The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1889-02-21
ALMOST PIERCED The SKY.
And It Came Tulnbling Down
With an Awful Crash.
COLLAPIE OF A CHICAGO STRUCTURE
The Tal.est Business Building in
America Fails Bcueatil Its
Own Weight, Bat is still
Magnificent iii Its
Ruins
The Escape Of the Worklnen.

taiiest office buildings Ill America
collapsed this morning and a
number Of workmen rushed out
Just IN time TO escape being
crushed under the mountain OF
wreckage. The Owings block is
the rilin.. 1t was a beautiful
gothic structure, IA stories high,
situated at the corner Of Dear
born and Adams streets, just
opposite the rostollice in the
center of the business district.
The 10 lower stories, one after
another, fell, leaving The walls
of the four upper floors ana he
roof standing III decidedly
shalsy condition. In the tenth
story the Tile flooring was dciec
tive or was damaged by the
natural settling of the building.
Without the slightest warning
he great mass of tiles and gir.l
ing forming The injured floor
crashed to the story below,
carrying that with it, and the two
together, acting like a hinge pile
driver. pounded a way for them,
elves to the bottom.
About 125 workmen have been
steadily engaged lii building, but
today being Sunday less than . doz
en- were on hand. All were in the
basement, when at $50 an omlnous
cracking and tremendous crash
was heard. No ono stopped to in
auire the cause, but rushed pc!l i,
nell into tho street. They were
not a momen! too soon. A success
ion of ;hunderous reports, then one
prolonged mighty dir, and each
scurrying. trembling worSmcn was
envclored in great uprising cloud
of dust AID broken plaster. Grad
ualIy the air cleared, and few Of
the harder spirits venturod back
inside, and whers before story roso
above story in mathematical pre-
cision, and with every appearance
OF colossal strength and durability,
now mounted fantastic heap o.
debris, while l3O feet above Was
empty save for bent, distorted beams
that here and there projected from
the walls.
The experimenting contractors
were summoned and took Il survey
of The wreck. Neither seem TO
have any idea Of ,he cause OF the
accident, OR If he had any he care
fully kept his cpinIons 10 himself
and jo;ned in the self congratu'a
tions of the worEmen that the acei
d>nt d d no,shappen tho preceding
day wien scores OF men were al
work. Chief Swccnie, of the fri
department, visited The scene, aud
after looking over the structure de
cided that ii woaId not be necessary
to pull down The walls mt once, as
though they seemed out OF plumb
there was no immediate danger oi
their falling. The building, which
was rapidly approaching compile
ton, is considered ono of the finest
in the city from he stan,lpoints OF
convenience. atrengih and architect
ural magn;ficence. lis upper sto
ries were OF pressed brick, the three
lower Of stone. The roof WAS com
pleted about three eeks ago. The
Inferior was entirely of tic, support
ed in place by massive IRON girters
Work has been pasl.ed as rapidly
| us rcss bic, and tho contractor:
have ut times literally filed The
structure with workmen,
Yesterday the iron tanks intend
cd to hold water for the elevator
ROVER arrived III the b1ilding. Ont
Of these Weighing $500 pounds was
hoistcd to the twelfth story. while
another, about SEQ pounds Lighter
WAS placed in position to be elcvat
| ed tom rrow. 1t is presumed that
tile settling of the building caused
the first break. The tiles of which
.he Aooys are made Et togethe
like keystoncs AMI depend on each
other for support. Any extension
of the splice conGning them wo I'D
ie.c to allow the entire mass IL
drop out. In the fearful series o.
concussions this tiling was groanl
into dust.
Notwithstanding the great heigh'
Of the building, the land On whlci
it stands is not more than 80 fcs
SQUIRE. Th, design WAS to utilize
every inch TO the utmost. Sever
stories has until lately been abou
the average in that neighborhood
and the t,rerin., sky piercing g
bic and graceful towers OF the Wv
ing's building were II most impress
i've aDd picturesque sight, cen from
the highest OF the surrounding
roofs. The exterior still looks as
beautiful and commanding rs ever
the shell showing absolutely nothing
TO indicate tI.at vii hin is a jagged
hoe 25 feet square, reaching u
through story after story.
The architects are Cobb Il Frost
Who have the contract to plan tE'
great New Berry Library here. toI
which many millions Of dollar;
havo been bequeathed. Mr.. Ow-
inus, Boston capitalist, after whoE
tho wrecked building was named. !!
the owner. No information as Il
the probable loss or what was to b'
done could lie obtained from any
persons around the wreck, Ever,
ore who wonlA be likely TO know hat
apparently been cautioned TO mann
tain silence.
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A compromise has been reached