Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-03-10
BURIED BENEATH
WRECKED ROOF, J
BEAM SAVES HIM
Six Others Narrowly
Escape Avalanche
Of Debris.
TONS OF CONCRETE ON
TOP OF ONE WORKMAN
Had inadvertently Knocked
Away Prop While RemovingS
Part of Theatre.

caught amid tons of falling con-
crete, seven men had a narrow es-
cape from death today at a moving
picture theatre that is being built
at sixteenth avenue and Bergen
street
One man was completely buried.
BY freak of chance. a piece of
.cribbing saved him from being
crushed beneath the falling roof. He
was dug out unconscious by Deputy
Chief Matthew P. A. McDermitt and
firemen from Engine Company No. s.
The two victims who had to be re-
moved to the City Hospital are Jacob
weinberg, 2S years old, of SO Mon
mouth street. contusions and prob
able internal injuries; condition seri-
GUS, and Isaac Stein, 80 years old, of
2oS Prince street. contusions about
the body and legs.
The concrete roof was being torn
down by order of William p
ORourke, superintendent of build
ings. Part of it collapsed three
weeks ago, when the Modern Roofing
and Paving Company, the contractors.
began to remove the cement forms.
The work of tearing down the thick
concrete roof was done from a swing
ing scaffold rigged under the direc-
ton of Samuel Sterling, of 12S Peshine
avenue, the foreman.
Five men were on this scaffold at
1890 today, prying off chunks of the
concrete with crowbars. They had
proceeded so far that they found it
necessary to remove part of the
wooden cribbing beneath
That's funny, | can't seem to get
this board out remarked Weinberg,
struggling with a plank. Il guess it's
that plank that's holding the whole
affair
Knocks Out keystone Block"
| Weinberg picked up a sledge and
swung at the block. 1t gave a little.
II swung again and 1t shot out.
With a thunderous shock that could
be felt for blocks the roof collapsed
into the building. Tmbers, concrete
and iron reinforcement crashed down
twenty-five feet to the ground below.
Falling with the scaffo1d, Weinberg
was buried by the debris. Nearly
ton of crumbled concrete fell on top
of him. The wedging together OF
crlbbing, however saved him from
being crushed outright.
Isaac Stein was struck by plank
and flung twenty feet away. He
landed in the mud. unconscious A
third workman. as the scaffold
pitched down beneath him, clutched
desperately at an iron cross beam.
He clung to it. swinging to and fro
above the dusty debris of the coli
lapsed roof.
IrO r6 40 :
where he sat IN Engine House No. 8.
He ordered the City Hospital ambu-
lance summoned and ran to the
building. followed by Fireman Halla-
gan, Engineer Heible, Driver Null
vany and Assistant Driver Sturtze.
The workman hanging from the
beam had weakened and he dropped :
| squarely into the hands of the res-
cuing firemen.
There was not a shovel in the
| building. With their fire-picks the
squad of rescuers. aided by Policeman
kenney. began to dig for Weinberg
| Luckily they uncovered his head
within two minutes. Instead of find-
ing him crushed beyond recognition.
they discovered that he still lived.
After ten minutes frantic work they
succeeded In SnoNellng OIL All the coH-
crete and twisted iron. Weinberg
was then sent to the hospital.
Others Slightly Hurt.
! The other workmen who Jumped to
| save themselves and We're injured
only by stray pieces of concrete ara
Philip Feinberg. of SSS Eighteenth
avenue; Isaac Epstein, of II Hillside
place; Isador Rubin of 24s Prince
street and Charles Herschorne, of 20l
! Broome street.
! At the time the roof was placed in
! the forms it was very cold. When
| the contractors began to remove the
cribbing the weather was warm The
/ concrete. which had never set,
crumpled up and one end fell in.
Since the building code had been
violated by reason of the fact that
no notification had been given Of the
intended removal of the form, super
lntendent O'Rourke ordered the en-
kire roof pulled down and new one
erected in forms approved by him.
Assistant Superintendent John
! O'Rourke is investigating thiH second
collapse.