The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1898-03-18
COLLAPSED.
Walls of the Young Mems Build
ing Fall.
Wind Sends a Mass of Brick and Nor
tar Through Adjoining Buildings
With Heavy Loss.

Co.'S building Monday, and in
the fall great damage was wrought.
All the forenoon the walls waved
back and forth as the full force of the
gale was felt upon them, and crowds
stood at the street corner and won
dered whether they would give way.
Recognizing the danger, Jno. @. Noe
made complaint to Inspector Hal
stead, who in turn notified Mayor
Pau and Chief Wagon. The latter
had the streets cut off from travel.
blocking approach by Team from both
directions as a matter Of safety. W.
II Pay and DR.. Grant moved their
families out Of danger, and it is to
this foresight that 40 loss of life re-
suited from the fall of the walls. A
request was also made to Klein
schmidt Bros to brace the west wall,
but the request was made too late.
The wind increased in velocity as
the day wore on, and by dinner time
it blew a regular gale. The weaving
of the walls became more pronounced,
and the number of spectators increas-
ed. At about n o'clock the Second
street wall went down with a crash.
and was followed Immediately after
wards by the Hickory street wall.
The dust had hardly cleared away be-
fore the real wall went in, and then
the west wall fell outward. 1t was
several moments before the dust had
cleared away sufficiently to observe
how much damage had been inflicted.
Tons of brick and mortar fell upon
the two buildings on the west, owned
by John G. Noe and B. D. Pay & Son.
Mr.. Noes building was almost ami
hilated. The roof was crushed into
the ceiling of the first floor, which
raj partially crushed. About the
only thing remaining unframed was
the big front plate glass and the floor.
The first floor furniture also escaped.
Mr.. Noe places his damages at $4,000.
The building was insured for 2 $500,
and between the insurance compan-
les, the Young Mems Investment Co.
and the city, he states that he pro-
poses to be reimbursed. Mr.. Noe and
Geo. T. Barr had their offices on the
first floor, and D. L. Rose was there
temporarily.
The second story was occupied by
DR.. and Mrs. Grant as a residence,
and they lost all of their furniture
and a quantity of medicine. Their
loss will not be much less than 81, 900.
W. FL. Pay and family occupied the
second story of the east end of B. D.
Pay & Sons livery barn as a residence.
1t is now completely obliterated, and
has the appearance of having been
struck by a cyclone. About the only
thing saved of all their household
goods was a cupboard full of dishes,
which were uninjured. The loss on
furniture and household goods will
not be far from 81, 900, and there was
an insurance of $3.50 On the furniture.
The family will probably reside with
Mr.. and Mrs. B. D. Pay until other
arrangements can be made.
B. D.. Pay & Son are heavy losers on
their building, which is insured for
S2,250. It will take upwards of $500
to put it back to where it was.
B. d. Pay and family were in their
house when the walls fell, but fortu-
nately no damage was done to their
house other than the breaking of some
window panes. The exemption of
this house was wholly due to the d.
~rection of the wind.
The fire department was called out
and extinguished the fires in the
stoves in the two buildings that were
crushed in. A stream from a chemi-
cal was sufficient for this. The work
of clearing out the debris, IL order to
save what could be saved from the
household effects was begun at once
and pushed vigoro usly.
The questions as to who is to blame,
If anyone, for. the. accident, and who
will have to stand the loss, are being
asked on all hands. There is a de-
versity of opinion expressed, and it
will probably take the courts to de-
eide, as the losers will certainly look
to someone to reimburse them.
A prominent contractor, who has
put up some of the largest buildings
in the'city, stated to a Free Press re-
porter this afternoon that the walls
would not have been safe to rebuild
with. He states that they should
have been anchored or braced at once
after the fire, in which case no acct
dent like that of today could possibly
have occurred.
The insurance companies telegraph
ed in the forenoon that the loss was
total and they would pay the full in
surance of S18,5 500 on the building.
The Y. M. /. Bldg. %. let the con-
tract to Mic Kleinschmidt to remove
the walls, and the papers were signed
just before dinner.