COLLAPSE OF A BUILDING.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 206, 29 August 1905, Page 3

COLLAPSE OF A BUILDING.

20 OR 30 MEN AND GIRLS BELIEVED TO HAVE PERISHED. j [BT MATL.J ALBANY (N.Y.), August S. The middle section of the big department store of John Myers Company, on North Pearl-street, collapsed early today, carrying down with it over 100 persons. Caught in a chaos of brick, plaster, and wooden beams, between 20 and 30 men, women, and children met death. Twelve hours' frantic work on the part of an army of rescuers disentangled 50 people, six of them dead, and many of the rest badly injured. Three bodies were in sight at a late "hour tonight, but many hours' work will be required to get them out. The catastrophe, which is the worst of its kind in the city's history, occurred shortly before nine o'clock. This morning a gang of Italian workmen started to remove an iron pillar that supported the main floor. Evidently they had failed to brace the floor properly, for scarcely had they loosened the post when down, came all three upper floors within a radius of 50ft from the fatal pillar. The wreck crashed through to the cellar, burying the workmen and carrying down those who happened to be working iv that portion of the building. When tbe Fire Department arrived they had plenty to do iv rescuing those who were pinned under the top wreckage. In a short time the city's entire hospital and ambulance force was en the scene, aided by half a hundred doctors from all parts of the city. The volunteer rescuers and firemen continued the work until exhausted, when their places were taken by a wrecking force numbering 300 men from the New York Central and Delaware and Hudson railroads. These delved in the ruins all night, but the work of rescue proceeded •slowly. When darkness came it was estimated that nearly 50 persons still remained in the ruins, and that not more than half of these could survive the weight pressing upon them. Fortunately the wreckage did not take fire. Some 100 persons are still unaccounted for, but 50 of these are cash bojs, of which the firm has no record, and the loss of the pay roll makes it difficult to get anything like a complete list of many others. In all the company has 400 employees, but 50 of these are away on vacations. The building which collapsed is owned partly by the company and partly by the estate of the late David Orr. The loss to the company is estimated at between 200,000d0l and 300,000d01. !