The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-02-18
As a Fourteen Story Building Falls.
Ono of the Loftiest Oflce Edihces
in America Collapsos.
Beginning With tho Tenth Floor,
Each Lowor Ono Gives Way,
Leaving Four Storlos and the Roof
in n Shal,y Position.
Fortunately, II Bolng Sunday, Only
Few Workmon We're on Hand
They all Eacaped and No
body Else Was injured.

CmcA0o, H., Feb, l7.-Onc Of the tall
est office buildings in America collapsed
this morning. A number OF workmeu
rushed out just in time to escape being
crushed under the mountain of wrcckage.
Tho Owugs block is in ruins. 1t was
beautiful gothic structure, fourteen stories
high, situated at the corner OF Dearborn
and Adams streets, just opposite the post
Office, In the ccntcroi the business district.
The ten lower stories iell In, one after an
other leaving the walls, four upper floors
and the roof standing in decidedly
shaky condition. In the tenth story the
tile flooring WIS defective or was damaged
10y the natural settling OF the building.
Without the slightcs, warning the great
mass Of tiles and rirding forming the in
iurcd floor crashed to the story below, car-
rying 1t with it, and the two together, act
! ing like huge picdriycr, pounded a way
! for themselves to the bottom.
About l25 workmcn have been steadily
engaged In the building, but today being
SUNDAY less than dozen were on hand.
All were Ia the basement, when. at $50
o'clock, an omlnous cracking aud tre-
mCnduus crash was heard No one siop-
ped to inquire the cause but rushed ppll-
mcll into the street They were nota
moment too soon. \ succession OF
hundcruug reports, then one prolon gci
| mighty lin and each scurrying, trembling
| workman WIS cnyclopcd m great up-
! rising cloud Of dust and broken plnstet.
! Gradually the air cleared and a few OF tho
harder spirits vcnturcd back inside.
! Whrrc before story rose above story oast
| OF the central skylight Ia mathematical
precision, aud with every appearance Of
colossal strength aud durability, now
mounted
FANTASTIC MAR or DEBRIS
while the space l3O feet above was empty,
safe Tor bent aud distorted iron beams that
here aud there projected from tho walls.
The superintendent aud contractors woro
summoned aud took survey OF the wreck.
Mother sucmcd 10 have any idea ul tho
cause 0i the accident OF II lac had any, he
carefully kept his opinions % himself, and
Joined Ia the scli-congmlulations oil the
| work moh that tho accident did not happen
the preceding day whon sconcs of men
| Wrrr nt work. Chief SWcnic. of tho fro
| department, visited the scene, and after
| looking over thc structure decided that it
would not be- necessary tO pull down the
walls at once, us, though they seemed 10
be- uut ol plumb. there Waa mo- immediate
danger OF their falling in. The building,
which was rapidly approaching compile
! ton, WIS considered one ~ the finest In
| the city from the sinnlppInts Of con-
ycnicncc, strength and architectural mag
uilccnc'. H. upper stories were OF pressed
! brick, the three lower NJ stone. The roof
was completed about thrcc weeks ago.
| The interior was entirely Of tile supported
In place 10y massive iron Rirdcrs.
WORK mas nEEN rusnEp - RAPIDLY
~ possible, and the contractors have at
times literally filled tho structure with
| Wofkmcn. Yesterday thrcc iron tanks,
intended 10 hold wiicr Tor the elevator,
| arrived at the building. ono OF these,
weighing Z. 200 pounds, was hoistcd 10 tho
twelfth story, while another, about 800
pounds lighter, va, placed la position TO
| be- elevated tomorrow
10 tho seust OF the shaft extending
through the ccutcr OF the bulldog the
walls aud loon OF tile had been completed
and work had been begun on the iron
staircase. Tho immediate cause Of tho
| collapse was undoubtedly the giving way
| oi the tile flooring at tho tenth story. This
! the ruins show Tell to the floor below,
! knocking out more tiling. which fell
| through. gaining In weight until tho
| Hnh story was reached when the
| falling mtss tore away the iron
beams ON this and the iIur below, bend.
ing them out ui shape anl shaking tho
walls ui the foundation. II is presumed
that the srttling oi thchuiliing caused tho
hrt break. The tiles oi which thc iioors
are male it together like kpysloncs. aud
depend on each other ior support. Any
extension oi the space cunhning them
would tend Ia allow tho entire mass 10
drop out
in the fearful series Of conclusions this
tilng WIS ground into dust High mp ON
other sido great patches are torn out OF
the interior crOss walls. lts displacement
from plumb Is not particularly noticeable
tp the inexperienced eve. but great cracks
run oil irom the ccnlcr lihc strands in
A0tGANricsri wEn
There was much comment among tho
business men who CunergsIiri AFTER lhe
wreck Tho very iIgt Chat ih' accident
WIS entirely unforeseen seemed 10 Gc gen,
orally considered the most 'rriuus phase OF
H. "Suppusc,' said one spectator ihN
/ A had moi happened iur a month or two,
] MIlNn IIIt NNllAlNa WtA" AA.NN N'NHiI''N.fs
notwithstanding the great height oi tho
building. the land on which il stands IA
not morc than fifty feet square. The de-
sign wis to utilize every inch 90 the ut
most. Seven stories hls until lately been
about the average in that ncishborhood,
and the tpcrng sky-p.Cuing gable and
graceful towns OF the Owings building
were most Impressive and plctur-
ra1uc sight, even from the high
, ed of the surrounding roofs.
, The exterior still looks rs beautiful
, an c1mman ling o. ever the she'll show
, Ing absolutely nothing 10 indicate that
within Is a Jagged hole twenty five feet
s1uarc. reaching up through story after
story. The architects are Cobb 4 frost,
who have the contract 90 plan the great
Ncwhcffy Library here, for which many
, million dollars have been hclucathed.
4. R. Owings, Boston capitalist, ailer
I whom the vfrcacd building was named,
( l. the owner No Information as to the
, probnbo Io-. ur Nhat was To be done
I could b., obtdngl from any person around
I. Tho vrra Every one who would m
a Hkrl, iu know hal appaWuuy been eae
] ILL.,. .....I.sIN glltupu.