Lancaster Daily Intelligencer

THE RAPHO DISASTER

FALL OF STERN'S MEETING HOUSE,

Three Men Dead—Three Others in Danger—About Forty Hurt.

Special Correspondence of the INTELLIGENCER.

MOUNT Joy, May 29.—The intense gloom which has been cast over the neighborhood of Stern's meeting-house by the disaster reported in Saturday's INTELLIGENCER, is unprecedented. "Signs of grief are noticeable in all directions, and a general feeling of sympathy and sorrow prevails. The little school-house within a few feet of the church, was transformed into a hospital. Here the scene was one of excitement and distress. Wives, mothers and sisters, appalled by the news of the accident, hurried to the scene, willing to give comfort, if possible, to the injured. Some laboring in the agonies of death, others writhing in their blood, groaning and moaning piteously for assistance. Couriers were immediately dispatched for medical aid, and in the interim before the physicians arrived all that could be done by unskilled hands was rendered. Three of the men are dead, and between thirty and thirty-five injured. Of the injured, two and possibly three, it is feared will not recover. Some are badly hurt, while a few engaged at raising the building escaped sustaining slight flesh wounds. This is an accurate estimate and greatly augments the list of the injured over the early reports of the affair. The following is a list of the dead and wounded:

John Shenk was the first of the victims who died. He was immediately taken from the debris, conveyed to his home—a modest white building in view of the scene of the disaster—on a little farm that he owned and cultivated, and where he died about twenty minutes after being taken there. His left side was crushed in, his jaws and all but two of his ribs broken. The unfortunate man, who is 55 years old, was among the men on the upper floor. He was known to be a poor climber and every one was surprised to see him there. A voice from the crowd below called to him, "What are you doing up so high?" "I want to see the world once," he shouted merrily, and the last word was hardly uttered when the accident happened which ushered him into eternity. He was a widower, his children are all dead, and a single sister attended to his domestic affairs. His funeral will take place on Tuesday afternoon at 2 o'clock. He will be laid to rest in the little graveyard on the homestead farm.

John Werner, aged 16 years, is a son of Isaac Werner with whom he lived not far from the meeting house. A heavy beam struck him and fractured his pelvis. For several hours he endured intense agony and died at his home at 5 o'clock that evening. He will be buried in the graveyard at the meeting house on Tuesday forenoon.

Another of the victims is Jacob Gibble. He received a partial fracture of his spine near his neck and other injuries about his shoulders. He suffered great agony until 9 o'clock on Saturday night. He was 30 years old, a laborer, and leaves a wife and three children. His funeral will take place on Tuesday morning at 9 o'clock; burial at the churchyard connected with the church where the accident happened. He was one of the congregation.

Jacob Kendig is a retired farmer 60 years old. His both bones of the left leg are broken below the knee and his ankle is dislocated. He is a member of the church. His condition is precarious.

Ephraim Ginder, aged 27, and married is hurt about the shoulders and internally. Poor hopes are entertained of his recovery.

Benjamin Witmer, a farmer, 25 years old, has his chin split and knee out of joint. He is in a bad condition.

Felix Kauffman, aged 30, married, left side and shoulder hurt. His both eyes were swollen shut on Sunday.

Joseph, a brother of young Werner who is dead, has one of his legs broken. He is about 17 years old.

John Shiffer, a farmer, aged 55 years, had a leg broken and was hurt inwardly. He may not recover. His leg was broken once before.

Jacob Piffer, 30 years old, has a hole in his head and arm hurt.

Will Shiffer is badly bruised.

Samuel Kolp, aged 28, hurt his hand and is much bruised.

Levi Flory, a married man, 32 years old, is injured internally.

John Gibble is hurt internally.

Samuel Heisey, married and 32 years old, has a broken rib and is injured in his spine. He may not recover.

Ephraim Brosey, 17 years old is hurt in his face, has several ribs broken and a hole cut in his head.

Elias Geib has his shoulder dislocated and his collar bone broken.

Peter Groover fractured his collar bone and dislocated his shoulder.

Samuel Zug, proprietor of the Exchange hotel, Mastersonville, is badly bruised.

Martin Greiner, a cousin of the boss carpenter, when the accident happened, jumped from the gable end of the building and escaped uninjured.

Frank Geib sustained injuries not of a serious nature.

Jeremiah Martin, 23 years of age, has his back badly injured.

Benjamin Trout has a knee dislocated.

John Stern, a young unmarried man, is hurt in his back.

Jacob Keener has one of his legs injured.

John Leisey escaped with a slight cut on the nose.

Michael Gibble sustained injuries on his leg.

Edmund Zug is injured severely on one of his legs.

Israel Gibble is hurt inwardly.

George Greiner, who supervised the construction of the building, is hurt in his back.

John S. Stauffer received injuries about his head.

John H. Masterson, merchant of Mastersonville, as soon as the accident happened drove off at a rapid gait for the doctor at Mastersonville. On his way, in driving over a brake, he was thrown forward and received a gash in the face.

Drs. Joseph and William Thorne, of Mastersonville, and Dr. Brecht, of Union Square, who were sent for, did and are doing all in their power to relieve the unfortunates.

The Coroner's Inquest.

