New-York tribune., 1912-04-15
FLOOR FALLS IN new
CHURCH; TWO DEAD
Continued from first page.

rl7,rad that they were all 20 remain
outside the church untn he had Inserted
the cornerstone in its niche and had
marched all the way around the outside
blessing the church's walls.
These rites accomplished, he and the
other priests led the way up the broad
front steps into the interior. Naugle'
the contractor, was busy at the time
lacking paper over the window holes ID
keep the drafts of the congregation
The priests took their stand at the fur
Their end Of the church under a big
wooden cross. ard the three hundred
communicates and their friends crowded
in after them.
The Interior dimensions OF the church
are only ~ by 80 feet, and the big piles
Of loose lumber still lying on the foor
further restricted the area One larga
pile Of this lumber rested almost In tho
centre Of the room. II was here thaf
the collapse started.
Father Borgan was talking 10 a crowd
which packed the place and overfowed
out on the porch and down 20 tha path
below. Suddenly a little rendIne SOUND
interrupted him. Women screamed and
Immediately there followed q grinding
crash and pandemOnium. The floor bad
opened like a crater in the middle. lets
ting down first the heavy pile OF lumber
which had rested there then those men
and women who had pushed their way
10 that point and then the rest ot tha
vedced-in throng, together with tina
T,r- hn at 10
Struggling Mass in Cellar.
Every object in other words, human
or material which had rested on that
floor slid down the smooth sides Of the
wooden cup on the struggling mass be-
low.
4 few fortunate individuals, Ike Mrs
NJ V. Hoffman. Of Closter, were able 20
catch a window ledge or protrudlns
beam and save themselves in tho nick
Of time. Mrs Hoffman happened to be
standing Just beyond the entrance With
her baby in her arms. As the floor sank
under her she tossed the baby 20 safe
SPOT on the platform on which the porch
rests and with her freed hands caught
| hold Of one Of the upright joists form
ing the partition Of the door.
! The loss Of life would have been ap-
Mailing il a panic had followed the coll
| ranse and every individual in the pile az
/ the bottom had sought 10 Chamber up the
smooth sides Of the trap by boosting
himself on the head or shoulders or
follow. Instead, some Of the cooler
/ headed men who had gone down with
the rest shouted above the shr.eks Of tne
bvsterical women for every one pinned
down to cease struggling. They were
/ Immediately obeyed, and there began an
orderly extrication, colored with heroic
/ Incidents.
one woman. both Of whose feet were
crushed down by heavy yellow Pine
nlanl,s. refused 10 allow the rescuers 70
remove the planks until those about her
had been helped from their dangerous
positions, for fear the lumber might ran
or them \ man from Rldgeheld Park
had all the finger nails OF both hands
scraned off in pulling a woman from
under A mountain Of lumber and nu-
man beings. William Jeffers, the post
master Of Harrington Park was one OF
the most efficient rescuers in the active
,hrong of men who forgot their own
bruises in lifting the wounded out
Navor Taylor Of Harrington PARK ana
- strifler. a New York merchant
u.bo had remained on the outside ana 20
we're not caught in the collapse ran 70
their homes and telephoned the police OF
tho surrounding towns and all the doc
tors they could reach. as we'll as the En-
erswood Hospital As result DTS
,-ov.rsand and Levitas, Of West~ood;
D~s ward and Richardson, OF Closter,
and Or. Lghtener. OF Plermoht re-
sponded -