The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1920-12-03
BUILDING FALLS
ON BUSY CORNER
Apartment House ColIapses in New
York While Under Repair-One
Person Known to Have Lost
Life, Six Missing.

New York, Dec. 2.-Broadway, at
Fifty-second street was suddenly
transformed late yesterday afternoon
from a scene of bursting activity to
one Aof desolation when nine story
apartment house under repair col
lapsed burying several persons be-
meath the debris. At least one per-
| sen is believed to have been killed
and six others are unaccounted for.
Broadway was crowded with shop
pers, workers hurrying to their
homes and afternoon theater goers
when a terrific crash rent the
air as the building toppled into the
street. Fortunately, the bulk of the
debris fell into Fifty-second street
which was comparatively free from
vehicular and pedestrian traffic al
though tons of wreckage slid into
Broadway itself. Six persons, three
of them buried in the wreckage and
later rescued, were injured. Seach-
ers expressed fear tonight that other
pedestrians seen passing the build
ing may have been caught bepeath
the tons of wreckage, covering the
sidewalk in places a depth of six
feet.
Smaller crashes occurred at inter-
walls tonight as sections of the wall
which remained standing after the
first collapse, gave way. Other tot
tering sections threatened the lives
Of firemen and policemen who seach-
ed the debris for bodies in the glare
Of powerful searchlights.
Only the ground floor was oc-
cupied, an automobile concern hav-
ing its Offices there. The injur-
ed persons were mainly employees
of this concern and workmen en-
ployed in repairing the building.
Three girls in the automobile es-
tablishment were buried bSneath the
wreckage but were rescued, suffer-
ing only from cuts and bruises. {.
Police tonight held back crowds in
Broadway while workmen engaged
by the city building department risk
ed their lives in an effort to relieve
the weight on the upper floors and
prevent sagging wall on the Broad
way side of the structure from Civ
ing way. Digging in the debris in
the street was stopped when the
Fifty-second street side and along
Broadway threatened to collapse.
The men believed to have been
killed was jeff Smith, a foreman,
employed by the wrecking company.
A fellow employer. working near
Smith on an upper part of the build
ing, reported that he saw the fore
man carried down in the debris with
the first crash.
All of the employees of the auto
mobile concern were accounted for
later and firemen then were kept
out of the building owing to the
danger of falling walls. Three suit
of street clothes found in the build
.ng and thought to have been owned
by construction company workmen,
remained unclaimed and officials be-
lieve the owners were buried In the
wreckage.
Late tonight asslher section of the
Fifty-second street wall fell with a
crash heard for blocks. Workmen
tested the Broadway walls and as
hey appeared apparently safe, the
police guard was released to permit
trolley cars to. pass through the
streets. AS the theaters closed, how
ever, crowds rushed to the scene
and police reserves were called to
keep people out of danger.
Sidney B. Bowman, head of the au-