Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-12-12

THREE KILLED AND THREE IN.
JuREp IN CEDAR RAPlDs AccipE
Third Floor Of Warehouse Dope Thru
ssoond Floor Catching Several
Workers - Warehouse Overloaded
and Brings Disaster In Old Building
--Rssousrs Release Several lmprison'
cd victimJ-Ne Warning Of Disaster.

| Cedar Rapids. Dec. 12.-Coroncr Da-
yid King this morning began an IN
yestigation Of tho causes which led to
the collapse OF the Witwer building
hero late yesterday. which resulted In
the death OF three persons and injury
to four others.
The police and coroner believe the
building was overloaded and the cor
oner says prosecution will follow II
tacts warrant. w. w. Chatterton
manager OF the iowa Paper Company,
lied shortly before midnight, bringing
he list UP to three.
Cedar Rapids, Dec. 12.-Two were
..illed ard four hurt, one perhaps ia.
ally. when the overloaded third floor
II witwer Brothers d, Co., Fourth ave-
Aue and Second street, collapsed, at
80 O'clock yesterday afternoon and
lell thru to the street floor.
The dead:
George N. Bistline. 100 Tenth ave-
nue.. east, laborer. 50 years old.
Edgar Panel. negro. 2l91s South
First street. luborer. 43 years old.
The injured:
w. w. Chatterton, manager Iowa
Paper Company. 372 South Twentieth
street. Head crushed, internal injur-
les and broken leg.
Miss Martina Stick. 1927 Mount Ver-
non avenue, stenographer. "a years
old. slightly injured. Will recover.
Harry Pitts. 1904 Mount Vernon
avenue, % year old. Injuries not ia
tal
Charles J. Johnson. secretary Iowa
Paper Company. 1920 Fourth avenue.
bruised; Will recove:.
Came Without Warning.
The crash which resulted in death
for the two workmen and serious in
jury for other employees. came without
warning At 3:a0 o'clock In the after
moon. when the heavily weighted third
floor gave way.
The office force Of the iowa Paper
Company was trapped beneath the de-
bris. and two workmen, employed as
laborers. met death as they fell two
stories with the wreckage.
The two men for whom the accident
resulted fatally. weres ground beneath
the weight Of hundreds Of tons Of food
packages and sacked feed.
Chatterton and the stenographer,
Martina Stick. were caught beneath
the wreckage, and their screams In
cited rescuers who started work i'm
mediately after the crash.
c. J. johnson, secretary Of the Iowa
Paper Company, was In the same Of
flee and was beaten to, the floor by
the force Of the crash, as the ceiling
oaved In.
His dssk partially supported the de-
bris and Johnson crept from beneath
tho shattered wreck, Of bricks and
timbers and escaped with minor in
turies.
Charles ]. Hancock, another work.
man. was In the building at the time,
but escaped by leaping into the store
room. He was slightly bruised, but
seized an axe and was among the
first to start the work OF rescue.
Police and fire department respond
ed 70 the help alarm, and within ten
minutes the street was blocked with
a crowd OF shoppers and working peo-
pie.
Meantime the screams Of fear and
agony from Victims pinned beneath
the wreckage spurred the rescuers to
renewed efforts, and q hundred men
volunteered to assist in tearing apart
the broken and jagged timbers to al
low an exit for the wounded
Crews worked from the rear and
front OF the building. and the first one
freed. Harry Pitts, was taken out
from the front. He was conscious and
hurried questioning OF the injured
man as he was rushed to the ambu-
lance revealed that there were four
others under the collapsed floorings.
The girl was tho second one releas-
cd from the crushing weight, and she
was placed in an ambulance and taken
to st. Luke's hospital. She was also
conscious.
Chattsrton was taken from the mass
Of twisted and broken boxes and joists
about $40 o'clock. and q little while
later tho bodies Of tho two dead vic
tins were removed.
Tho two men. Panel and Bistline,
were working on the third floor. when
1t gave way, and fell with the wreck
to the first floor. Death must have
been instantaneous.
Both men were crushed to pulp.
their skulls fractured and their chests
caved in.
Tho building was about forty years
old.
Heavy weight Of ground oat hulls,
which they wero Just trucking in,
caused the third floor to give way
and crash thru the second floor,
The trucks which tho first two me-
had evidently been working with
were found side by side just where
the floor broke off. The men were IL
the center of pile Of ruins about
tsn feet high. laying side by side, and
a. no sound was heard from either Of
them. Il IL thought that the force OF
the impact, together With suffocation
ended their fives instaatiy. They were
taken cut 1t l:tS, the last bodies 70
covered.
Second man found was pinned In
hts chair at the office desk, with a
heavy weight of timber across his bach
ana begged the firemen to take him
out. which they were trying In vain
to do.
Martina Stick, the girl who was first
found. was IN bnnt over position close
to tho WALL and crying pitifully Il
be released. which the ftremen sue.
decided in doing after moving heavy
piles Of sacks.