Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1883-11-15
DOWN TO DEATH.
Five Wen KILLED and sixteen wounded
by the Failing of the New sonth
Wing of Wisconsin's Capitol

J
ominous sound was heard, followed
by terrible crash in the center por-
ton Of the city. A glance toward
the capitol building at once showed
the cause. and Immediately hundreds
of voices were shouting, the capitol
Il has fallen Thousands of people
rushed to the scene, and a horrible
sight was presented to their gaze The
massive roof, nearly completed, with
the center walls, and huge iron pillars
had gone TO the ground heap OF ruins.
Groans from the dying and injured
were heard in all portions of the ruins
and scores of men rushed in to render
aid, spite Of lettering walls and hang
ing timbers. The capitol building was
converted into a hospital for the time
being, manned and wounded men be-
ing carried there as fast as extracted
from the debris, which the dead were
either taken TO their homes in the
city or to the undertakers, Heroic
and brave men worked with a will
and at the end of two hours all dead
and wounded had been removed. The
dead were found to be Bernard Hig-
gins William Edgar, Michae. Zwank,
| James Kelly of Madison and VIM. ID.
Jones of Milwaukee Among the
wounded are Dave Memhard, Henry
| Deidrick, Patrick Cary, Nelson Boost,
John Clark, Ed. Leason, NJ. f. Burke,
/ Ed. Kinsella, Miles Maxwell, Matthew
4 Zwank. Cyrus Schenck, Edward
| Gleason, Arthur Gleason, Ed. Bowen,
/ Willis d. Rose, Patrick O'Laughlin
and James Dowell. Gov. Rusk who
was out Of the city on business was
reached by wire informing him of the
disaster, to which he sent the follow
ing answer:
ASHLAND JUNCTION, Wis. Nov. s
1888.
To Hon. E. g. TDrME Secretary of
State:
Commissioners present take such
action in regard to the disaster as they
think best. will be home as soon as
train can get me there. Leave moth
ing undone for the care of injured.
J. M. RUsK.
The Madison DEMOCRAT publishes
the following theories as to the cause
of the disaster.
IhEOhlbo As ~ CAUSE
At this time 1t is immossible to give
a correct theory as to the cause of
this direful calamity. Many of the
best builders have been consulted and
now are unwilling without further ex-
animation to express a conclusion.
One theory is that the mortar used in
construction was imperfect, too friable
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 during its
construction several years ago, name
ly, 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 IA weakening which re
suited in the giving way inward of
part of the south wall.
An eye witness of the occurrence
in the beginning of il, 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 ''greennessn Of the n 1rtar.
Others insist that the roof was too
heavy for its frail supports; and that
the columns or pillars which support
it were too weak for the mass of
weight upon them. Another view is
that the upper wall was imperfect;
was not we'll laid. and that the outer
stones and the inner brick work were
not sufficiently attached together
This diversity of views, expressed by
disinterested and expert builders,
shows that only careful inveStiga-
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
marked, She fact was painfully CYL
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 sctive
and intelligent sympathy of those
who fastened to the scene. In five
minutes stretchers and bandages We're
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
material in their efforts to extricate
those who were locked amid the irons
timbers and tumbled walls.
The wide, Wide world
LIMA REPUBLIC or PERU. Senior A.