Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1883-11-15
THE CAPITOL CRASH.
Five workmen killed and Twenty Wounded.

wing of the State House, now in cours,
Of construction, bulged outward ant
fell with tremendous crash, being i'm
mediately followed by the caying-in o
the roof. About fifty masons, carpen
ters, timers, plasterers and laborer.
were at work in the great building
which is 20 by 100 feet, and consisted o.
three tall stories. The noise of the col
lapse was terrific, and lasted fully hall
II minute, in series of successive
crashes which were heard two miles
away. A vast cloud of dust and chips
and broken beams flew into the air and
settled upon the city, while great masses
of stone were scattered over the south
half of the Capitol Park.
As soon as the crash had subsidized the
screams and groans Of the injured could
be heard. There was a general out.
pouring of the people towards the park,
and in fifteen minutes fully 1000 per.
sons We're congregated at the base Of
the ruins. The east and west walls
stood upright, wholly unsupported, the
centre of the building being a chaos OF
shattered masonry and splintered wood
and iron work. The south front, with
its ponderous iron and stone pillars and
stately balcony, was leveled to the
ground, giving clear view to the int.
rior About dozen workmen were
seen hanging by their legs to the upper
rafters, which we're attached to the side
walls and did not fall. They had be.
come intrapped in this painful position,
though flying debris had killed two OF
three and relieved them from torture.
The local Hook and Ladder Company
was early upon the spot, and scaled
the ruins ut great risk to the lives of its
members, for the side walls had bulged
considerably. and seemed liable to top
pie over at any moment. Meanwhile a
posse of special police was formed, and
ropes stretched to keep the crowd away
from the neighborhood of the walls.
The work of relief proceeded as swiftly
rs possible, although in several cases
unfortunate men and fearfully mangled
bodies were hanging in mid-air, caught
by their legs at the dizzy height OF
fifty and seventy-five feet. Several were
dug out of the ruins, which had buried
two or three men fully ten feet deep.
By four O'Clock every man known to be
in the building at the time of the disas-
ter had either reported at the contrac-
tors office or had been accounted for
as dead, dying or wounded. Some of
the unfortunates were taken to the
Governors office in the main State
House building, which presents the APP
pearance tonight of an army hospital;
others were conveyed to the hook and
ladder rooms and others to their homes
in the city.
The list of those killed is as follows:
Bernard Higgins, a laborer, Madison
William Edgar, a mason, Madison.
Michael Zwanke, a mason, Madison
William Jones, a mason, Milwaukee.
James Kelly, plasterer, Madison.
The five dead men were buried from
their homes Saturday afternoon.
Mr.. James Dowell, reported dead,
is still living Of the seventeen
wounded men three or four will pro-
badly die. Most of the others will be
manned for life. Nearly all are in fairly
comfortable circumstances. The Cover
nor and Mayor are acting in co-opera-
ton in the care of the injured. The
flag is at half-mast on the State House
in token of the fatalities.
The construction of additions to the
State Capitol was authorized by the
Legislature of 1882, being designed for
the use of the Supreme Court and
State Historical Society. The enact
ment became a law March 81, 1882.
and was the result of several years agi-
tation on the part of those interested in
enlarging the scope of the Historical
Society. The sum appropriated was
$500, 200. This was intended to cover
the entire expense of building two
transverse wings to the capitol, one on
the north and the other on the south
side. Gov. Rusk, Secretary of State
Timme, Attorney-General Frisby, n b.
Van Slyke and John Winans as repre-
sentatives of the Supreme Court, and
d. w. Reyes, representing the State
Historical Society, were created board
OF commissioners to carry out the work
A number of Milwaukee architects put
in plans. but those of ID. Jones, Madi-
son, were accepted. His plans were
afterws rds modified by the adoption of
certain portions of Ii. G. Koch & Co. s
plans, and Mr.. Koch was engaged as
Ian were awarded the contract for 1885,
600 against several competitors, and
commenced work at once. The foun-
dation was laid last year, and early last
spring work was resumed. The addi-
tons were to be complete by March l.,
1884.
The contractors are John Bentley,
Sheriff of Milwaukee county, and Oscar
Nowlan. of GAINESVILLE, under the firm
title of Bentley & Nowlan. The firm
assumed the contract year ago to
construct the fire-proof transverse wings
as additions to the State House. These
wings are to cost 100000, the north
wing to be used by the Supreme Court
and State Law Library, together with
some of the State officers, and the
south wing by the State Historical So
ciety. The north wing is nearly finish
ed, and is magnificent piece of archi-
lecture. 1t is the south wing that col
lapsed. The outer walls were finished,
and the roof was being timed. The
balcony with great hollow iron pillars
above and below jointed but not fas-
tened, had just been completed upon
the south facade, and workmen were
scattered all through the interior and
upon the roof. The mortar of the
great stone balcony was fresh, and it
would seem that the pillars sank in
their newly-laid bed. The pillars being
stoutly anchored to the wall their sway
ing caused it to bulge outward with
them, and the entire south front came
down, balcony. pillars aud all in one
solid mass of masonry, weighing scores
of tons. The roof began to settle in
stantly, and the side walls bullying
slightly let it in with terrific crash,
carrying the floors and massive CALLER
les of the Historical Library with it,
The entire interior was completely
Quilted. leaving only the the swayine
east and west walls that the first wind
storm could carry down.
Mr. Bentley says he has no idea OF
what caused the accident. He said the
building had been put up in strict ac-
cordance with the plans and specifica.
tions. Some ascribe the accident to q
defective iron pillar. aud Others to poor
masonry.
Ii is the opinion of Bentley that the
| loss will fall on the Commonwealth. rs
the plans were approved by the State
Architect, and the blame can be as.
cribed to no one.
No plausible excuse has yet beer
given for this irightful disaster, Cover
nor Rusk who was awly at the time. re
turned home at once and ordered M