Perth Amboy evening news., 1913-01-24
STORE WALLS
CAVE; 80 DIE
Tragedy in Height Of Bargain
Sale Rush in 4 Texas
Town.
SCORE REPORTED MISSING
Women and Children En-
tombed by Falling Timbers--
Death Toll Nay Reach Sixty

Mckinney, Tex, Jan. 24.-Thlrty per-
sons were killed in the collapse OF
odd Fellows building, and the two
story building adjoining. The killed,
many Of them women and children.
were among the shoppers In the de-
partment store Of the Mississippi Dry
Goods company, on the ground floor Of
the first named structure. Fire follow
ed the cave-in Of the buildings, and
fremen and police are searching the
ruins for twenty other men and wom-
Ell reported missing and believed to
have beer burned to death.
At least fifty persons were shopping
in the department store when the walls
cRved In without q moments warning
The crowd Of shoppers in the store and
the weakened condition Of the building
II assigned as the cause. A special sale
was taking place at the time. and the
victims are chiefly women and chill
dren. The upper floor of the depart
nent store building was occupied by
the local Odd Fellows lodge. The
structure in falling smashed the ada
cent implement store. Many Of the
dead were so burned and mutilated
that prompt Identification has been
made impossible. Several clerks e.
capped by jumping from the second
story, suffering only slight bruises.
Begin Search For Sodies,
Tho 6pa I,pa opS b,,IraSr 80
citizens ran to the scene Of the disaster
and began at once to clear away the
debris and drag out bodies. The big
pile of debris, Of splintered timbers and
piles of brick and concrete. together
With the flames. made rescue work
slow. and the first body was not taken
out until an hour after the accident. A
mother and year old infant were found
dead with their arms around each 9th
er. Other women were found covering
the bodies of their children. They had
expended their dying strength In an eff
fort to save the lives Of their children.
The few clerks who escaped from the
department store say that the sale was
at its height and that women were
crowding around the counters. Sud.
denly the east wall creaked, and clerks
and patrons CAV It but momentsry at
tentfon. Fifteen seconds later. how
ever, both walls caved In upon them
with q terrific crash. Screams that
arose from threats Of women were
stilled by the binding crashing IVA
lanche. A half smothered groan, 4 rts-
Ing pail Of smoke and dust and II was
all owe
One Of the clerks. Burney Graves. -
capped by Ieaping through the rear win
dew, nea where he vas working. Miss
Mary Kirs. another clerk, was rescued
alive. She had been Standing near the
doorway and saw the walls fall NJ.
A.. Thomas. another employee. was
saved. although he was half buried un
der the ruins. John Hampton jumped
from the second story n the walls fell.
May b Sixty Vistima.
The actual number Of dead win not
be known for hours. The rescued do
lot wholly agree IN the number in the
store. Some declare there were at
least sixty persons in the building.
There Is small chance for any Of those
still buried in the debris to be taken
out alive, but rescue work win con-
tinue until everything is cleared away.
Doctors and nurses have been sent
for from adjoining towns. Many came
from Dallas. There In a scene Of fren-
~ and Of desolation here Hundreds
are frantically seeking wives and ia
theirs and daughters. An Investigation
has been ordered. 1t II believed three
Of the employees in the Tngle estab
iishment met death. T. NJ. Tingls,
head Of the concern. escaped. and hs
"a % three Of his men were In the Office
1t the time