The sun., 1916-08-24
II BURIED, DIE IN
BUILDING COLLAPSE
Rigid Inquiry Ordered Into
Fall Of Four Stories Of New
Apartment House.

Police Sergeant Albert Smith stood talk
Ing with Patrolman Stern yesterday
when he heard a thud which seemed TO
come from a building bein; erected In
Marion avenue between 18th and 1ssth
streets. The Bronx. He turned quickly,
and 40 he looked the front OF the fourth
floor bulged outward and collapsed into
the street all the rest Of the front fol-
lowed. then the fourth. third and second
floors collapsed successfully with an i'm
pressive roar in huge cloud Of dust.
Thus the policemen were eyewitnesses
OF an accident which cost two lives.
caused a dozen or more severe injuries
TO workmen and IL the centre Of a rigid
investigation when seeks to determine
whether the collapse OF the new apart
ments was due to faulty material, skinny
construction or poor plans. and also to
ascertain why city Inspectors did not de-
tect the flaws and stop work before dis
aster could occur.
Sergt. Smith sent in emergency calls
for ambulances and police reserves. while
Patrolman Stern pulled "A fire alarm box.
Y tSElptoNos NorSAft
with fire companies. police reserves and
q gang Of city ls4,orers from the building
bureau. Coroner Flynn bsgan an in
v~estigation almost before the dust had
settled.
As fast as the injured were reached
they were rushed to Fordlam Hospital,
where an entire ward was prepared for
their reception.
Two died soon after their arrival. THEY
were William Clancy. a brickiayer. OF
302 East Seventy-nin;h street. whose
spine was broken. and Paul de Chris
TOPPER, also q brick,aycr. of 500 Brook
dvenuc. The Bronx.
Fifteen otiier men were removed to the
hospital as the wo:S OF clearing away
the debris proceeded. Runors persisted
that about seven more men were buried
under the giant heaps OF brick and NOR
tar. There wac no way to be sure ex-
cept 20 move all this stun. and for eight
hours on one OF the hottest days of the
summer the fremen ard the city laborers
toiied until this had been done. Ti,ey
found no more bodies. There were about
. twenty hive men az work when the pcci-
dent occurred.
II became necessary TO pull down a
large pot ton Of the walls which did not
fall but were weakened.
Coroner Flynn ordered detained every
man connected In any way with the
work ond placed under arrest Jacob Po.-
stein Of thu contracting firm Of I.oewy &
Polstein. 620 Yves. lis.h street. and
William Heaph. foreman, Of 90 West
eixty-nfth street. Hc1ph collapsed un-
der questioning and was permitted at his
own request to spend tn. night In the
hospital of tn. Bronx county Jail. For
NAL questioning OF witnesses will start
this morning. all of them having been
pafoled on heir " rerognizcncc.
William Krcy r>iNourg. architect Of IL,
building. Will % u y probable a'so
that the in'p,c cf the bur AT NJ
buildings who WIS n change Of this job
will be asked to testify. The Coroner got
his name Yesterday. but II was withheld
pend ny the inc when lie shall be found.
All the books Of the : ocwy 4 Post In
Arm were seized by District Attorney
Martin and taken to his otfice. James
r. Meehan. an architect and contractor,
was retained by the Coroner and Dis
trlct Attorney NJ an expert.