed on
the second floor. turned in the doorway and saw
Bullock fall the stairs as they went down
Williamson sprang over the high stoOp. which
was still standing. lifted away a light section
of lath and plaster and pulled Bullock out. safe.
except for a few bruises
Then black smoke began 70 come Up through
the white plaster dust. and the men In the street
saw that the ruins had taken fire Patroiran
Phelan. Of the new West 20th street station
turned in an alarm II was raining and the
progress Of the fire was slow. NeighbOrs hur-
ried into. the ruins and helped out the other
three injured persons before the hremen arrived
The blaze was easily put out. and then began
search for any other persons who might have
been in the ruins \ highly excited yeIping
drew the fremen's notice and presently they
dug out lean Dalmatian hound, who tucked
his tail between his legs and fed uncerenonious-
". He belonged to William Ross and had been
carried down with the wreck Of Ross room. on
the top floor.
KITTEN FOUND IN RUINS.
Presently Fireman Edward Mccarthy Of En-
gine l. came out Of the wreck with a tiny
bundle Of kicking fur
What dyer know about that?~ he observed
They're all co1ored in there. kits an all an
this ones turned white
He was right. for the scared little beast vas
of the palHd slate color induced by plaster and
water when they are laid thick upon soft. black
fur The kitten fed under a neighbor's stoop
with the same speed the Dalnattan had shown
The fallen building has been regarded as dan
gerous for several days Clark & Co. OF No.
225 Fifth avenue. contractors for the new build
ing next door. informed the Buildings Depart
raent nearly a week ago that the walls were too
tender TO be shOred up. as had been done with
the walls of the adjoining warehouse on the op-
posite side
Shortly afterward a note from the Buildings
Department. addressed 70 Louis 9Ianheimer. the
owner Of the fallen building was brought 20 the
excavation \ foreman sent the messenger TO
Biava. the bicycle dealer. who returned the note
TO the foreman. The letter is supposed to havs
contained a warning that the building was un-
safe The department was represented the
ground by p J. Bowen. who was assigned 70
special emergency duty for the day The Build
ings Departments wrecking crew appeared two
hours later and continued the search Of the ruins.
The building was owned by 8Ianhein1er Brothers.
of No 204 West 34th street The police ordered
out the tenants of No 131. the adjoining house.
which was somewhat shaken BY the shock