The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1883-11-17
FALLING WALLS.
A Horror Near Home That
Wakes up Wisconsin.
Five Men Killed and Twenty. five More
or Less Injured.

Ten minutes before 9 o'clock on the
afternoon OF the 8th inst. the great iron
pillars supporting the roof of the second
story OF the balcony of the south wing
of the capitol building swung out of
place, owing to defective masonry, al
lowing the entire south wall to fall with
terrible crash. Immediately the roof
OF the entire wing dropped in with ter
rible goar, sending up a cloud of dust
and broken timbers. Amid the success
sive crashes the wild cries of the impris-
Oned and crushed w0rkmen sent a thrill
of horror throughout the capitol. About
forty masOns, plasterers, laborers and
carpenters were at work upon the wing.
The work of relief was organized in
stantly. Tue local hook and ladder com.
pany rendered efficient assistance. The
north and south walls, which were left
without any support, tottered visibly
aud greatly endangered the work of
clearing the ruins.
The names of the known dead are T:
Bernard Higgins, a lahorer, Madison;
William Edgar, a mason, Madison:
Michael Zwanke, a mason, Madison;
William Jones, mason, Milwaukee;
James Kelly, plasterer, Madison.
Barnard Higgins, of Madison. was
married man of about 80 wears of age.
and was employed as a helper TO tie
masons. Higgins was partially buried
IN heap of large stones and mortar.
His skull was severely fractured, and
life had departed when he was found.
His extIemities were buried in the rub
bish and badly bruised.
Near Higgins. and under several feet
Of stone and broken pieces of iron pill
lars, William Edgar, of AT Lake Street.
Madison, was buried. 1t was only known
that be was there by his working near
higgins and the fact that he was miss
ing. The debris was removed as fast as
possible, and his body soon found in a
completely crushed condition. The skull
was badly broken, the brain oozino
therefrom. and many bones in the body
broken. Mr.. Edgar was a stone mason,
married, and has lived in Madison many
wears.
Michael Zwanke, Of Madison, mason,
was found in the interior of the wing
dead; partially buried under a heap OF
rubbish and iron beams.
William Jones, of Milwaukee, was the
foreman of the masons working on the
building. He is married and has fam
lily. He sustained amost severe fracture
of the skull, extending from the fore
head to the rear of the head, and in a
few hours died.
The list of injured is as follows: Pat
rick O'Laughlin, of Madison, an ex-al-
derman of the Fifth Ward, and helper,
had his skull fractured and left arm
broken. 1t is thought he will not sur
vive. NJ. j. Burke, of Madison, a
hricklayer, had his skull fractured, left
leg broken, face and hands badly cut.
James DowelI, OF Madison, a brick
layer, had both legs broken He was
married. Edward Bowen, a plasterer,
of Madison, had his back and face
badly hurt by bruises and cnts. Henry
married man of about 50 years of age, had
his left leg fractured, aud suffered severe
injuries about the back. Patrick Cary, of
Madison, sustained severe scalp wounds.
John Clark, OF Milwaukee, a young
man, had his arm broken and received
cuts about the head, Edward Kinsella,
a bricklayer, from Milwaukee, and sin
gle, sustained a severe cut on the back
of the head. two and half inches in
length, ard to the bone. Cyrus Schenck,
late of Sbopiere, Rock County, now of
Madison, and foreman of the hosting
arrangements, suffered a severe cut on
the head, and eyes probably ruined by
mortar. He also complains of severe in
luries about the hips. Arthur Lynch,
Of Chicago, a timer, working on the
roof at the time IL fell i'll, sustained Sc
we're contusions on the skull, rendering
him devoid OF reason. Edward Gleason,
of Chicago, foreman of timers, also on
the roof, was severely hurt by box of
glass falling on him. Dave Meinhard
of Madison, working on the roof, sus-
tanned slight injuries. Nelson Boost,
of Sun Prairie, suffered a slight injury
to the leg. Boost was working on the
roof and fell to the basement, being in
iured but slightly. Willie Rose, of
Glenbeulah. Sheboygan County, was
injured about the loins, probably fatal
ly. Matthew Zwanke, of Madison, son
Of Michael ZwankC, mentioned in the
list of dead, was severely injured about
the head and probably cannot live.
Miles Maxwell, of Janesville, bad his
face and scalp badly cut. William
Junge, of Madison, carpenter, badly
scratched Edward and Joseph Page,
of Middleton, masons, Young men and
brothers, badly hurt. Edward Kings
ley, of Milwaukee, mason, hurt
about the head Edward Baker, of
Sauk City, single, aged %, badly cut
The accident occurred just after the
men had gone to their work, and it is
only strange that ont of the forty men
employed on the wing more were not
caught in the falling mass. Five work
men had just been called from the por-
tlon Of the basement where the Debris
is deepest and were on the point of re-
turning when the whole thing trembled
and cayed in