Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, March 13, 1990 TAG: 9003133055
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: NEW YORK LENGTH: Medium
The collapse in the Croissant & Co. shop on the ground floor of the Upper West Side hotel on Broadway between 73rd and 74th streets occurred about 3:50 p.m.
The ceiling had been perforated with holes for pipes installed by various tenants over the years, said Buildings Commissioner Charles Smith. A suspended ceiling had been added and the combined weight apparently caused the collapse, he said.
"It's an old ceiling . . . It just gave way," Smith said.
"We were drinking coffee. All of a sudden water started rushing above and the ceiling collapsed," said one young woman who was interviewed outside.
"We felt the vibration. We thought the building was falling . . .," said Elvin Rodriguez, a clerk at a nearby bookstore.
Fire Department spokesman John Mulligan said the collapsed area measured 250 square feet and weighed about 2 tons. The woman who was killed was dressed in street clothes and apparently was not an employee, he said.
As it collapsed, the ceiling dragged the sprinkler system down with it, prompting initial reports that a water leak above the shop apparently weakened the ceiling and sent it crashing onto the patrons in the shop.
Eleven people were taken to hospitals, and one person declined medical aid, authorities said. Three of those taken to hospitals suffered head injuries.
Construction was taking place on the second floor of the 17-story building when the collapse occurred, said Efrain Parrilla, a Fire Department spokesman.
A flower shop next door, the Rose Boutique, which has a similar ceiling, was ordered closed and evacuated as a precaution.
The Ansonia is one of New York's architectural gems, according to the American Institute of Architects' New York guidebook. The heavily ornamented residential building was built in 1904.
by CNB