The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1877-05-17
ANOTHER CALAMITY.
Falling Of the Court House at Rock
ford, Illinois,
OVER TWENTY PERSONS BUR-
led in THE RUINS.
Ten Recovered Dead, and Others
Dying.

Chicago, May 11.-A special from Rock
ford, ILL.,, says: A pail has fallen over
what was this morning happy commu-
nifty. The Winnebago county court house
which this morning when our citizens
commenced their days labor was the
pride of their hearts, is now a desolate
ruin as a monument of criminal incom-
potency. Some families which bade
adieu to their loved ones this morning
received their corpses tonight disfgured
by the ruins from which they were drawn
piecemeal. The building 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 dome of the main pavilion
the brick work between the iron and
stone gave way and the entire dome and
the inner walls of the structure came
tumbling down with aterrible crash that
was heard nearly mile away. A brief
description of the structure will aid in
understanding the accident. The style
Of the building is French Venetian ofthe
Renaissance, designed by Henry L. May
of Chicago, and the contract Of the build
ing was let to W. D. Richardson of fSpring-
field, who, in the spring Of 1875, began
the work. 1t has two pavilions and a
center dome over the front entrance. The
two pavilions on each rise about thirty
feet above the level Of the cornice. The
dome is a hundred and nineteen feet
from the ground and 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 rest upon brick wall going up
from the ground floor to the floor of the
court room. The walls were about thirty
feet high, and, it appears, entirely made
ouate to hold the immense weight of the
iron pillars and the massive masonry OF
the dome which rested upon the pillars.
Upon the top of the iron columns was a
wrought iron girder, upon which was
laid the vener and brick of the dome. 1t
appears that the lower brick walls were
crushed by the weight of the upper ma
sonry and Crumbled like so much rotten
mortar, bringing with it the entire interi-
or of the building, taking all the rafters,
the corrugated iron ceiling of every room
with its concrete filling, and the iron
ioists. The scafolding came down in q
terrific mass, bringing with it nearly all
the Workmen who were operating on the
top of the building. At the time of the
accident there were from twenty to twen-
tv-tive men at work. The accident hap
pened at exactly ll:90a. m. to-day, The
whole massive stone top of the dome fell
with a 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 120 feet to the
earth and was dashed to pieces. At this
time but few persons were upon the scene.
The mass of human beings with the ex-
ception of four or five who jumped from
the windows, fell inside the tottering
walls and we're buried in the debris. The
whole structure looked as though 1t would
fall and those assembled were appalled,
and knew not what to do. To go near
enough to the structure to rescue those
mangled and bleeding in the ruins was
hazardous in the extreme, hut brave men
went fearlessly to work before the dust
cleared away and commenced to extri-
cate the dead and dying. Indescribable
horrors ensued. Men lay terribly mutila'
fed beneath those rocks shrieking for
assistance, that was only rendered at the
risk of the lives of the bystanders. One
unfortunate man by the name of William
Glass was extriCated, but one ofhis legs
was left beneath ponderous stone. He
soon expired in great agony as he lay
upon the green sward in front of the
court house. A negro jumped from q
window sixty feet from the ground and
though badly injured, will probably re-
| cover. Within ten minutes after the
disaster no less than ten bodies were re-
covered by the almost superhuman eff
forts of the immense crowd that qnlckly
gathered. The city surgeons were
promptly on hand rendering great aid to
the wounded, who were carried on
stretchers to the nearest hotels. A ASwedee
named Andrew Bildahl, had his head
split open, but the wound was closed and
the victim taken home and may live.
The anguish of the living was heartrend-
ing. The Workmen's wives and mothers
were soon on the spot. The air was fill
ed with sobs, wailing and moaning, and
the locker on was sickened by the sights
on every hand. Up to seven o'clock p
m. the following list of victims has been
obtained: Fred Haugh, dead, remains
vet in the building; A. Haugh, dead /; A
Lucas, engineer, leg broken, badly injur-
ed T. Hayes, engineer ofthe lower floor
badly hurt, may recover; William McIn-
mes, leg broken, elbow injured, and scalp
wound J. F. Peck, mortally injured; J.
Pine. dead A. II. Hollendeck. dead, re-
mains in the building; George Smith
badly hurt ; J. Warren, missing and pro-
badly dead Hugh Eldreds, hurt in the
| leg and face Timothy Flanagan, dead
Linholm, dying; ]. Lawson (coloredl
reported dead; A. Bildahl, badly injured
may recover; II. W. Ames was working
on the southeast corner of the building
| when the left ratter gave way ana Iel
down to the first story, but ne escaped
from the second story window, head bad
| ly hurt; Benjamin Brown (colored) slight
| " hurt; Isaiah Donnelly, two severe
scalp wounds and cut in the head; Hugh
| Eldreds, confusion on leg and face hurt
George Smith, neck and head hurt; Cicero
Dixon, confusion on thigh. Donnelly il
seriously wounded, but all these wounded
| win probably recover. Q. Harris Of Dix
on, a carpenter is injured so badly that
his leg will have to be amputated and he
will probably die. HAllenbeck, whose
body is in the ruins, leaves wife and
four children who depend on him fol
support. w. D. Richardson, contractor
and F. G, Lathrop, superintendent, had .