Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-08-11

of the wreckage of the roof and
was taken to her home. She is bad
ly cut but not believed to be serious
ly injured.
Miss Pearl Beidle, also an en-
ploye of the Weaver firm, was ap-
preaching the building when she
saw the crash. Within two minutes
she would have been in the end of
the building that collapsed. Miss
Charlotte Zeigler, Penbrook, and
Miss Marcisso, Steelton, were in the
rooms of the firm that did not go
down. All of them say they remark
ed on the blasting that constantly
shook the walls early this morning.
They heard the cracking of the
walls but did not remark on it more
than usual. They say they have be-
come accustomed to it.
Fred NJ. Clothier, manger of the
Underwood firm, Harry Taylor and
Frank Suydam were in the rooms
of the Underwood company when
Mr.. Taylor remarked on the creak-
ing sounds in the walls. The three
men stepped out of the building and
walked up to the aperture in the
fence of the Penn-Harris to look at
the walls.
Mr.. Suydam said after the acci-
dent that he remarked on the fact
the building was undermined to an
apparent depth of four feet but no
underpining had been put in. A
bricklayer was endeavoring to boil
ster up thewalls when the first
sounds of the walls crumbling made
him retreat to a safe distance.
The Underwood company rented
the building and sublet it to other
firms.
According to reports told by per-
sons near the scene at the time of
the collapse, an unknown bricklayer
had just left a position directly be-
meath the wall of the building. The
ground beneath the foundation was
undermined by the excavating and
the contractors sent him to fill in the
hole. The man had just gone back
q few feet to saw piece of lumber
when the wall fell in.
Arrested for Robbery
Shortly after the work of clearing
the wreckage started police authori-
ties arrested a man on a charge of
stealing. He was taken to the police
station and locked up.
The man was assisting in the work
and found a pocketbook containing
$14. He thrust il into his shirt and
commenced working. The watchful
eyes of the policemen on duty de-
tected him in the act and he was
Immediately placed under arrest and
hurried to the police station. The
police sent him to Jail without taxi
ing his name.
Total Ruin
The building is a total ruin. In
the rear parts of it are hanging
together by shreds, but in front the
wreck is as complete as though
German 42-centimenter shell had
dropped on the roof
The property which was destroyed,
25 North Third street. was at one
time considered as a part of the new
hotel site.
Soldiers to the Rescue
Members of the Governors Troop,
headquarters company and the in
fantry companies on the Island when
they heard of the collapse of the
building rushed to the scene and
Jumped in with firemen from the
central district, police and volunteers
in searching the ruins.
The Governors Troop especially
rendered valiant service. Several
troopers roped off Third street while
others released the traffic officers at
Third and Walnut and Third and
Market streets by taking over their
duties.
The search of the ruins proved
slow work. Tons and tons of brick
and mortar weighted down by the
heavy beams proved difficult to
move The searchers were also in
fear that the building housing the
Hoover Jewelry store would fall on
them, as several wide seams de-
veloped in its side.
After the building collapsed pic
lures hanging on the walls of the
third floor OF the ruined building
were still in place. mission settee
sat upright on a projection of the
third floor.
Grove Investigating
City Building Inspector James II.
Grove started a thorough investiga-
ton of the accident Immediately.
During the afternoon he inspected
the other buildings adjoining the
Underwood structure, to see that
they were safe.
According to Inspector Grove the |
heavy rains of the past few days, |
softening all the ground in the hotel |
cellar, together with the blasting and
eXcavating were probably responsible |
for the collapse of the structure.
I'VE have had reports from con-
tractors in various parts of the city |
telling of damage to cellar excava-
tions and new walls" Mr.. Grove |
stated, "I will not attempt to deter
mine the cause definitely until the |
debris has been removed and an in
spection can be made of the founda- |
tions of the Underwood building"
Search is Stopped
Shortly after $50 O'Clock the SOL !
diers at work on the ruins were |
called off, officers in charge deciding |
that they had proceeded far enough |