New York, NY Building Collapse, Jun 1897

BUILDING COLLAPSES.

Two Men Buried in the Ruins Are Believed to Be Dead.

NEW YORK, June 3.---A new five story building at Fifty-first street and Twelfth avenue collapsed today, and two men were buried in the ruins. The rescuing party has not yet reached them, but in all probability they are dead. Jacob Jacobson, a millright [sic], is one of the victims and an employe [sic] of the Otis Elevator company, whose name is William Fraiser is the other.

The work of searching the debris is greatly hampered by the fact that a portion of the building still left standing is liable to fall at any moment. The structure was to have been occupied by David S. Brown as a soap factory. Brown and four men who superintended the work of construction, have been placed under arrest.

The weight of a tank of water on the roof caused the collapse. There is a rumor tonight that there are from 5 to 8 bodies in the ruins. Andrew Quinn being one of the other men missing. Twenty men were in the building at the time of the accident. That any of them escaped is a wonder.

The Aspen Weekly Times, Aspen, CO 5 Jun 1897
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Transcribed by Linda Horton. Thank you, Linda!