New Britain herald., 1923-08-21
Two Are Dead, AZ Ser
iously Injured, Six
More May Die -
Search OF Debris Not
Yet Complete.
Old Building With Interest
ing History, Razed by
Flames at Four Alarm
Fire Early This Morning.

BY The Associated Press,
New York, Aug. 21.-Two dead and
AZ seriously injured, six fatally, per-
haps, was the unofficial police report
of casualties after thorough search
today of the smouldering ruins of a
three story brick dance hall and store
building in Brooklyn which collapsed
last night during fire burying a
score of firemen and spectators amid
flaming debris.
According to this list two firemen-
Raymond Farrell and James Sullivan.
both members of the same engine
company-were killed and 47 men,
most Of them fire fighters, were seri-
ously injured six perhaps fatally.
The search of the ruins, however,
has not been completed, for the fire
was still smouldering, with fitful
bursts of flame.
The hall, landmark of Williams
burg for half a century, had been the
scene of many political battles and at
one time had been a Masonic hall.
Lately it had been used for dances
and meeting house.
The fire, of unknown origin, was
In so year old building that former
ly housed Masonic temple. OF re-
cent years it has housed two stores
on its ground floor while the second
and third stories were given over to
dance halls. Firemen found a stub
born blaze, and, as the building was
in the heart of close packed tene.
nent district three additional fire
alarms were rung in. ea u4
Working under the glare of q
half dozen still erected arc lights the |
fire fighters apparently had the fire
under control at o'clock. The |
curious crowd had begun TO disperse,
A score of linesmep were on the low
er hoor with hoses, Six hook and lad |
der men were taking hoses roof-ward |
by way of the fire escapes. Seven |
men were on the roof, chopping at a
cornice.
Wall Crashes.
Without warning a so foot section
of wall crashed in. A heavy steel
girder, recently installed as an ad
titional roof support, fell with the
crumbling wall, and carried its bur-
den with it. The wall crushed most
of the linesmen on the ground floor
under tons of debris. Those on the
fire escapes were carried with the wall
into the burning pit Six of the men
on the roof were catapulted into the
very heart of the building. The sew
enth clung to a wooden beam which
he had straddled; in it's fall it twist
Of the wreckage. He was rescued
only slightly hurt IL
The crash sent it's call for blocks
around and startled thousands of
men, women and children who flowed q
rom the close-packed tenements to
crowd about the tragic spot and add
o the confusion. The women-most
If them of Latin extraction, for the =
quarter has many foreign residents
,apped their horror with hysteria and /,
heir cries rose above the shouts and
,roans of the injured,
Another Alarm.
fifth alarm brought additional
iremen as rescue workers; telephone
alls summoned police reserves. The
iremen tore at the hot bricks to get to
heir comrades.
News of the tragedy apparently was r
arried on the winds for within a few
minutes vehicles of all kinds, wagons,
mousines, commercial cars and taxi
abs, crowded about. The police lined
p the taxicabs for possible emerg-
ncy use. Thirty ambulances from
earby hospitals also were summoned.
The rescuers worked, at first, under
he glare of the flames which flared
p anew with the crash. They con-
nued their task under the light of
averal arcs hastily installed by their o.
omrades. 1t was slow work. The 81
chris was hot, and great clouds of A
moke and steam arose as tons of OF
Tater were poured on to cool the pile I'll
nd facilitate rescues. The first body T
smoved was that of a fireman, killed e,
Y bricks. Then five injured were al
From then on the victims az
ere extricated one at time. 1t was Ell
aylight before the wallis wreckage eli
ad been cleared from the street and Ri
lie dead and injured removed at
Then the rescuers concentrated
leir efforts on clearing a way to the Sr
Lteful central heap of debris, be- ST
sath which they believe their COM wi
Ides to lie. This entails a tremen- A,
Jus task as the remaining walls, now Ia
ttering, must be shored up and the tn
IT wreckage, more than four feet in on
spth at this point, must be cooled wi
fore the final burrowing can begin.