The New York herald., 1920-12-02
BUILDING FALLS
INTO BROADWAY;
TEN ARE INJURED
Huge Mass of Debris Is
Searched for Body of Miss
inc Workmen.
WARNING CAME LATE
StrathmOre Apartments at
at sd st. Were Being Re-
modelled for Offices.
GIRL PINNED BY BEAM
Rescue Crew Escapes When
Second Wall Suddenly Falls,
Five Hours Later.
GIRL PINNED BY BEAM

Second Wall Suddenly Falls,
Five Hours Later.
Patrolman Bauerfield stopped about
4:3O o'clock yesterday afternoon at the
nine story Strathmore apartment
building on the northeast corner OF
Broadway and Fifty second street.
which is being remodelled into an Of
fee structure, to tell the men in
charge that the street was being
dangerously filed with rubbish and
materials. He inquired for the fore
man and was told by other workmen
that the foreman had gone home.
Somebody is liable to get hurt
around here" said the policeman.
He walked across the street and
stood on the corner looking down
Broadway. Hearing a dull, rumDling
noise. he turned just in time to see
section of the Strathmore's wall on
the Fifty-second street side, about
fifteen feet wide and extending from
the second to the ninth floor, collapse
and plunge into the street.
Bronx Man Believed victim
Late last night fremen were still
digging among the piles OF mortar
bricks and heavy steel and wooden
beams for persons who 1t is feared might
have been buried under the railing
walls. At that time the toll OF injured
had already mounted to ten. OF these
three were women and seven we're men,
but only one of them was injured SO
seriously that he had to be sent to a
hospital Harry Spangler OF 155 Ridge
wood avenue. Brooklyn, was sent 10
BELLEVUE Hospital. suffering from a frac-
tured rib and internal injuries.
The police believe that John c. smith
an iron worker, of 152 Macomo's Dam
place. The Bronx, is buried beneath the
ruins. and every effort was being made
last night 10 locate his body. waiter
welser. a tinsmlth of 21 Hemlock street.
Brooklyn. told Inspector Boettler that
he and Smith and a man named Lyncn
were working on the second floor, and
that they were Just preparing to leave
the building when they heard dull
rumbling sound. This was followed by
a crash and a cloud of dust and falling
bricks.
The last that welser and Lynch saw
of Smith was when the man plunged
down the stairs. but the next instant
a shower of bricks and great chunks
of mortar from the walls and ceilings
tumbled downward directly behind him.
Welser and Lynch believe that Smith
did not get to the bottom of the stairs
in time to escape. In an effort to save
themselves Lynch and Welser jumped
from a second story window and were
tangled in a large canvas automobile
sign. which hung below the sill. They
finally freed themselves OF this and
dropped TO the sidewalk, suffering no
injuries other than a few slight cuts
on their hands and faces.
AS soon as the firemen reached the
building they found that another section
Of the Fifty-second street wall. about
ten feet wide and extending from the
second TO the ninth floor. was in a
dangerous condition and likely to fall at
any minute. They worked carefully at
digging in the ruins, and when six men
from the Drew Brothers Contracting
Company arrived under instructions
from the Building Department. to see
what could be done 10 make the struc-
ture safe. they warned them about en-
tering the building.
None Hurt I'm Second Collapse.
At . 80 o'clock a rumblIng noise was
heard and the firemen had barely time
70 get out OF the way before another
section Of the wall came plunging into
the street Firemen hurried into the
building TO see what had happened to
workmen inside. but found all Of them
safe and uninjured. The second falling
Of the walls injured no one and en-
dangered no pedestrians or vehicles on
Broadway and Fifty-second street, as
all traffic had been routed to seventh
and Eighth avenues
At the time of the collapse Of the first
part Of the walls Patrolman Bauerfield
hurried across the street and began
pulling aside, as best he could, the
heavy beams and timbers to get at some
of the victims underneath. The screams
Of a woman particularly attracted his
attention and he entered the office Of
the Bowman Automobile Company,
which occupied the ground floor store
on the corne-. The interior OF this
place was wrecked. with two or three
big cars buried under the debris. For
some time Bauerfeld could not see any
one. although he continued TO hear the
cries. Finally he discovered that Miss
Eva Klein Of 353 West Forty-sixth
street. stenographer for the automobile
company. had been buried under a pile
Of bricks and mortar and was being
pinned 70 the floor by a heavy steel
beam. He managed to drag her from
the debris and an ambulance surgeon
found that she had suffered no injuries
excepting a bruise on her right leg. She
was able 20 go home.
The building is owned By the Stra tn
more Leasing Company ~ which Wal
ter. J. Salmon is president The con-
tractorss Peul chapmon.
" -.
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