Omaha daily bee., 1902-10-20
CHURCH NEARLY COLLAPSES
Walls and Beams Give Way Under Pressure
Of Immense Crowd.
CONGREGATION ESCAPES WITHOUT INJURY
Jsnitor Discovers Unsafe Condition
and Preacher EmptIee the Edince
without Alarming Great
ThrOng of People.

A condition which came near being .
calamity prevailed at the First Christian
church yesterday morning. Rev. Allen Will
son OF Indianapolis was preaching when
the old colored ~janitor Of the church, Har-
rison Rose, discovered, to his surprise, that
the walls OF the church were giving way
and that the lives Of the large congre-
CATION were endangered. The preacher was
notified and the people dismissed to the
outside, where the services we're continued.
No one was injured.
Not far had the services progressed
when the old janitor found the walls in
the basement OF the building were crack
ing. Then he found that the entire wall
west Of the center beam, running length
wise Of the edifce under the floor, was
insecure and that the church auditorium
had sagged at least two and a half inches
One Of the bent beams gave way entirely
and the fears of the ~janitor were increased,
but before going up to make known his
discovery he examined still further, ind
ing that the building was In danger OF
falling any minute. In the upper part Of
the building the pspering was torn by the
gaping breaches in the walls and the
| plaster In many places had begun to fall.
What was most distressing Of all was that
the timbers that supported the hooring or
the main auditorium we're fast giving way.
Hurriedly Rose went upstairs and before
reaching the congregations room he found
Contractor Carlow, who built the edince,
to whom he related his discoveries. Carlow
understood the structure and knew there
was imminent danger. He notified Rev.
Mr.. Wilson Of the alarming situation. He
informed the minister, after as careful In
vestlgation as could be made in e brief time,
that the building was likely to go to pieces
at any moment and that prompt action was
necessary.
Ignorant of Impending Danger.
Calmly the minister announced to his
congregation, who UP to this time was en-
tirely ignorant Of the impending danger,
that the services would be continued out
| side. This announcement created no little
surprise. and even amusement was evident
In many faces. The minister wisely with
held from the people any suggestion Of the
situation. knowing that to do otherwise
would mean a panic and probably some
fatal results. In perfect keeping with the
calm manner in which the minister had
made the announcement. the congregation
arose and deliberately walked from their
pews to the outside Of the building. when
they learned of the trouble.
II NhhANh was hllNh W ~ hiO u
pacity. Even the aisles were crowded and
when Rev. Wilson told the congregation
that services would be continued outside he
thoughtfully requested that those standing
please pass out first. those in the seats
remaining seated while the ones in the
aisles and passageways left the house. The
only thought that occurred to the people
was that the church being so uncomfortable
crowded the minister had decided best to go
outside, where larger space was available.
1t was a beautiful day and ar open air
meeting did not seem a bad thing. Open
air meetings, likewise, are not uncommon
for convention times such as this was.
The church did not collapse as was feared
when the condition was first discovered, but
the opinion is that II the congregation had
remained inside some worse results might
have ensued. Not a soul was hurt and the
services seemed all the more impressive for
the incident. especially that part of the
minister's sermon in which he 30 strikingly
compared the stability and constancy Of
Gods ways and works to the insecurity Of
temporal things.