Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1915-12-27
ALMSHOUSE
INMATES FACED
GRAVE PERIL
Storm Causes Roof to Collapse,
Inflicting Injury ON Two
Women.
-- ta
BUILDING LONG CONDEMNED,
BUT TRANSFER DELAYED
Panic Narrowly Ayerted-Take
Women to New Structure
at Ivy Hill.

4s4
Wind yesterday morning tore off a
large portion of the roof Of the north
wing of the Newark City Almshouse.
IN Elizabeth avenue, occupied by
women inmates; dropped another por-
ton of The roof like a curtain over
The sleeping room and wrecked a por-
ton Of The interior of the building.
TWO women were injured, the others
escaping without a scratch.
Only the top of a rocking chair in
which she was sitting and the top of
the nearby bed, which served as a
barrier for the falling roof, saved Mrs.
Jane Mckenzie, sixty-five years old,
from fractured. skull and possible
death. When the roof caved in over
her head 1t was supported by the back
Of the chair and bed and dropped in
2 slanting position, causing her a
simple scalp wound. The other wom-
an, Mrs. Julia Cole, aged sixty-two
years, who was unable to leave her
bed. sustained a fracture of the left
knee-cap.
That part of the building put out
II commission includes the women's S
+ ..DA AAtt loA NQAntli . iiOcDlldis IWOItiEil
invalid room and the living apart
ments of Superintendent Patrick J.
White ard the other employees. The
portion OF roof which was blown off
was carried distance of one hun
dred feet and deposited In the yard in
the rear of the building.
The structure is an old one and was
condemned after a windstorm blew
on fifty feet of the south wing. occu-
pied by men inmates, in 1918. The
estimated damage of yesterdays af-
fair Is $1,000, but Mr.. White said to-
day he did not believe repairs would
be made, as the new almshouse in Ivy
Hill, South Orange. Is SO nearly ready
for occupancy. The storm of 1913
caused a damage Of approximately
$4,000.
The delay in completing and fur
Aishing the new Ivy Hill Almshousc
vas responsible for keeping the in
mates in the Elizabeth avenue insti-
tuition. Had there been only rea-
sonable delay, the transfer OF the in
mates would have taken place long
ago and the unfortunate accident of
yesterday would have been avoided.
The delay was caused mostly because
Of the delay In furnishing the place
The original contract for the furnish
ings was upset by the court, and
since then there have been more or
less chickering's between the alinshouse
committee of the Common Council
and Mayor Raymond over the matter
On two occasions the appropriations
have beef pared, the mayor preach
ing the economy propaganda, while
the aldermen we're endeayoring to
award the contracts according to
their specifications. The contract was
finally let this fall and the furnish
ings are being placed in the building
The work. however. is not completed,
and the inmates held at the Elizabeth
avenue institution are facing just
such dangers as occurred yesterday.
After the accident, which happened
at 10 o'clock yesterday morning,
superintendent White and city Of
ficials who were summoned to the
scene arranged for the removal of the
women inmates to the new almshouse
which is to be fully furnished and
ready for occupancy by February 1.
The accident viii mean that the new
institution will be made ready for
uso about two months earlier than
was expected.
Twenty-Five Sent to Hospitals.
Twenty-Five women inmates who
were removed to various city hospi-
tails yesterday to be cared for tempo
rarily win be taken to the new insti-
tuition today, The women were re-
moved in jitney busses. Michael J..
UConnor. who has the contract for
some of the furnishings Of the new
institution, managed to provide the
proper protection at the new build
ing Mr.. O'Connor loaned 100 chairs
and tables for temporary use. Alder
man Thomas j. Lee, chairman of the
public buildings committee, and other
members of the poor and aims COM
mittee of City Council. went to the
new almshouse today and arranged
for the immediate fitting up of the
institution for the use of inmates.
At present all of the men inmates
Of the almshouse are housed in the
south wing of the old building, which
appears to be in safe condition. Super
ntendent White and members OF his
Family are occupying the lower floor
of the main building.
AS precaution the gas was shut
off Immediately after the accident and
last night lanterns lighted those por~
tions of the building still il use. In
order to be ready for any flirther coll
lapse OF the walls, members of the
hre department have been stationed
In front OF the building and are look
ing after the safety of persons within
and without the building. 4 force Of
men has been on duty day and night
since the accident occurred.
Superintendent White, today, said
that 1t was generally known that the
building was not strong and it was
for that reason that the building OF q
new structure was authorized. Asked
when the building had been examined
by the building inspectors, Mr.. White
said:
Il cannot say exactly when an ex-
animation was made, but | think II
was rather recently. OF course. we
all knew that the building had been
condemned. but nobody could foresse
that yesterdays storm would cause
the havoc which 1t did. The building
is exposed to the wind from all direc-
tons and this was proved in 1919
when the wind tore off fifty feet OF
the roof of the south wing, which is
occupied by the men inmates. / am
thanlSful this thing happened in the
daytime instead of at night. Had it
happened at night there might have
henn a fire and serious loss of life
I'VE have taken care of the inmates
as well as possible. and Alderman
Lee. chairman OF the building COM
mittee of City Council, visited the new
Institution today and arranged for
/ the transfer OF the men inmates. This
will get us into the new building q
triBe Sooner. so it is an i'll wind that
blows nobody GOOD II. :.
wlen the disaster occurred word
was immediately tclephoned to hre
and police headquarters and rho OPP
orators immediately cpn1n7hui zatsid
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tS'ontinued on ragc 2, Column =,