Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1899-11-02
" ALLS FALL.
Three Persons Killed in Col
lapse Of a Building.
FIRE ADDS TO TERROR.
Six Smaller Structures LeveIed in the
Crash-Scores of Close Escapes-
FIremen Believe Mill Dusu
Explosion the Cause.

Chicago, Nov. s.-The big six-story
brick building at 139 and 141 West Lake
street split in halves yesterday after
noon and crashed down upon six frame
structures TO the east and west OF it.
Big buildings and little buildings alike
We're broken into splinters. Fire came
to add terrors to the scene, and in a
few minutes almost half block that
an hour before had been busy with
buying and selling and manufacture
ing looked as if cyclone had swept
over it.
What caused the accident no one can
prove. The big brick structure, which
was owned by c. T. Boal, of 1882 Michi-
gan boulevard, and occupied by the S.
+. Leonard Seed company, was thought
by some to have broken under the
weight of the seeds stored in it or
through faults of construction. 1t was
rumored that it had been condemned
by the city short time ago, although
1t is only two years since it was built.
Its fall proved it to have been but
shell of building.
Others thought that it was wrecked
by an explosion, which is said to have
taken place a few minutes before in
the mill or feed store OF the New Eng
land Milling company, two doors to the
west. Circumstantial accounts of the
explosion or of a series of explosions
are given by witnesses of the catastro-
phe, but other witnesses are Just as
positive in their denials that any ex-
plosions occurred.
All of the buildings We're occupied at
the time of the collapse, which hap
pened shortly before o'clock in the
ing incidents in the rush for safety.
That dozens OF people We're not killed
was the wonder. AS it was three men
were buried in the ruins and three per-
sons We're reported missing last even
ing by the police.
The dead are:
Doctor, Joseph 3.
Hanson, Franklin S.
Hilton, Henry.
The missing:
aIullens, Charles.
Unidentified woman 4
Williams, G.
The injured:
Peyton, Frank.
Adams, w. b.
The first indication that the occu-
pants of the brick building had that
they were in danger was rumbling
noise and 4 slight shaking of one OF
(the walls. Mr.. Leonard was sitting
at his desk on the first floor attending
to his correspondence. He jumped to
his feet and gave an alarm. Already
the forty or fifty men and women
employed above had been frightened
and were seeking escape. They rushed
in all direction, and most of them left
the building at the rear.
In the feed store in front of the
brick mill of the New England Milling
company, where several lives were lost,
the warning that came was according
to reports very similar in nature, but
in the low frame building it did not
seem serious and was not needed.
Mr.. Hanson, with his bookkeeper,
Fl. Hilton, and other employees were at
work on the upper floor. A stranger,
A. c. Taylor, was with them to make
some purchase, and he ran out the
back way. The others did not heed
his call and remained to their destruc-
tion.
Fire Marshal Campion, who was in
charge Of the tiremen at the beginning
OF the fire, and who stayed on the
scene until a late hour with Chief
Swenie, is OF the opinion that there was
an explosion beyond any question.
Most of the fremen agreed with him,
and Chief Swenie seemed inclined to
that view, although he would not eX-
press positive opinion. The only way
this theory can be taken is that the
force OF the explosion was directed
largely to the side, and that the brick
building, occupied by the Leonarls,
was of so poor construction that even
the comparatively light shock at the
bottom was enough to topple it over.
The men who think there was no
explosion and that the brick building
fell Independently owing to its weak
bracing say that the heavy burden of
seeds it vas bearing would have tended
to press the walls down and give them
greater power of resistance against the
force directed against them from with
out. They argue that even if there
was an explosion it could not have
been strong enough to produce the
result.
Captain Joseph Mccormick, of engine
company AZ was in the second group Of
firemen to arrive. He went with his
men to the rear of the burning build
ing in Eagle street, the little lane in
between Randolph and Lake streets.
There he was directing hosemen throw
ing wafer into the ruins, when sudden
ly he saw a part OF the wall of the big
brick building beginning to fall. ii
came crashing to the southwest, push
ing the frame buildings to the ground.
He had only time to jump into the
rear door OF the meat market facing
on Market street and owned by Ar
mold RrnS With him, ,ra, Tam Rroar