Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-06-03
MINNEAPOLISNEWS
FALL OF A BUILDING.

FALL OF A BUILDING.
WolfOrd's Near Block. Hennepin AcenMe
in Ruins Remarkable Escape of Work.
men.
Minneapolis is nothing if not sensational
she bores with big anger, when she does bore,
and it makes no difference to her whether her
boring has an agricultural fair, horse race,
Congressional election, tunnel under her
islands or mill explosion for the object. Yes
terday afternoon at a few minutes before two
o'clock GLOBE reporter (they are everywhere
was standing in front of the Nicollet house,
holding sweet converse with Chief Munger
upon the state of the nation, and the proba-
biitiss of Minnesota's favorite SOM
Billy Window. carrying off the
Presidential prize at Chicago, when
terrific rumbling, followed by the cracking
and crash of falling timber filled the air with
terrific sound, striking terror into the hearts
of all who we're in the vicinity. As the GLOBE
man was within hundred feet of the point
from whence the awful sound proceeded, he was
Quickly on the ground and learned the cause of
the disturbance. The side wall of new block
on Hennepin avenue in course of erection by
Peter Wolford, had fallen In, leaving a scene
of ruin seldom seen. For few moments the
as it was known that some thirty.fve or forty
persons were employed in and about the build
ing and it was supposed that number of
them had been crushed beneath the ruins
Portions of the walls still standing were va
vering and the terrified spectators
hesitated to go into the ruins to learn whether
their dreadful surmises were correct or not. At
such time minutes seem to be ages. The
noise of the crashing timbers was heard for
blocks away and the dreadful news that
building had fallen and killed several persons
few like the breath of scandal over the entire
city and soon the street in front of the ruins
was packed with dense mass of humanity, all
standing aghRst and watching for the balance
of the walls to fall. This feeling of horror soon
gave way to the more powerful one of humani-
ty, and when George Bracket and Chief Nun
ger led the way, others followed TO rescue any
poor mortal who had been caught in the crash.
For q short time it WAS believed that
six or seven men had been buried
under the fallen bricks and timber When the
excitement had subsidized it was learned that all
the men employed on the building were
accounted for. Several of them had narrow
escapes, but only three men were injured, and
none of those fatally. Two of these, Thomas
Gill and John Gaunis are quite seriously hurt,
but at P. n. yesterday it was thought their
injuries would not prove fatal
s. T. Little was carried down among the
he retained his senses and'managed to crawl out
through basement window, having, aside from
the nervous shock, received no other injury
than slight scalp wound.
When it became certain that no lives were
lost, the attention of the large
crowd was directed TO the cause
OF causes which had led to the
catastrophe. As far as the GLOBE is able to
Judge, the responsibility must be shared be-
tween five parties. First Mr.. Peter WOlford,
who owns the ground upon which the building
was being erected. His fault is that he was
eudeaVoring to put up 900 building for
little over $4,000. Second, Messrs. Wilson &
JordOn, the architects, who drew the plans for
a building they ought to have known would be
unsafe for the use to which it would be put.
Third, Jesse Jones, the contractor, who, in
order to save himself on his contract, used
cheap materials, such as lime, lumber, etc., and
thus added to the danger. Fourth, Messrs.
Harrison & Co., the lessees of the building, for
storing from 20 to 80 car loads of heavy gro
ceries on the different floors, before the walls
were dry, and by their weight crushing out the
walls, and last, the city of Minneapolis, for al
lowing such building to be erected within its
limits. Happily there was no loss of life in
this case, but it should be lesson to the city
council or those whose duty it is to protect life
and limb within the corporate limits of the
city, and influence them to take such legal
measures as will forever prevent recurrence
of what came so near being terrible calamity.