Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1883-11-15
A MASS OF RUINS.
The Collapse Ofthe South wing ofthe
Wisconsin State Capitol Kills Five
Men and Mains sixteen
Madison Democrat.

Madison Democrat
An awful roar brought terror to
hundreds of hearts in this city, and
especially In the central portion, at
40 o'clock, on Thursday afternoon.
All who heard the deafening crash,
whether they were IN their houses or
on the streets, stood aghast, for a
second. A glance toward the capitoI
tolo the story. Workmen were flee
ing from the south wing of the build
ing, which was nearing completion.
announcer moment and there was a null
tltude OF people surrounding the same.
a terrible havoc presented itself. The
entlre massive roof, the inner walls.
the IRON pillars, had gone down. A
great portion of the front wall and
the large iron columns were in heap
"a mass OF ruins. But the most fright
ful and slckenlng of all were the
CRIES OF THE DYING AND INJURED
which at once aroused true manhood
which stood there, and the manner I'm
which the work of rescue was carried
on was praiseworthy in the highest
degree. Most of them forgot all dan
ger and thought of nothing but HELM
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 remOvino tho
bodies from the ruins had been com
pleted the dead weresfound to be
Bernard Higgins, VIM. Edgar. Mich
ael Zwank, James Kelly, of Madison.
and VIM. d. Jones, of Milwaukee,
The wounded are Patrick O'Laugh!in.
James Dowell, Willis D. Rose. Ed,
Bowen, Arthur Lynch, Edward GIea-
son, Cyrus Schenck, Matthew Zwank,
Miles Maxwell, Ed. Kinsella, NJ. J.
Burke, Ed. Leason, John Clark, Mel
son Boost, Patrick Cary, Henry Del
drich and Dave Memhard.
THEORIES AS To THE CAUSE.
At this time it is impossible to give
a correct theory as to the cause of
this dreful calamity. Many of the
best builders have been consulted and
now are unwilling without further
examination to express a conclusion.
One theory is that the mortar used In
construction was imperfect. too fria-
bic 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 as 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 laid
and before it was timed, the heavy
rains had been drenched thereby into
the top Of the walls and saturating
them had caused a weakening which
resulted in the giving way inward of
part of the south wall.
An eye witness of the occurance
IN the beginning OF 1t, 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 too
heavy for its frail supports; and that
the columns or pillars which support
1t were too weak for the mass of
weight upon them. Another view is
that the upper wall was imperfect;
was not well laid, and that the outer
stones and the inner brick work were
This diversity of views, expressed by
disinterested and expert builders,
shows that only careful invcstiga-
ton can locate the weak spot, which
giving way caused the dreadful ruin.
1t also shows that there should be no
hasty pre- judgment as to causes. AS
one of the building commissioners re
the fact was painfully evi-
dent that ''some one had sadly blum
dered, " and on their part no pains
would be spared to fully get at the
facts.
THE PROMPTNEsS OF HELP.
The alacrity with which aid was
rendered speaks well for the active
and intelligent sympathy Of those
who fastened to the scene. In five
minutes stretchers aud bandages were
on the ground. The physicians of the
city were almost as quickly at the
scene, ministering to the suffering.
Mayor Conklin with the police force
FASTENED to the park. Volunteers
promptly responded to remove debris
and extricate the dead and wounded.
Men freely exposed their own lives to
the crash of the mass Of hanging ma
terial in their efforts to extricate
those who were locked amid irons,
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