1891 — Dec 4, Wall falls on workers, previously burned Shepard building, St. Paul, MN– 9
— 9 Blanchard. The Salt Lake Tribune article seems definitive that there were nine deaths.
–8-11 New Era, Humeston, IA. “Condensed General News.” 12-9-1891, p. 6.[1]
–8-11 Travelers Record (Travelers Insurance Co., Hartford). Vol. 27, Jan 1892, p. 4, col. 3.[2]
— 10 Appletons’ Annual Cyclopaedia and Register of Important Events…1891. 1892, p. 257.
— 10 Rochester Daily Republican, IN. “Nine Men Crushed to Death.” 12-5-1891, p. 5.
— 8-9 Chariton Patriot, IA. “Buried in the Ruins…St. Paul Building…” 12-9-1891, p. 2.[3]
— 9 Eau Claire Sunday-Weekly Leader, WI. “A Dozen Dead…Accident…” 12-6-1891, p. 4.
— 9 Salt Lake Herald, UT. “Ninth Victim of the Shepard Block Disaster Dead.” 12-12-1891, 1.
— 7 Iola Register, KS. “The World at Large,” and “Falling Walls,” 12-11-1891, p. 6.
Narrative Information
Travelers Record: “A fire caused a terrible destruction of life in St. Paul, Minn., Dec. 4, not by what it did but by what it left undone. It had gutted a business block, the Shepherd building, near the union railroad station, leaving the middle fire-wall – 100 feet long and 70 high, without windows or doors – not only standing but uncracked, and seemingly strengthened by the tumbling against it of the debris from two floors on both sides. The top had, however, been greatly weakened by rain and frost; and while a gang of men just after dinner were working with pick and shovel t clear away the rubbish over the cellar floor, the furious wind blowing outside set it rocking back and forth with a noiseless motion that gave no warning. Suddenly a huge semicircle fell out on the workmen, in an avalanche of irresistible height and weight. Eight men were instantly killed, three others had their skulls fatally fractured, and several more were badly hurt.” (Travelers Record, Vol. 27, Jan 1892, p. 4, col. 3, Travelers Insurance Co., Hartford.)
Newspapers
Dec 4: “St. Paul, Dec. 4. — The latest report from the scene of the accident at Fourth and Wacouta streets, is that seven of those removed from the debris were dead when taken out and that two others died on the way to the hospital. Two or three more will die.” (Eau Claire Sunday-Weekly Leader, WI. “A Dozen Dead. Terrible Accident at the Scene of the Recent Fire at St. Paul.” 12-6-1891, p. 4.)
Dec 4: “St. Paul, Dec. 4. – A force of men were engaged in clearing away the debris of the ruins of the burned buildings formerly occupied by Farwell, Ozmun & Co. and Griggs, Cooper & Co.,[4] when one of the walls fell with a terrible crush, killing five men instantly and injuring twenty others, some of them seriously. Five bodies have so far been taken from the ruins, and it is thought two or three more are still under the walls.
“It is now known that at least ten men are buried under the ruins.” (Hutchinson News, KS. “Buried in the Ruins. Horrible Accident to Men Clearing the Ruins of a St. Paul Building.” 12-4-1891, p1.)
Dec 4: “St. Paul, Dec. 4. – At 1:45 o’clock this afternoon the force of men was engaged in clearing away the debris from the ruins of the building formerly occupied by Farwell, Ozmun & Co., and Griggs, Cooper & Co., when one of the walls fell with a terrific crash, killing five men instantly and injuring twenty others, some of them seriously. Five bodies have so far been taken from the ruins and it is thought two or three more are still under the wall. There is supposed to have been fifteen men beneath the wall at the time it fell, and the majority of them were killed or received injuries which will probably prove fatal.
“All the patrol wagons in the city were at once summoned and the police attempted to organize the laborers who were not under the wall to get them to work in removing the dead and injured. The men were wild with excitement, however, and it was a long time before more than half a dozen could be induced to go to work. In less than half an hour the men had taken out ten companions, five of whom were dead and five injured, one fatally. Contractor Wilcox was taken out dead and mangled beyond recognition. The wounded were taken to the city hospital and the dead with exception of one man, were laid out in the Great Northern freight house.” (Daily Northwestern, Oshkosh WI. “Horrible Accident. Fifteen Men Buried Beneath a Wall at St. Paul.” 12-4-1891, p. 1.)
Dec 5: “St. Paul, Minn., Dec. 5. – Nine mangled and blackened bodies lie at the Washington street morgue as the result of an awful accident that occurred at 1:45 Friday afternoon [Dec 4] by the falling of a partition wall in the Farwell, Ozmun & Kirk building, which burned two weeks ago. Another man lies dead at the city hospital from injuries received from falling bricks. Three others are mortally wounded, and a half dozen more are hurt. Mrs. John Wollfinger reports her husband missing. It is the general impression that several more men are under the ruins, as eight or ten of the workmen have not yet reported at their homes.” (Rochester Daily Republican, IN. “Nine Men Crushed to Death.” 12-5-1891, p. 5.)
