The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-05-12
BY TELEGRAPH.
ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORT.
TO THE DAILY LNTELLIGEHcER
----.<---------------- -
GENERAL NEWS.
Fall oil. a Court House at Rock
ford, illinois.
A MOST SHOCKING DISASTER.
A Dozen Lives Lost and Many
Persons Wounded.
More Mullstlsm in Public Build
ings.
A Splendid Testimonial to A. T.
GoshOrn.
A Library of 5000 VOIumns Pre-
sentsd by PhiIadeIphians.
Earthquake Waves at San Fran
cisco.
New York Custom House Investigation.
Earthquake Waves at San Fran.
cisco.
New York Custom House Investigation
Fall OF n Court House.


CHICAGO, May li.-A Tribune special
from Rockford, H., says: A pail has fall.
en- over what this morning was happy
community. The Winnebago county
Court House, which this morning when
the citizens commenced their days labor
was the pride OF their hearts, is now a
desolate ruin-a monument Of criminal
inCompetency. Some families which babe
Odieu to their loved ones this morn.
ing, received their corpses tonight
disfgured by the ruins from which
they were drawn piecemeal. The
Court House was not yet under
roof and the massive stone cOrnice which
preceded the roof was to-day being put
on. Just as the keystone was being
placed in the brick work, between the
iron and stone, it gave way, and the en-.
tire dome and the interior walls OF the
structure came tumbling down with n
terrible crash that was heard mile
away.
A brief description OF the structure
will aid in understanding the accident.
The style OF The building is in French
Venetian Of the Renaissance, designed by
II. L. May, Of Chicago, ami the contract
for the building was let to W. Richardson,
Of Springfield, who in the spring of 1876
began the work. It has two pavillions
and centre dome over the front entrance.
The two pavilllons on each rise 80 feet
above the level Of the cornice. The dome
is ll0 feet from the ground and supported
by the front walls on the north side and
two iron columns from 10 to 12 inches in
diameter. On the inner side these COL
umns rest on n brick wall going
up from the ground floor to the
floor OF the court room. The walls were
80 feet high and it appears were
entirely inadequate to hold the immense
weight of the iron pillars and the massive
masonry Of the dome, which rested on
the pillars. On the top OF the iron columns
was a wrought iron girdcr on which laid
the veneer and brick Of the dome. It ap-
pears that the lower brick walls were
crushed by the weight Of the upper ma
sonry, and they crumbled like rotten
mortar, bringing with it the entire inte.
rior OF the building, taking all the rafters
and the corrugated iron ceiling, and
every room with its concrete filling. The
scafIolding came down in n mass, bring
ing with it nearly ali the Workmen
who were operating on the top of the
building. At the time Of the accident there
we're from twenty to twenty-five men at
work. The accident happened at 1880
A. NJ. to-day. The whole massive stone
top OF the dome fell with a terrific crash
toward State street, and man named
Timothy Flaniken who was putting in the
key stone ct the final cornice, jumped
for the guy rope Of the big derrick in
front, but, missing his aim fell distance
Of 100 feet to the earth, and was dashed
TO pieces. At this time but few persons
were on the scene which is now mas
Of human beings, with the exception
Of four or five who jumped from the win
dows the workmen fell inside OF the walls
and were buried in thedebris. The whole
structure looked as though it would fall
and those who assembled were
appalled, and knew not what tc
do. To go to the structure to rescue
the wounded and bleeding in the ruins
was hazardous in the extreme, but brave
men went fearlessly to work before the
dust had cleared away, and began to ex'
tricate the dead and dying. Indescriba'
BILE horrors ensued. Men lay terribly
mutilated beneath those rocks shrieking
for assistance, that was only rendered al
the risk Of the bystanders' lives. One
unfortunate man named William Glass
was extricated, but one OF his legs wa,
left beneath huge stone, He soon died
in great agony as he. lay on the green
swArd in front. oil the Court House
A negro jumped from a window sixty
feet from the ground, and though badly
injured will probably recover. Within
ten minutes after the accident no lesi
less than four bodies were recovered by
the almost Superhuman efforts OF thu
immense crowd that quickly gathered
The city surgeons were promptly on hand
rendering aid TO the wounded, who were
carried on stretchers to the nearest no
tells. A Swede, Andrew Bildahl, had hi
head split open, but the wound was CLOSED
and the victim taken home, and he may
live. The anguish Of the living was
heart.rending, The workmen's wives
and mothers we're soon on the spot and
the air was filled With sobs and means
and the looker.on was sickencd by tht
sight on every hand.
Up to r. NJ. the following list OF vic
tins had been obtained; Fred. Haugh
dead, remains yet in building; A. Haugh
dead! A. Lucas, engineer, badly injured
and leg broken; j. Hayes, engineer o.
lower floor, badly hurt, may recover
VIM. McInnes, leg broken, elbow injured
and scalp wound; J. F. Peck, mortally
hurt; John Pipe, dead; NJ. II. HSllen
dock, dead, remains in building; Georgt
Smith. badly hurt; J. Warren, missing
probably dead; George Glass, colored
dead; Hugh Eldteds, hurt in let
and face, Timothy Flanagan, dead
- Lonholm, dying; ]. Lawson (colored
reported dead; A. BAldahl, badly injured
may recover.