Mellema, John, Grand Rapids Herald, Tuesday, February 2, 1915 , p.1. 7 Lives Crushed Out by Falling Wall. Wind Topples Tons of Brick upon Workers Ruins of the Burned Brown and Sehler Building Scene of Catastrophe. First Day on the Work of Clearing up Debris Several Seriously Injured Are in Hospitals-Pathetic Scenes at Homes of Victims-Coroners to Investigate Disaster.   The Dead John Mellema, aged 50, 332 King Court: teamster for Golden and Boter Transfer Company Carl Opitz, aged 62, 221 Straight Ave. Henry Thompson, aged 50, 556 Earle St., S. W. Thomas Poprocki, age 55, 555 Fremont Ave. N. W. Morton B. Jameston, aged 45, 708 Sinclair Ave. N. E Fred May, aged 50, Pine Ave. and Third St, N. W. Unidentified man about 30 years old. Body at Rauschenberger’s morgue. Seven workmen were killed, while eight others were badly injured, at 2:15 o’clock yesterday afternoon when the north wall of the ruined Brown and Sehler building at Bridge Street and Front Avenue, N. W., weakened by the heavy gale, toppled and fell. A crew of about 20 workmen was engaged in removing the wreckage from the fire-swept building when a portion of the brick wall more than 25 feet high and about 20 feet long, crashed upon them. Five were killed instantly, being crushed under the debris. Two others, after lying for several minutes under the mass of ruins before rescuers could affect their release, died shortly afterward. The crash came almost without a moment’s warning. The crew of men was actively removing burned timbers, when two of their number, glancing upward, noted that the wall was swaying. Shouting to the others, they rushed out of the danger zone. John Anton, 1410 Alpine Ave. N. W., crouched against the lower portion of the wall. Tons of brick showered about him, striking down and crushing two workmen with whom he had been conversing but a few seconds before. Edward Ackermann, 712 Sinclair Avenue, N. W., jumped away from the falling bricks as Morton R. Jameston, 708 Sinclair Ave. N. W., his friend and neighbor, was killed while attempting to escape. John Mellema, a teamster in the employ of the Golden and Boter Company, and living at 332 King Court, N. W. met his death through an effort on his part to escape. He was seated on a wagon which he had backed to a point directly in front of the garage to secure a load of the rubbish, when he noticed the wall swaying. Leaping to the ground, he ran into the building, evidently thinking that this would protect him. When the roof caved in he was smothered. The last to be removed from the ruins, his body was found in a crouched position. Tons of brick were thrown upon him. Mellema was missed shortly after the accident and the bricks were dug from around the wagon in which he had been seated. His horse had been struck down but later removed. The animals had been partially protected by the side of the garage building. Had their driver jumped into this shelter rather than to enter the building, it is possible that he might have escaped with slight bruises. When a thorough search of the place had been made in the vicinity of the wagon and his body was still unfound, the searchers cleared away the mass of wreckage over the garage and discovered that he had entered the place. John Mellema was not crushed but smothered to death. Mellema, a teamster, had taken shelter from the storm in the garage and his death was one of greatest agony. Coroner Hilliker stated last night that in his opinion Mellema must have lived for nearly an hour before death relieved his suffering under tons of debris. Mrs. Mellema Hears of Tragic Death When news of the tragic death of her husband was broken to her in the little house on Spring St., she could hardly be contained. Mr. Mellema was a teamster for Golden and Boter Company and had been on the job but one day. Besides the widow he is survived by one daughter, Joyce, 17 years old and one son, Earl, 12 years old. (MI Death Certificate-Born March 20, 1864 in Netherlands, son of Bendert Mellema and Dirkje De Boer, died Feb. 1, 1915, and buried in Lamont Cemetery on Feb. 4, 1915) Widows Come Under Compensation Policy. Under the compensation policy that was carried, the widows of the six men employed at the Brown and Sehler accident will each receive $4.50 a week for 300 weeks, that amount being one-half of the pay the men were to receive working eight hours a day at 20 cents an hour. Heirs of Mellema will receive $6.75 a week as he received $2.75 a day.