Dec 5: “St. Paul, Dec. 5. – The most horrible accident that ever occurred in St. Paul took place yesterday, when the center wall of the west section of the Shepard building, recently occupied by Farwell, Ozmun & Kirk, fell in, burying the workmen beneath the ruins. There was supposed to have been fifteen men beneath the wall at the time, and the majority of them were killed or received injuries which will probably prove fatal….
“The cause of the accident, as near as can be learned, was the wall, which was much weakened by the fire, became top heavy from the large amount of debris removed from the bottom, and fell over of its own weight. For some time it had been considered dangerous by people who frequented the place, but the contractors who examined it pronounced the wall sound, and the men continued to work without fear of accident. The wall had appeared firm and gave no sign of weakening up to the time of the fall, when it came down in a heap without a second’s warning. The excavations about the base have been carried on very rapidly and the greater part of the debris has been removed.” (Salem Daily News, OH. “In A Death Trap. An Awful Fatality Caused by a Falling Wall.” 12-5-1891, p. 1.)
Dec 6: “St. Paul, Minn. Dec. 6…. Eight men were killed and ten injured, one so severely that the physicians at the ground stated that he could not live until he reached the hospital….
The Dead. Edward Wilcox, contractor. [Edward S. Wilcox; Iola Register. ]
Hans Hansen, Swede laborer. [ “ “ ]
Charles Karinski, Polish laborer. [Charles Katrinski, Pole laborer. “ ]
George Shapinski, laborer. [ “ ]
Charles Larson, laborer. [John Adamski, 35 years old “ ]
John Adamski, laborer. [ “ ]
Frank Marco. [Frank Marcia “ ]
[Lists names of 6 injured men and notes two additional injured, names not known.] (Chariton Patriot, IA. “Buried in the Ruins. A St. Paul Building Suddenly Topples Over, Burying a Gang of Laborers.” 12-9-1891, p. 2.)
Dec 11: “St. Paul, Dec, 11. – George Harris, the ninth victim of the Shepard block disaster, is dead.” (Salt Lake Herald, UT. “Ninth Victim of the Shepard Block Disaster Dead.” 12-12-1891, p. 1.)
Sources
Appletons’ Annual Cyclopaedia and Register of Important Events of the Year 1891 (Vol. 16, new series). “Disasters in 1891.” NY: D. Appleton and Co., 1892. Google digitized at: http://books.google.com/books?id=FUcoAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
Chariton Patriot, IA. “Buried in the Ruins. A St. Paul Building Suddenly Topples Over, Burying a Gang of Laborers.” 12-9-1891, p. 2. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=176796314&sterm
Daily Northwestern, Oshkosh WI. “Horrible Accident. Fifteen Men Buried Beneath a Wall at St. Paul.” 12-4-1891, p.1. At: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=8847078&sterm
Eau Claire Sunday-Weekly Leader, WI. “A Dozen Dead. Terrible Accident at the Scene of the Recent Fire at St. Paul. Weakened Walls of the Burned Building Collapse With an Awful Crash Burying Beneath the Debris a Score or More of the Unfortunate Workmen. Seven Taken Out Dead, and Two More Die on the Way to the Hospital.” 12-6-1891, p. 4. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=95735185&sterm
Hutchinson News, KS. “Buried in the Ruins. Horrible Accident to Men Clearing the Ruins of a St. Paul Building.” 12-4-1891, p. 1. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=138057386&sterm
Iola Register, KS. “The World at Large,” and “Falling Walls,” 12-11-1891, p. 6. Accessed 12-31-2019 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/iola-register-dec-11-1891-p-6/
New Castle News, PA. “Loss $1,200,000. Two Large Wholesale Houses Destroyed by Fire. Great Blaze at St. Paul.” 11-25-1891, p. 8. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=57585232&sterm
New Era, Humeston, IA. “Condensed General News.” 12-9-1891, p. 6. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=14999425&sterm
Rochester Daily Republican, IN. “Nine Men Crushed to Death.” 12-5-1891, p. 5. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=190045860&sterm=paul+fall+wall
Salem Daily News, OH. “In A Death Trap. An Awful Fatality Caused by a Falling Wall.” 12-5-1891, p. 1. At: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=6434455&sterm
Salt Lake Herald, UT. “Ninth Victim of the Shepard Block Disaster Dead.” 12-12-1891, p. 1. Accessed 12-31-2019 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/salt-lake-city-herald-dec-12-1891-p-1/
Travelers Record (Travelers Insurance Co., Hartford). Vol. 27, Jan 1892, p. 4, col. 3. Accessed 12-31-2019 at: https://books.google.com/books?id=Bl0pAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
[1] Reported eight dead and three injured “will die.”
[2] “Eight men were instantly killed, three others had their skulls fatally fractured, and several more were badly hurt.”
[3] Writes that 8 men were dead and one of the injured “could not live,” according to physicians.
[4] The fire was on Nov 18. (New Castle News, PA. “Loss $1,200,000. Two Large Wholesale Houses Destroyed by Fire. Great Blaze at St. Paul.” 11-25-1891, p. 8.)