Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-05-16

TERRIBLE ACCIDENT. The unfinished
Court House of Winnebago county, Ill.,, ut
Rockford, fell about noon Friday, burying
large number of workmen, and 10 or u
men were killed and about II men more
or less injured. The loss on the building
| is $4,000 to $4,000. Superintendent
Latham lays the blam on Architect May,
whose Instructions, he says, were followed
out implicitly. Richardson, another OF
those connected with the job, will not
talk about the matter.
The style of the building is French
Venetiln, of u Renaissance design, by
Henry L. May of Chicago, and the con
tract of the building was let to w. d.
Richardson of Springfield, who, in the
spring of 1876, began the work. 1t has
two pavilionS, and center dome over
the front entrance, also two payilions on
each side about 80 feet above the level of
the cornicc. The dome is 1l9 feet from
the ground, and supported by front walls
on the north side, and two iron columns
from 10 to IL inches in diameter on the
inner side. The columns rest upon Il
brick wall going up from the ground floor
to the floor of the court room. The walls
were about 80 feet high, and, it appears,
were entirely inadequate to hold the i'm
mcnse weight of the iron pillars and mas
sive masonry of the dome, which rested on
pillars. Upon the top of the iron columns
was u wrough iron girder, upon which
was laid the veneer and the brick of the
dome.
| bA ,rin III
were crushed by the weight of the upper
masonry, and crhmbled like so much rot
ten mortar, bringing with them the entire in
terror of the building, taking all the raft
ers of corrugated iron and the ceiling OF
every room with its concrete filling. The
iron joist and the scaifoldng came down
in a terrific mass, bringing with them near.
ly all the workmen who were operating on
the top of the building at the time of the
accident. There were 20 to % men at
work. A man named Timothy flanagan,
who was just putting in the keystone Of
the final cornice, jumped for II guy-rope Of
the big derrick in front, but, missing his
aim, fell 100 feet to the earth and was
dashed to pieces. At this time but few
persons were at the scene. The mass oil
human beings, with the exception of -four
or five who jumped from the windows, fell
inside the tottering walls and were buried
in the debris. The whole structure looked
as though it would fall, and those assem-
bled were appalled, and knew not what to
do. 10 go near enough the structure to
rescue those mangled and bleeding in the
ruins was hazardous in the extreme, but
brave men went Gearlessly to work before
the dust cleared away, and commenced to
cxtricate the dead and dying. The men
lay terribly mutilated, shrieking for assist.
ance, that was only rendered at the risk oil
the by-standers' lives. One unfortunate
man named William Glass was extricated
bat one Of his legs was left beneath a
ponder0us stone. He soon expired in
great agony, as he lay upon the green
sward in front of the courthouse. A me-
gro jumped from window 60 feet from
the ground, and though badly injured will
probably recover. Within ten minutes
after the disaster four bodies were recov-
cred, The city surgeons were promptly
on hand rendering aid to the wounded,
who were carried on stretchers to the near
est hotels.