Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1880-08-20
Down with a Crash,
A Portion of the Pacific Dock gives way.

A Portion of the Pacific Dock gives way.
About 20 minutes past | o'clock,
yesterday morning large section of
the second story of the Pacific wharf,
at the southeast corner, suddenly gave
way. An immense quantity of wheat,
flour and salt was stored on the second
story, and the weight proved to heavy
for the timbers, powerful though they
were. AS to the amount stored on
the dock there is wide difference in
the estimate. The clerk on the wharf
claims that no norc than $50 tons
were stored on the area which gave
way about 60x90 feet--while the
owners of the dock affirm that at least
1000 tors were piled up.
Notwithstanding the floor was Sc
curely braced, the strain proved to
great, and yielded to the attraction of
gravitation, the whole mass came
down with dreadful crash The
noise was heard for several blocks
away and aroused many persons from
their sleep, who wondered what on
earth was the matter. Timbers, floor
ing and grain fell a distance of about
lS feet, and came down with deaf
ening ''thud" on the first floor. How
the lower floor could stand the enor-
nous weight thus suddenly precipita-
ted on it is a matter of wonder, but
apparently did not give an inch.
Some idea may be formed of the
weight from the fact that solid timbers
sixteen inches square were snapped in
twain like reeds.
HGndred of sacks of wheat, flour
end salt were burst and tho contents
dumped together in one indiscr;mnate
heap. The damage to the rroduce is
estimated at $4,000 The wheat be.
longcd to Mess"s. Sibson, Church &
Co., but we are not able to state the
names OF the parties to whom the
flour and salt nelongs.
FAIRY yesterday morning force Of
+, oil men was engaged in removing thC
sacks Of wheat, flour and salt which
were intact. and shoveling up the soy
era! cont.nts and putting thrrn into
sacks. The wharf is owned by Aies:sr.
Willard 9. Lownsdala, Capt. Chas
Holman and w. S. Ladd, and LEASED
to Mr.. u. j. Hatch. 1t is claimed by
the owners that very little judgement
or caution was observed in the man
ner Of storing produce on the wharf
Two hundred pound sacks of -four, sal
and grain, it is claimed, were pile,
up l3 or - high, and placed as clos
together as possible. The damage t,
the dock is estimated $4,000, as tn
; entire structure is badly strained an,
! thrown out of plumb 10y the accident
, The owners of the wharf assert tina
the accident is caused by carclcssncs
, or want of due caution on the part o
Of the lessee, and it is quite hkel
that suit for damages will be inst
: tuted. The gram, -four, etc, was o.
, storage awaiting shipment.
1t was stated yesterday by numel
Gus architects and builders who exam
ined the dock, that tie cause of the &C
l cident was indirectly, if not directly
, attributable to the faulty construction
of the wharf The upright beam
which supported the second floor, in
stead of resting directly over the foun
/, dation piles, stood two feet west o
1 them, on horizontal beams Is inche
: square. These horizontal beam
snapped like pipe stems and allowe'
the upper floor to fall.
Several days ago some persons EN-
ployed about the dock heard q creak
!, ing noise proceeding from that portion
! which has given way, and also felt tn
= structure jar distinctly. Howeve,
nothing was thought of the circum
stance at that time. There can be n
doubt but that the timbers were slow
: ly yielding to the weight. 1t wa
most fortunate that the dock gave wa
during the night. During the day
I number of men and teams are engage,
about the wharf, and had the acciden
occurred then i, would no doubt hay
been attended with the loss Of human
life. Oreg0nioH. l3.