Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-09
COLLAPSED AGAIN.
A Sinking Wall Throws EbIe's Drug Store
Out Of Plumb-The City May be Sued


A Sinking Wall Throws EbIe's Drug Store
Ont of Plumb-The City May be Sued
for Damages.
The drugstore building of Charles Eble,
No. 5000 Penn avenue, East End, collapsed
again lost Saturday evening, and created no
little excitement in the immediate vicinity.
The east wall sank, throwing the building
out of plum from 12to IA inches. 1t first
began to crack at $50 Saturd ay evening.
The children of Mr.. Anton Wolfe, of the
Wolfe House, next door, were at the time
playing on the piano. They heard a rat
Ting sound, interspersed with thumps and
cracks. They thought it was in their out
house, and did not know how to account for
it. At last they became SO frightened that
they rushed from the room, leaving the
lights burning and the piano open. They
did not tell their ghost story to their parents
for fear Of being laughed at.
Later Mr.. Wolfe was disturbed by un-
canny sounds issuing from all parts OF the
house. Thinking it was the electric light
wires, he turned the current off and grouped
around the house with candle until A.
M, searching for the author of the sounds.
At last be concluded something was wrong
in Mr.. Eble's building next door. He
thought of everything but the right cause.
In the morning he went up for Mr.. Eble,
and together they proceeded to examine the
building, Mr.. Wolfe telling him that there
was ghost either in Mr.. Eble's building or
his own.
Just as thev were about to 60 into the
building Mr.. Wolfe glanced up and saw the
big gap between the two buildings, and the
two rushed back, not daring to enter. A
little later Building Inspector Charles Hott-
man came along and a barricade was placed
in front. Croft & Hineman, the jewelers.,
occupying the first building east of the
shaky structure, were notified and removed
their goods to the back part of their store.
The building was propped up and was being
watched last night. T. j. Brady, the
plumber, was also ready to move at a
moments notice.
a crowd stood gazing at the building all
day from the opposite side of the street. 1t
will be remembered that the building had
like experience last August. It had just
been purchased BY Mr.. Eble for SIC, 400, and,
after collapsing, was taken down and the
present structure put up, with S. Munsch
as arcnltect, ana y. h1lcKer, OF Al1eSnenlJ
as contractor. Mr.. Eble said the new build
ing and site were worth about ST., 900.
The contractor and Architects Munsch,
Orth and Frazier will hold meeting at 10
o'clock this morning to determine what
shall be done with the building and the
cause of the cave in. Mr.. Eble said that it
was undoubtedly produced by the sewage
from the adjacent lots leaking into the
cellar and undermining the foundation.
There is a possibility that the city may be
mixed up in the affair on account of its fail
ure to put in the sewer on Kirkwood street
in the rear sooner, it being claimed that if
there had been an outlet provided for the
water, the building would not have fallen.
1t is possible that it may be prouped up,
and new foundation built. II not, it will
again have to be torn down. This will be
denide6 at the Meeting this morning.