The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-01-11
TVo-StOy Brick C0IIapseS on Second Avenue YestGr-
 day Morning MIRACULOUS ESCAPES
 OF FIFTEEN BOOMERS People Thrown Into Debris of Brick and Mortar In Night Raiment.
 vandergrift 6 Son
 Damaged.

The two-story brick building at 221S-15 Second avenue, occupied on the ground floor by A. B. Vandegrift 6 Son, and by roomers on the second fioor collapsed yesterday morning a few minutes before 5:sO o'clock. The escape with their lives of about 15 roomers was almost miraculous and to nothing less than the best of for tune can their safety be attributed. Eight or nine of the occupants were slightly injured, however.
 There were about 12 or possibly 15 rooms on the second floor of the col lapsed building, the majority of which were occupied by Greeks and Italians. There is a vacant lot next to the building and the whole side of the building next to this lot is complete wreck The entire side wall fell out and the second floor and roof both fell after the wall had tumbled to the ground.
 Shock to Inmates.
 It seems that nobody in the build ing was awake when 1t collapsed and the first the occupants knew of their predicament was when they were thrown from their beds and half buried in brick and mortar and the tin which fell from the roof. Most of but one or two had to have assistance One little baby girl was pinioned un- der a bedstead and was removed by police officers who were on the scene a few minutes after the building fell This little girl was considerably bruised, but was not seriously injured While nine of the injured were car rfed off in ambulances it was not nec- essary for any of them to remain in the hospital.
 The sight presented immediately aft CT the building collapsed was dis dressing. The Greek and Italian wom- en were running about the ruins in a frantic condition from the fear that some of their kindred had been killed. One woman, the mother of the child who was carried to the hospital, thought her baby had been killed and it was an hour before she was con vinced of it's safety. All of the oc- cupants of the building were complete ly covered with the crumbled mortar and had to take flight from the ruins clad in their night dresses.
 Wiggins Makes Statement.
 The collapse of the building came without warning and was all over in an instant. The entire west wall of the structure and part of the ing fronts 50 feet on Second avenue and extends packard 40 feet to First alley.
 Steve Wiggins, who rooms across the street from the collapsed building states that he was awake when the building fell. He says that when he heard the crash, which was very sharp, he thought two street cars had come together He states that when he looked out of his window the whole side of the building across the street was down and that he could hear the excited cries of the occupants of the building.
 Constable J. W. Burton, who had a room in the structure, stated yester- lay that his first impression upon be- | Ing awakened, was that a cyclone had struck the building. He said he was awakened by the sliding of his bed across the floor and states that when | le jumped out of his bed he landed | ipon a heap of loose brick. He said | lis first move was to run to his door, | md his expression was That some | hing had moved the hall floor" MT. | Burton finally climbed down from the | iebris onto terra firma
 Damage to Store.
 One side of the store room of A. B. & Son is badly damaged Much of the debris fell inside the store md damaged goods and when the fell a water pipe burst and tome damage was incurred from this 
 As a precautionary measure the fire department was called out when the walls toppled over. It was feared that ire might break out in the ruins.
 The building was braced yesterday 0 prevent further collapse.
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