DISTRESSING SCENES IN NEW YORK.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1042, 7 April 1882, Page 4

DISTRESSING SCENES IN NEW YORK.

‘The New York papers contain thrilling •accounts of scenes witnessed in that city l y the fall of a pile of buildings previously -c msidered by the authorities as unsafe for habitation. The premises comprised two •houses, separated by a party wall, the ; round floor being used as liquor stores, while the upper stories are Ist out in small •tenements. The accident resulted in the •1 n>s of eight lives and serious injuries to a •score of other persons. Indications of the weakening of the wall and ominous cracks -tut I bulges induced the owners to give ii-r iee to the building department, but hef i o any attempt was made to prevent ao•cident the wall fell in and completely buried many of the oooupants of the houses. Tim work of rescue was dangerous as well >■- ■ dlicult, ami .it was seven hours before -any rescue could be effected. The cries of toe victims nuried underneath the ruins were heard in all directions. One person hi.l"d was a colored dwarf named Thom■*on, who ran out of the liquor store on the tn w alarm, but was caught by the falling mi ss before he could escape. Another man, whj • was also in the store at the time, met wi hj a similar fate. The case of a woman m neil Hill was a very painful one, for after ■ mg imprisoned for seven hours she was .3--suited only to die shortly afterwards. AVncu the building fell both she and her 10. and were holding cliildreu in their ■:.r ns. They were thrown in nposite direot.'iiis, but the husband was taken out withjuit severe injuries. His wife, however.

n l infant child were carried down with ; .11 falling debris, and were be'ieved to have l-m instantly killed. But some hours .in wards as the Bremen were scrambling i v.-r the ruins, they heard the woman ex-i-i iilll that she was alive, hut that some"tiling on her client kept her down. In spite oi ;nl her efforts two hours elapsed before mi • could be freed. Her child was dea l, I v ng close to her breast, and the •* some-

,iiig” was a large portion of the fallen w.i I A brother and sister named Knull, ■.occupying apartments on the third storey •< I he building, were crushed to death, and her members of the family dangerously .5 ji ed A woman named lluiiilolpli was it i n lifeless from the ruins,and her husband of the children sustained serious u jhj Ihs. Strong comments are ma le by ■a u i Xew Xew York Press on the part of An ' authorities in not condemning the prej i-cs before, and it is seriously argued 1 nut the ci y olhcials should be made crimixu i.iv respimsinle.