The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1886-08-06

fetal Collapse - 10 western Ferslea =
kimmons Hardware Company's Mnm' |
moth store o. %. Louisa Terrible ranr |
gls of Debris and. Msrchandise-No cas
nalslea-
ST. LOUIS, July 26.-The large force d
clerk who reported for duty this morn
Ing It the retail department. Of the Sim
mons Hardware Company, corner Q:
Ninth and Washington avenue, were
pressed into service a. wreckers, and put
10 work In the ruins Of the western end
OF the establishment, which collapsed
shortly after nine o'clock last night.
Private watchman T. r. Pullen made :
round OF the stores and found everything
| In good shape. He returned 70 the en-
trance Of the of1ces Of the wholesale de.
department ten minutes past nine O'Clock,
when he heard premonitory crack, fol-
lowed by q succession Of crashes which
| shook the adjacent building and startled
the ncighborhood q the entire inside Of
the great structure sunk down, letting
the twinkle OF the stars above In upon the
conglomerate mass piled up In the cellar
below, and reaching 70 where the secone
story hoor had been.
From the doors and windows OF the
drst noor = torrent Of sh0vcls, coal hods,
baby carriages, clothes baskets, sleighs,
Ice saws and toys tumbled out across
the sidewalk and roadway Of Washington
avenue, while Z cascade Of fish baskets,
rods, bicycle fittings, household articles
Of utility and ornament fell from the up
Der easements and lost itself In the mass
OF debris below. With each successive
crash . cloud Of dust and lime rose, en-
veloping the building. An alarm OF
fire was turned ON from box
No. As, which brought the Fire
Department and Salvage Corps to me
scene with large additions to the crowd
Of spectators already attracted BY
the crash. No signs Of firc were dis
covered, but II was soon found necessary
to cut on the supply Of gas which flowed
| into the wrecked building from the pipes
that had been snapped In he collapse.
| The cutoffs were discovered with dill
6culty. This danger removed, nothing
remained for the ire department TO do,
.. and the engines accordingly retired. BY
this time the dust had cleared away and
an Investigation was made BY the Salvage
Corps and the force Of the Chemical en-
CINE, aided BY the calcium lights.
Il was found that the floors and roof
the full width Of the building and extend
! ing back about sixty ieet towards st.
, ! Charles street, had fallen TO the base
, | ment, the building Is owned by Mr..
! | Thomas Z. Tut, Of the Third National
Bank, and was erected three years ago,
occupying the western half OF the block
, bounded by Ninth, Tenth, St. Charles
streets and Washington avenue. The
western portion Of the building. q six.
4 story red brick structure, Is occupied By
I the Hamilton Brown Shoe Company.
|. Although under the same roof the eastern
(. portion Of the building IL completely cut
on from the portion occupied By
: Hamilton, Brown & Co., by fre wall
and Is annexed to the retail department
> Of the simmons Hardware Store.
= The full extent Of the damage was moi
; known until this morning. All the stoch
Of the front portion Of the store Wa!
heaped In an inextricable pile, while The
!. rear portion Of the building was un
: disturbed. The wrecked portion looked
; like q shaft into which the debris has
4 been thrown. The girders and joist
: we're taken completely from their rests Il
4 the walls. Between the nrst floor an'
the top Of the walls In the front portion
! Of the building not trace OF suppor
! Is attached to any Of the three walls. A
: the fourth floor the front wall bulged on
fully foot. The bricks Of the centra
column were displaced fully an inch ant
half. One-haif the arch OF the cas-
, front window Of this noor was ais
:. pushed out Of line. crack on the ives
Z side Of the column gave the two uppe
ID stories Of the front wall an appearing
u Of insecurity.
ID Deputy Commissioner Of Building
b Barron inspected the building this morn
70 ing aud It once served written notice (
] condemnation on the wrecked portion
n, directing the owner TO take down or q
O. cure the front wall. The fre wall on III
| ~est side. and the main wall on the ca.
D side are apparently secure though poss
4 Div they have been somewhat weakene
D BY the bricks having been torn out oy q
. joists.
Dc At the Offices Of the Simmons Har'
ware Company no estimate could
1t formed Of the extent Of the loss on stoc
u Mr.. Kimbail said that this would not
G known until the debris was cleared AVA
q Much Of the stock would not be serious
1e damaged. At the worst the loss won
D. not exceed $40, 900. and In all probable
be Il would not reach that sum. On d
e building the loss Is estimated at $751;
No accident policies were held on eth
"a building or stock. The cause Of the Z
en- cident Il not known yet, but It Il mo
re probable that Il resulted from some q
nj feet In the central pillars Of the bas
d ment. These were Of wood, capped VT
iron.
re A close examination made to-day sho'
he that both walls are somewhat lower IN
~ The central uprights causing q tri1i
TX arch In the l:ntels Of each story. 4
- position Of the floors showed that th
ssgged towards the center, which &C
I'd firms the theory that the central 81
ID ports first gave way. The building v
NJ not stocked q heavily A. usual and Y
~ supposed to be thoroughly safe. Furtf
|oe examinations will be made when
debris il cleared away.
This morning Washington avenue y
crowded with people watching the va
- Of dismantIing the rear portion Of
-. building and the clearing away OF
wreck. with tbe crash last night laI
-. stock Of hunters supplies was precipit
Cd from the sixth floor. In this was
a large covey Of decoy ducks, one Of VIII
1m found Judgement In it, downws
lie Fight on the sill OF . window 10 the III
an story. From its perch q this dii
- a. mi