The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-01-29
OVERWEIGHTED WITH SNOW
Part of the Roof of the Big Worlds Fair
Manufacturers Building Caves In.
Main Portion of the Hall Uninjured, but About
100000 Damage Done TO the Glass Cow
ering and Light Iron Work.

CHICAGO. Jan. 2s.-Great banks of snow
that rested on the roof OF the Manufacture
ers' building at the worlds fair caved
hole about 16xl00 feet in the east annex. or
nave, to-day. and caused about S10O, 900
damage. The weight of the snow before
the rain of last night and to-day was about
all that the roof could bear, and when 1t
was soaked with rain and became stiJ
heavier the crash was bound to come. Just
befOse the wreck several officers of the con.
etrnetion department. had consulta-
tiOn. and decided that If there
was cave-in anywhere it would
occur just where it did The roof there
was known to be weak. and the weight of
snow was greater than at other places on
the building. 1t was only the glass york
in the roof and the light iron-work that
gave way. The great trusses that span the
central arch of the building and those that
support the naves are still intact and not
at all injured. The officers and contractors
say that they would stand the weight of
all the snow the clouds could drop on them,
Machinery hall also suffered greatly. The
great weight of snow. Ice and water that
poured into the valleys between the cylln-
drical portions of the roof of the big machin
trusses, and with noise that echoed
through the structure like artillery, q sec-
tion of the roof 14x50 feet collapsed, sl-
lowing an avalanche of snow and to
slide into the building. No one was in
jured, ond gangs or men were put to work
quickly to clear out the valleys so that no
more of the roof would fall. There is not
the slightest possibility of any portion of
the main roof. the great trussed cy lindrical
affair, being affected by the great weight.
The agricultural and transportation
buildings suffered also. The roofs OF both
sagged a bit under the great weight of
snow and RAIN, and the interiors and deco
rations were somewhat damaged by the
water that leaked through. Several of the
other buildings were also inj ured by leaks.
but the damage is not great.
The crash that came at the manufactuF-
ere' hall was not unexpected. A few days
papers for sailors TO shovel off the snow of
the great building. All that came were
put to work. but when the fret
day was finished 1T was hardly
possible to see where they had
been at work. The labor was too peri,ous
for ordinary climbers TO attempt. A man
who made mlsstep on the roof was prac-
ticaily sure of sliding into eternity. The
sailors worked brRvely In the wind and
cold, and relieved the weight in spots, but
was almost known that some of 1t would
have TO cave. 1t Is not at all improbab BILE
that other breaks of this KIND will occur,
as the weight on the great roofs 10 enor-
put up for winter use. and the character of
the weather in recent years led the fair
people to believe that they would not have
TO prepare for such storms as have occurred
during the last month.
Chief of Construction Burnham was un-
willing to place an estimate of the damage.
Chief Engineer Shankland. when seen by
reporter on the fair grounds this morn
damage. however. and while declining to
name any figures as likely to cover the
loss. declared that the injury would not be-
very costly In financial sense.
'Why were no further efforts made to
clear off the manufacturers buildingl" he
was asked.
because IL was utterly impossible" was
the reply. Our efforts to accomplish 1t by
a chute were abOrtIve and no set of men
could have been put on the building to
necessary to tie them on. and an army Of
mon could not have cleaned 1t under such
circumstances In weeks"
At 1870 o'clock tonight President Hig-
ginbothsm declared that the reports of the
damage published in the afternoon papers
had been greatly exaggerated. The
total damage he said, will not
be ever from $4,000 to $4,000. and
nearer the former tigure than the latter.
There is no large area of glaes broken. sim
ply large pieces here and there. The dam
age will not be felt in any degree by the
fair. it being q matter belonging entirely
to the contractor. It will be repaired
immediately. and in few
days nobody will know from
the building that ANYTHING ever
happened IL. Reports that the agricultural
and transportation buildings are in dan ger
are not true. Their roofs are not sagging
nor is there any probability that they will
sag They are absolutely secure and in no
danger whatever"