Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1877-05-18
Fall of a Oourt-House,

RoCKFoRD, ILL.,. May H.
Just before noon to-day, as the key
stone was being placed in the dome of
the main pavilion of the new County
Courthouse at this place, the entire
dome and the interior walls of the struct-
ure came crumbling down with terrible
crash. The building was designed by
Henry L. Gay, of Chicago, and the
building was let to w. d. Richardson,
of Springfield, who began the work in
the spring of 1876. The dome was 119
feet from the ground and supported by
the front walls on the outside and two
iron columns on the inner side. These
columns rested upon brick wall going
up from the ground floor to the floor of
the courtroom. The wall was crashed
by the weight of the upper masonry and
crumbled like so much rotten mortar,
the entire interior of the building falling,
taking all the rafters, the corrugated
iron ceiling of every room, with its con-
crete filling and the iron joist. The
scaffolding fell in a mass, carrying with
1t nearly all the workmen on the top of
the building.
There were from twenty to twenty-five
men at work at the time of the accident.
The massive stone top of the dome fell
with terrific crash toward State street.
Timothy Flanagan, who was putting in
the keystone of the final cornice, jumped
for the guy-rope of the derrick in front,
but missed his aim and fell 100 feet to
the earth and was dashed to pieces. The
mass of human beings, with the excep-
tion 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 assembled knew
not what to do. To go near enough to
the structure to rescue those lying in the
ruins was hazardous in the extreme, but
brave men, before the dust cleared away,
commenced to extricate the dead and
dying Indcscribable horrors ensued
Men lay terribly mutilated beneath those
rocks shrieking for assistance, that was
only rendered at the risk of the lives of
the bystanders.
William Glass was eXtricated, but one
of his legs was left beneath a ponderous
stone. He expired in great agony upon
the green sward in front of the Court
House. A negro jumped from window
sixty feet from the ground and, though
badly injured, will probably recover.
Within ten minutes after the disaster
four bodies were recovered by the almost
superhuman efforts of the rescuers, The
wounded were carried on stretchers to
the nearest hotels. A Swede named
Andrew Bildahl had his head split open,
but the wound was closed and the victim
may live. The anguish of the living was
he0rt-rending The workmen's wives
and mothers filled the air with sobs,
wailing and moaning, and the lOoker-On
was sickened by the sights on every hand.
The list of killed is as follows: Fred.
Haugh, A. Haugh, ]. Pipe, A. II. Hol-
lenbeck, j. Warren, George Glass, Tim
j. Peck and O. Harris.
The wounded number eleven, of whom
two at least cannot recover.
W. d. Richardson, contractor, and f.
@. LathrOp, Superintendent, had mar
row and thrilling escape. They were on
the dome of the building before it fell,
and were talking of the probability of 1t
falling when they heard crash and rushed
at once to the west wall, where they
stood when the dome went down. Had
they been moment longer both must
have persisted. When the dust cleared
away both were standing on the wall.
The loss to the building will be from
$50, 900 TO 500, 600 The entire front
must come down to the frieze, and the
plans will probably be changed. Super
intendent Latham lays the blame on
Architect Gay, whose instructions were
followed out implicitly. Digging for the
missing is still going on.