The evening world., 1911-04-05
0kDEAD,S SEVEN
AURT| IN WRECK
90FB|G TENEMENT
FourtJ-F Four Families Sheltered
in Bronx Church House
After Crash.
RETAINING WALL SAGS.
Clothes Poles, Laden With
Wash, Act as Levers Under
Foundation.
RETAINING WALL SAGS.

Coroner shongut OF the Bronx. ac-
companied by a jury he had hastily i'm
panncsled. made a visit to-day to the
ruins OF the retaining val which sup
porsed the rear Of the big tenement nj
No. &oei Third avenue. which collapsed
iast night. In the wreck OF the building
one ffteen-year-old girl lost her I!fe
and seven persons were injured.
When the Coroner arrived to begin his
Investigation forty-four families. which
rad occupied the houses at Noe. 4G,-
4Os Third avenue and who had bean
ordered out OF their homes for fear that
those buildings might also be under
mined. We're casting about for shelter.
They. he'd spent the night in the Bronx
Church House.
Superintendent OF Buildings Of the
PronS Jsmer A. Henderson declared TO-
dayyshat the heavy rain was responsible
for the collapse. as 81 had undermined
the retaining wall. loosening Its fopnda-
ton. A row OF nve-story clothes poles
sunk in the ground near the base OF the
retaining wall had been burdened with
aheavy wash and acted as great crow
bare in further loosening the wall. 4
force OF forty workmen were put to
work by Supt. Henderson an hour after
the collapse.
Many families living IN houses in tho
immediate vicinity OF the collapse fed In
fey FROM their homes. dreading lest
more Of the retaining wall, whicn ex-
ienda some distance In the rear OF that
block on Third avenue, ave in on
them. These persons covered In panic
In ne streets. soaked by the driving
rain and without being able TO make
up their minds where TO go, though they
we're assured their homes were safe.
Inc accident happened about $ o'clock
last hisnt. Fniton avenue, parallel and
Immediately to the west Of Third ave-
uue, at this point is about thirty-hve
feet Above Third avenue.
Crash Came Without Warming.
rhe tenement buildings In this Third
avenue block were built after the ex-
cayatton for the foundations had been
bISSt6d Out and a brick retaining wall
from one and one-half to three feet In
thickness was built to prevent any more
OF the rock n earth falling IN on the
buildings.
Without warning n twenty-five foot
section of this retaining wall collapsed
add crashed into the basement
aparsment OF William Grar. janl
rasf1tAS building. CRAFTS daughter
Catherine. was killed and Graf and hi
thres sons. all younger than Katherine
we're injured. Mrs. Gran was visiting q
neIShS6r ,,shen the crash came. Eva
Grarht Hssether daughter, was pinnet
down BY the debris but escaped Will
assevs MINOR cuts on the face an'
hSxsis .,though she was not rescue'
from the ruins for some time. Tn
father, who was pinned against tn
Kitchen 'stove and suffered painful
burns. saRd his three cons were take
to i'ordham Hospital. where It wa
stated this morning none was in ser!ou
condition.
In tAe apartment above that occupic
oy the Crafts was the family OF lsra,
Cohen. Cohen. with his wife and NV
daughters. Julia and Jennie. was si
ting in the Kitchen wAen the wall Eel
Both girls were struck by lying brick
and slightly injured. but their paren'
escaped unhurt.
Sounded Like Explosion.
The crash, which seemed like a te'
rife explosion. was heard for MOI
than three blocks In all directions, an
u~caused a tremor IN the earth IA;
was felt throughout the square bloc
" Third and Fulton avenues ar