The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-10-07
IN OF
A BIG BUILDING
ives Way Under a Heavy
Strain.
FARM IMPLEMENTS RUINED
Warehouse of Mccormick Harvester
Company Tumbles at Fortunate
Hour and No One is Hurt-Loss
Probably Covered.

scene of absolute chaos met the eye
Of Mr. W. X. Bache. general agent 70,
the Mccormick branch of the Interna.
tiona1 Harvester Company. when he wen,
to his store. NO. 1854 East Main Street
yesterday morning. at the usual time tc
begin his weeks work.
AS a resu4l OF the crashing in of the
second and third floors of the large
building. there is spectacle OF confu.
sion. Thousands OF dollars worth OF
farming implements being mixed with
the dust and stone and wood of the
building all piled together in shapeless
mass of ruin
The collapse came at 4 o'clock yester-
Gay morning, before NIr.9Bache or any
OF his ten Or fifteen employees had come
from their homes. The sound OF the
crash was distinctly hard at the market
near by the whole earth being Jared
in that section OF the city. Had it come
a few hours later there is hardly ground
to hope that some one or perhaps many
would not have been killed. The chaotic
picture attracted a great many curious
persons all during yesterday. No less
than thousand pople viewed the scene
Of wreck
DAMAGE HARD TO FIX.
1t could not be learned what was
the probable damage to the luiraing
or to the stock. but it is estisn1Eed that
ma chinery to the amount OF certainly slo.-s
Geo is buried in the debris Some of this
may not be completely ruined but. of
course. the greater portion OF it Is rem
dcrec worthless. The building is a three
story one, and each floor was stacked
With heavy farm machinery. The build
iye is quite long one and 1t is COIN
ciccnce that the caving was confined to
tire middle. the back and front OF the
house remaining practically intact The
office is in the front part and Is in al
most perfect order The rear OF the build
ing is also In good shape, but perhaps
twenty-five feet OF each OF the floors In
the middle of the building went down.
the top floor falling first and carrying
the second to the bottom with an AWFUL
crash.
The upper wall. which was OF brick also
fell In for about one-third OF the way In
the middle OF the house. aud the scene
is one Of chaos and confusion.
TIE PROBABLE CAUSE.
It is thought the catastrophe was
caused by the weakening OF the upper
wall under the heavy burden OF so much
machinery. It will be recalled that the
Chesapeake & Ohio Railway brought al
the property from its new depot down to
the house where the trouble came. and
tore the houses down, which were built
close up to No. 1884.
Still It was thought the building was
safe the walls as left having been pro-
nounced all right by prominent archi-.
tect.
)! II is not known what Mr.. Bache will
DO but he will no doubt, have the build
ing reconstructed In short time. He
wired his house yesterday and wilt heaP
shortly. He did not know whether his
people carried insurance against s -
damage but he rather thought so. ~
said in all likelihood. the company would
lose nothing in the end.
The store OF Messrs. NJ Rosenbloom q
Sons. No. 1886. was slightly damaged as
a result OF the Jar. and some OF his
stock was damaged by falling plasterlns.
etc. Mr.. Rosenbloom says he will seek
to recover from the Mccormick Conn
pany.