The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-05-24

will be necessary to describe the struc.
ture. The style of the building was
French Venetian, of the Renaissance
type. 1t had two paviliohs and q center
dome over the front entrance. The two
paviliOns on each side rose about thirty
feet above the level of the cornice. The
dome was 119 feet from the ground. The
dome was supported by the front walls on
the north side and two iron columns from
ten to twelve inches in diameter ON the
inner side. These columns rested upon q
brick wall going up from the ground
floor to the floor of the courtroom.
The walls were about thirty feet high,
and, it appears, were entirely mad.
equate to hold the immense weight
of the iron pillare and the mas
sive masonry of the dome, which rested
upon the pillars. Upon the top Of the
iron columns was wrought iron girder
upon which was laid the veneer and brick
of the dome. 1t appears that the lower
brick walls were crushed by the weight OF
the upper masonry, and crumbled like 30
much rotten mortar, bringing with them
all the rafters, the Corrugated iron-ceil-
ing, aud the iron joists. The scaffolding
came down in one terrific mass, bringing
with it nearly all the workmen who were
operating upon the top of the building.
At the time of the accident there were
from twenty to twenty-five men at work.
The accident happened ut II 80 q. m.
The whole massive stone top of the
dome fell with q terrific crash toward
State street. A man named Timothy
Flanagan, who was just putting in the
keystone of the final cOrnice, jumped for
the guy-rope of the big derrick in front,
but, missing his aim, fell the distance of
| 12O feet to the earth, and was dashed to
pieces. At this time but few persons be-
side your correspondent were upon the
scene. The mass of human beings, with
the exception of four or five who Jumped
from the windows, fell inside the lettering
walls and were buried in the debris. At
this time the whole structure looked
rs though it would fall, and those
assembled were appalled,, and knew
the structure to rescue those mangled and
bleeding in the ruins was hazardous in
the extreme, but brave men, regardless of
danger, went fearlessly to work before the
dust cleared away, and commenced to as
sist to extricate the dead and dying. Men
lay terribly mutilated beneath these rocks,
| shrieking for assistance that was only rem
defed at the risk of the rescpers' lives.
One unfortunate. man named William
Gloss was extricated, but one OF his legs
was left beneath ponderous stone. He
was lifted out upon the green sward, in
front of the old Court. House, and expired
in great agony. A negro jumped from a
window, sixty feet from the ground, and,
though seriously injured, will probably
recover. Within ten minutes after the
catastrophe, no less than four bodies were
recovered by the almost superhuman efforts
of the immense crowd which had by this
time assembled. The sights in and about
the ruins were terrible. The anguish OF
the living was also heartrending. 1t was
near the noon hour, and the wOrkmen's
wives and mothers were soon upon the
spot. One poor German woman rent the
air with her sobs for her husband, man
named A. Haugh, who was brought out Of
the ruins two hours after the accident in 9
terrible condition. His face was mashed
beyond recognition.-R0clJord, ~. ma,
III, special to Chicago Tribune.
(By this accident over twenty persons
were either killed or seriously injured.)