Huntsville gazette., 1883-11-17
A FATEFUL FALL.

Madison, Wisconsin, Collapses, Buryins
Forty Workmen in the Ruins-Five AL
ready Dead; Many More Fatally and Sc
Gsously Injured, and Others Still Missing
"A Hea4y Accountability Resting Some
where.
MADISON, WIS.,, Nov. 8.
This afternoon was witnessed the most
terrible accident that has ever befallen the
city. Ten minutes before two o'clock 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, allow
ing the entire south wall to fall with a ter.
rible crash. Immediately the roof of the
entire wing dropped in with deafening
roar, sending up cloud of dust and broken
timbers. The wild cries of the imprisoned
and crushed workmen sent thrill of hor-
ror throughout the capital. About forty
masons, plasterers, laborers and carpen'
ters were at work upon the wing, and they
went down in the ruins. As soon as the
dust settled willing hands were at work
taking out the dead and injured. The fol-
lowing are all the names obtainable to-
night:
DEAD.
Bernard Higgins, laborer, fifty years old,
Madison.
William Edgar, mason, Madison, buried
under debris; horribly crushed.
Michael Zewank, mason, Madison, died
after being taken out.
William G. Jones, mason, Milwaukee,
skull fractured; died since taken out.
James Kelly, died after being taken out.
Miles Maxwell, plasterer, of GAINESVILLE; /;
badly cut on head.
N&liam Ross, plasterer, of Sheboygan; !;
probably fatal.
William Junge, carpenter, of Madison;
badly scratched.
Arthur Lynch, of Madison; head badly
hurt; delirious.
Ed. Balm, mason, of Sauk City, single,
aged 23; seriously cut.
Ed. Page and J. 0. Page, masons, of
Middleton, young men, brothers; badly
hurt. E~
Ed. Kingsley, mason, Milwaukee; hurt
about the head.
James Dowell, mason, Madison, an old
settler, aged sixty, both legs broken; will
die.
Patrick O'Laughlin, laborer, left arm
broken and two temple cuts; will die
William Burke, ST., laborer married,
with four children, badly cut about the face
and chest injured. k
Ed Kinsella, bricklayer, of Milwaukee,
cut about the head and back.
CYRUS Schenck, of Shopiere, Rock Coun-
ty, cut on the back of head and in the right
eye.
Henry Diedereck, mason, of Milwaukee,
left leg broken.
Mike Zewauk, ST., mason, of Madison.
J. Bamen, plasterer, of Madison, face and
John Clark, plasterer, of Milwaukee, an
arm broken.
Nelson Boest, carpenter, of Sun Prairie,
hurt slightly.
Pat Cary, of Madison, badly crushed.
EC:. Gleason, laborer, of Madison, fore
man of Turner'S, hurt by box of glass
falling on him.
calling of the roll showed twelve men
unaccounted for. The list of the dead will
not, it IS believed, fall below fifteen,
although it will take until to morrow to find
out the condition of all those yet in the
ruins.
One year ago last June a contract was let
for the extension of the north and south
wings of the capitol building. Since that
time work has been carried on, andup to to-
day the outside mason work of the south wing
roof had been placed. The roof was sup
ported by massive iron pillars and it was
some defect in the mason work upon which
these pillars rested that caused the terrible
catastrophe. 1t required but slight move
ment to swing the roof from the support of
the side walls, which had only just been
completed, and the giving of but few
inches in the substructure effected the dam
age. f#
The two large upper stories were the
ones that fell-the third and fourth. They
were divided into large rooms for the His
5orical Society. Iron columns and girders
were used. No timber whatever was used.
Most of the wings are four stories high.
The men were engaged to-day in building
chlmneyS and arches on the upper floors.
The contract for the extension was taken
by Bently & Son of Milwaukee and O.. F.
Nolan, of Janesville, the latter superin-
tending the work.
A dispatch was received from Governor
Rash at Bayfield,, instructing all care to be
taken of the dead and injured. He will re-
turn in the morning.
The Mayor of the city has ordered an in
quest held in the morning. A full and rigid
investigation will be had and the blame
laid where it belongs.
Mr.. Jones, of Madison, is the architect
who drew up the plans, and H. G. Koch &
Co, of this city, are the consulting archi-
tects. The firm had the contract TO erect
the north and south wings. The north
wing is about completed and the south is
the wing that fell. The work was COM
menced year ago last June and the con-
tract price was $1SS,000. Both wings were
to have been completed March l. The con-
tractors were trying to hurry the work so
as to close the building in before the No
TeSuber storms set in.