Deputy Coroner John Lindenuth, of Mount Joy township, viewed the remains of John Shenk on Saturday evening. He selected as jurors Christian Moyer, Eli Foos, Christian Givler, Jacob Shenk, Dr. Augstadt and -- Shenk. Your correspondent visited the place and spoke with several of the jurors. No witnesses were called nor investigation made. The verdict was not rendered either in writing, at least until it was dictated by one of Mount Joy's squires. We know it, but it is not worth the paper it is written on. We are in possession of some irregularities, but taking into consideration the fact that this is his first case, we think it better not to publish them. If there be any money paid for the expenses of an inquest, which presumably there will be, let them make an investigation that investigates. And besides that the coroner of Rapho, not of Mount Joy township, is the one to hold it.

How It Happened.

Early on Saturday morning about one hundred men came together to raise the church building. The morning was damp and a dense fog hung over the landscape. At times the fog had the appearance of drizzling rain making out-door work very disagreeable, but at no time was the timber too damp and slippery to discontinue its erection. The work was done very nicely and everything pushed forward smoothly. The frames on the sides of the building were placed in position and the first floor had been laid. Sixteen feet above was the second floor. On this were about fifty men engaged at putting in position the trusses and there were thirty or forty on the first floor when the accident occurred. It came with a loud crash and so suddenly that very few had time enough to get out of the falling timber's course. Great consternation took hold of the men and for a short time many had lost their senses. From interviews with several eye witnesses of the disaster not two stories of how it occurred could be obtained that would correspond. An inspection of the building as it now is explains the cause. Subjoined is a diagram of the framework on which is to be placed the second floor:

The dimensions of the building are about 50x50 feet. A B is one of four cords or stringers resting on the plates. At each end each stringer was well fastened with iron rods. Between each stringer parallel to the plates which extend lengthwise, and at right angles with the stringers are two girders. Each girder was joined to the stringer at joints like C. Each mortise in the tie measures about 7x7 inches. There are ten mortises in all and close by each mortise is a hole two inches in diameter, through which goes an iron rod to be fastened to the truss. It is plain that the stringers were much weakened by the hole and mortise. Besides that the stringers are of hemlock of a poor quality. These stringers were each supported by two temporary props of hemlock, which had done service before in other buildings. It is estimated that not less than fifty men were at one end on this frame engaged at putting up the truss. The weight was too heavy and the props not strong enough to keep up the weakened stringers. The first space first gave way and the next followed falling on the group of men who were precipitated, some to the first floor and others clear through to the basement.

Opinions of Builders.

A master mechanic who was out to the scene of the disaster after inspecting the building remarked "That he never saw such a dumb way of putting up a building."

We showed the plan of construction to Sol. Strock, of Bainbridge, who is at home on a frame. He has superintended the erection of no less than 45 mills in his time and he certainly knows when a building is put up in a right way. He said the plan of construction is wrong and that it is a great pity that a want of intelligent construction should cause so much pain and misery. He said there is no need of sectional girders to weaken the cords. There should have been more cords; the joists should have been placed lengthwise instead of crosswise and the frame would have been much stronger. The custom is to put up a part of the framework and then the trusses and not finish the framework before strengthening it with some of the trusses.

Every one who knows Mr. Greiner, the boss carpenter speaks of him in high terms as a mechanic. He has put up many barns and houses in that vicinity and has always made satisfactory work. They attach no blame to him in this case, but it is quite clear that he was carrying out a poor plan in constructing this building. There is no one who more deeply regrets the occurrence of the sad affair than he. When it took place he was standing on a ladder putting the nut on the rod that runs through the truss; he fell through to the floor in the basement, and is very much bruised, but not seriously.

The site of the calamity was formerly occupied by a stone structure, built about twenty-five years ago. In it the members, who are Dunkards of the older branch of that denomination, have worshipped there during that time until early this spring. Then it was decided, but not without protest, to erect a new but larger building in its stead. Its location is a short distance back from the road leading from Milton Grove to Mastersonville, about eight miles north of this borough. It is a quiet, picturesque place, hemmed in on three sides by woodland thinly set with trees. In the rear is the churchyard, where lie buried many of the former inhabitants of that locality. There is a full view in one direction only to the eastward, but it is such as affords a magnificent scene. This building differs materially from the ordinary church buildings. It is designed to worship in, and it was expected that the first services would be held there shortly after harvest. There is a basement below and rooms above next to the roof, to accommodate lodgers, when the love feasts are held. These, which take place annually, draw together large crowds, and they are fed with food prepared in the basement of the church building.

The Scene Yesterday.

All day Sunday hundreds of men, women and children in vehicles and on foot came from all directions to visit the wrecked building. Ever since the first news of the accident reached this borough the citizens have been eager to learn particulars. Some have relatives and friends among the victims and this made the anxiety all the greater. The roads are in a bad condition, otherwise the number who went out from town would have been greater.

The Deeper Meaning.

Unfortunately there is a division of opinion among the members of the church. Some wanted the church rebuilt and a small faction as strongly opposed the rebuilding. This condition of things makes the affair all the more unfortunate and many are superstitious enough to look upon the accident as an act of God especially designed to justify the position that the anti builders took. One old gentleman in supporting this view in broken Pennsylvania Dutch said: "You may say what you will Greiner is a good carpenter and knows his business. Some of the members did not want to build it. Its no one's fault but the Lord's. He did it, and he'll do it again too."

The side frames are still in position. Nothing but about two-thirds of the floor represented by the diagram is down. The timber is badly broken, and much of it cannot be used in it again. It will be some time before the work on the building will be continued. There will be much trouble to get help to raise it again, and it will be a difficult job to complete the structure.