St. Paul daily globe., 1893-01-29
DOWN WITH A CRASH.
Worlds Fair Building Badly DAM
aged.

CHICAGO, Jan. 2S.-Great banks of
snow that rested on the roof of the
Manufacturers building at the worlds
fair caved hole about 16 by 600 feet in
the east annex, or nave, today, nd
caused about 100000 damage. The
weight of the snow, before the rain of
last night and today, was about all the
roof could bear, and when it was soaked
with rain, and became still heavier, the
crash was bound to come. just before
the wreck several officers of the con-
structi0n department had a consult a.
ton, and decided that if there was a
cavein anywhere it would occur just
where it did The roof there was
known to be weak, and the Weig ht Of
snow was greater than at other places
on the building. 1t was only the glass
work in the roof and the light iron
work that gave way. The great trusses
that span the central arch OF the build
ing and those that support the nayeS
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 cylindrical portions of the roof of
the big machinery building proved
too great for the iron truSSes. and
with noise that echoed through the
structure like artillery section OF the
roof, fourteen by fifty feet, collapsed,
allowing an avalanche Of snow and
ice to slide into the building. No one
was injured, and gangs of men were
put to work quickly to clear out the
other ''vateys" SO that no more of the
roof would fall. There is not the slight
est possibility of any portion OF the main
rOof--the great truSsed, cylindrical
affair-being affected by the great
weight. The agricultural aud trans
portation buildings suffered also. The
roofs of both sagged bit under the
great weight of snow and rain. and the
interiors and decorations were some
what damaged by the water that leaked
through. Several of the other buildings
were also injured by leaks, but the
damage is not great. The crash that
came at the manufactures hall was not
unexpected. A few days ago an adver-
tiSement was inserted IN the papers for
sailors to shovel off the snow
of the great building. All
that came were put at work,
but when the first day was finished, 1t
was hardly possible to see where they
had been at work. the labor was too
perilouS for ordinary climbers to at
tempt. A man who made a misstep on
the roof was practically sure of sliding
into eternity. The sailors worked
braYely in the wind and cold and re-
lieved the weight in spots, but with
eleven acres of glass in the roof, il was
almost known that some of it would
have to cave. 1t is not at all improbable
that other breaks of this kind will oc-
cur, as the weight on the great roofs is
enormous. The worlds fair buildings
were not 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.
Not SO had as Reported.
CHICAGO, Jan. 29.-At 10:30 o'clock
tonight President Higgenbotham de-
clared that the reports of the damage
published in the afternoon papers had
been greatly exaggerated.
The total damage" he said, "will
not be over from $4,000 to $1,000, and
nearer the former figure than the
latter. There is large area of
glass broken, simply large pieces
here and there. The damage will not
be felt in any degree by the fair, it be-
ing matter belonging entirely to the
contractor. 1t will be repaired imme-
diately, and in few days nobody Will
know from the building that anything
ever happened to it. The reports that
the Agricultural and transportation
buildings are in danger is not true.
Their roofs are not sagging, nor is there
any probability that they will sag.
They are absolutely secure, and in no
danger WhateYer.