Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-12-24
A TOTAL WRECK.
Non'n'ai,N mAtnrr nouar ra,Ls
she Root, 'ornr Down by nn I,nmo,.,
Weisnt OF snow, Fats In crushing
INC'ytbipg Ia Ito pain


III ruins, \ violent earthquake could not
. nave wrecked II mono completely. At "A
! quarter before three O'Clock this morning
residents in the vicinity were startled by A
torrtblc, rumbliug rItsling noise ~ II tno
! falling Ot immense walls, tho shaltCTiuu
OF heavy timbcTs aud the swapping asuudCr
at iron rods. Wm. BuchcnderICr, tho
/ grocer, whose residence aud store Is imme.
| dihely rOrthOi the market house, was the
hIst to comprehend the nature aud exteut
OF the calamity. lie was aroused from his
bed by the crushing IN OF the south wall Of
his dwelling, and the entire demolition OF
the back building. Carloads OF brick
| blockadod his front stairway, preventing
exit from tho house. Taking his
VITO aud child into u IL, mt room, ho
| opened n window and called for help Tue
shock caused 10y the fall Of the market
| house soon brought tho ilrCmen of No. 1,
aud many other citizens to tho scene.
Ladders were procured aud Bhckcndcrrcr
aud his family were taken dOwn over the
slippery, snow covered awning root, aud
conveyed to place of safety.
An appalling scene.
| The scene that presented itself was AZ
| indescriOahlc "a it was appalling. The
| NOrthern market house lay Hat with the
| ground scarcely one bri1k remaining on
top OF another. The southern wall, 2il
feet in length and extending from North
Queen To Market street had fallen out
ward, aud lay mass ui ruins, extending
entirely across Walnut street. The east
ern front also tell outward, crushing br.
meath 1t tho telegraph, telephone, aud
electric light wires Tho western wall,
almost rs completely wrecked, fell out.
| ward Into Market street aud the northern
into Mr.. Blick6uderfcr' property and
besides dcmoiishiug his back bullding aud
crushing the south wall OF tho main
building demolished his stable aud badly
damaged tenant house, ca the Market
street end Of the lot, occupied by WIN. J.
Irwin, wife and four children, an OF whom
escaped injury, except one OF tho children,
who was Sigh Iy wounded by falling brick
and mortar,
The great roof OF the market house
which was supported ou fourteen Howe
truss arches, each Of single span, 81 feet
in width, weighted as II vas with about a
foot Of snow, OF q heavy Snudiko character
| fell straight downward ImOug the m4rkc,
| stalls and stands, crushing many Of them
into thousands Of pieces aud Ourying many
others entirely out Of sight. rhe heart
shudlcTs az the terrible loss Of liro which
must inevitably havo resulted had the
building fallen \ fow hours later, when it
would have been crowded inside and sur
rounded outside by not less than two
thousand people.
| Tho Cause Of thr Accident.
We have Consulted quite humber o
PERSONS, including builders aud stock,
hOljoTs oC tho wrecked building, rs 70 ia,
cause ot tho accident, aud there Is among
them some diversity OF oriuiuu, o
course the great weight Of snow thas las
upon the tin roof had much TO do with II,
fan. SOmc think the walls were hardly
heavy enough to support SO massive d
roof, and reference is made u the fac
that the west wall was badly damaged
some years ago b. a great storm Of wind
which demolished maUy buildings It
course of erection at tho time. some
| think thai ths iron rods which bind thC
truss arches may have been rendered
| brittle by the ilost aud snapped under tht
| increased pressure of the EuOw. A pre-
| vailiug opinion Is that these rods were toe
light. They arc OF inch aud half iron
ana ut tho cri8 Of the rods where thl
thread is cut the diameter is reduced tC
about an inch. These aro thought tC
have been the weak points of the structure
aud We are told that IA examination made
among the debris this morning shOwCC
several of the rods 10 have been broker
where the thread was cut upon them
Doubtless thorough examination will Gt
made and the real cause OF tho aCCiten
ascertained.
Tho BuIiding and Its owners.
The building was erected in 1872 on tLt
site oC the old Washington hotel property
1t WAS designed by Mr.. John II. Baum
gardner, aud erected by o numosr u
skilled wDrkmen under the supsrinteu
/ 4 4 4 Il
ID. Boring did most ui the carpenter work
and the truss roof was put up by Wm. X
Beard master carpenter OF the PenuSylVA
MIA railroad, who Is regarded as mos
skillful mechanic. The owners sag III.
neither WAS skill lacking nor eXpens
spared In its construction aud II was b.
lieyed 70 be perfectly safe against an,
pressure by storm or otherwise that cault
be brought against it. The ground upor
which it stood cost S20, coo, and tho sLruc
ture cost $4,000, making the net COZ
1900. 1t was originally owned b.
several hundred stockholders, hut III
stock is now held by some sixty persons
of whom John Hess, John Buckwaiter an,
BENJAMIN l.. Lands hold contrOlliut
interest. The following Iamed gentlemeI
| compose tha board Ot directors
Pres sident-Christiau Z3cher, oity.
Treasurer l.. Lands, Mani i'm
Secretary Joseph Samson, city.
Drectors-John Hess, Mauhelm JOhE
Buokwalter, Mannheim |. l.. Lands, Man
helm ; Conrad Cast, City Jonas Brubaho
Warwick David l.. Hess, Mannheim.
A meeting of the directors was called a
Joseph Samson's Office 10 day TO take step
for the immediate reereCtiOn OF the build
ing.
A strong force uf men was put 10 worl
ia clearing away tho brick and Jumbo
with which the streets are strewn. An
other meeting OF the directors will b.
held on "Wednesday at Alderman Samson
office.
!, The Losses.
1t is estimated that IL will not cost NOR
than s2J, 900 TO rebuild the market. Th
foundations probably remain intact, muc
OF the brick can be used again, somo q
tho doors and window frames are uninju
and many Of the stalls Inside appear 70 b
uninjured Iuder the debris with whlcl
thay are covered. Besides building mate
rial is cheaper than it was in 1872.
The losses sustained by Mr. Blckonder
fer will probably reach $4,000 The bac!
building attached to his resldenoe, viii
have to be rebuilt from the ground up;
considerable portion of tho south wall q
the main building was crushed IN an'
other portions of it will have to b. takel
| down and rebuilt the stable and dweIllp