Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1883-11-16
MASS OF RUINS.
The Collapse ofthe South wing ofthc
wisconsin State Capitol Kills Five
Nen and Mains sixteen.

An awful roar brought terror to
hundreds of hearts in this city, and
especially in the central portion, at
1 40 o'clock, ON Thursday afternoon.
All who heard the deafening crash,
ON the streets, stood aghast, for a
second. A glance toward the capitol
told the story. Workmen We're iee-
ing from the south wing of the build
ing, which was nearing completion.
Another moment and there was mul-
titude of people surrounding the same,
A terrible havoc presented itself. The
entire massive roof, the inner walls,
! the iron pillars, had gone down. 4
great portion of the front wall and
the large iron columns We're in a heap
a mass OF ruins, But the most fright
full and Sickening of all We're the
CRIES OF THE DYING AND INJURED,
which at once aroused true manhood
which stood there, and the manner in
which the work of rescue was carried
on WAS praiseworthy in the highest
degree. Most of them forgot all dam
ger and thought of nothing but help
/ for the wounded
/ The Hook and Ladder company ar
rived on the scene very quickly,
raised ladders and with the rest of the
men, performed most heroic work.
Police and guards kept the vast
crowd back, and gave the hand of res
cuerS full opportunity to perform
| their christian aid,
/ When the work Of removing the
/ bodies from the RUNS had been com
/ pleted the dead were found TO be
/ Bernard Higgins, VIM. Edgar, Mich
ael Zwanl, James Kelly, of Madison.
and Wm. d. Jones, OF Milwaukee.
! The wounded are Patrick OIaugh.in,
James Dowell, Willis y. Rose, Ed
/ Bowen, Arthur Lynch, Edward Glea
son, Cyrus Schenck, Matthew Awank,
Miles Maxwell, Ed. kinsella, NJ. J
Burke, Ed Leason, John Clark, Mel
son Boest, Patrick Cary, Henry Del
drich and Dave Memhard
THEORIES As 10 THE CAUSE,
At this time it is impossible to give
a correct theory rs to the cause Of
this dlreful calamity. Many Of the
| best builders have been consulted and
now are unwilling without further
examination to express conclusion.
One theory is that the mortar used i'll
construction was imperfect, too fra
BILE or lacking in adhesive quality,
and was softened by the recent rains
and moisture.
Another one expressed by an expert
in such matters is that the cause is
the same rs resulted in the fall of
part of the walls of Science Hall dur
ing its construction several years ago,
namely that after the roof was la'd
and before it was timed, the heavy
rains had been drenched thereby into
the top of the walls and saturatng
them had caused weakening which
resulted in the giving way inward of n
part of the south wall.
An eve witness of the occurance
in the beginning of it, and who saw
it from the south, says that the giving
way, as he saw it, was the inside, that
he saw the crashing and falling Of
material inside before the roof fell
IN, or any caving or displacement of
the outer wall. This view, he claims,
is justified by the appearance of the
debris, and the general course OF
| the fall. This opinion indicates a
! weakness of the inner or partition
! walls. This may arise from their
hasty construction, or from the damp
ness or ''greenness" of the mortar.
Others insist that the roof was toe
4 heavy for its frail supports; and that
Il the columns or pillars which support
j. it were too weak for the mass OF
t weight upon them. Another view Is
I that the upper wall was imperfect
!, was not well laid, and that the outel
}, stones and the inner brick work wert
}. not sufficiently attached together
a This diversity of views, expressed by
/ disinterested and expert builders
s shows that only careful inyeStiga
d ton can locate the weak spot, whicl
e giving way caused the dreadful ruin
S 1t also shows that there should be III
|. hasty pre-judgmeni as to causes. Al
y one of the building commissioners re
S marked, the fact was painfully evi
dent that ''some one had sadly blum
IS dered, and on their part no paiA
would be spared to fully get at TIN
facts.
THE PROMPTNEsS OF HELP.
The alacrity with which aid wa
rendered speaks well for the actiy
T and intelligent sympathy of thos
u who fastened to the scene. In tiv
r minutes stretchers aud bandages wer
,. on the ground. The physicians of th
y city were almost as quickly at th
!; scene, ministcring to the suffering
u : Mayor Conklin with the police fore
/ hastened to the park. Volunteer
) promptly responded to remove debri
u and extricate the dead and wounded
Il Men freely exposed their own lives I
: the crash of the mass of hanging ma
u terial in their efforts To extricat
II those who were locked amid irons
II timbers and tumbled walls.
; In horse good and strong, bu
pr nniet. pulse beats forty times minute