The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-09-28
BANK WALL FAIL Is
IN DEAD OF NIGHT
Front of the First Nationals
Building Crashes Into
Street
CORNER UNDERMINED
IN EXCAVATION WORK.
Digging Out of New skyscraper
Weakens Foundation of Bank
Causing it to Topple-Doing
Business in New Quarters.

With Its own building uninhabita~
ole, cracked TO the foundations. filled
with sections OF the roof and falling
debris, the office force of the First
National Bank is snugiy housed in
the building formerly occupied by tho
National Bank of Virginia, at Eiev-
enth and Main streets and Ii work.
ing away at the banking game quietly
and orderly as II nothing had hap. II
pened to disturb It.
Wednesday night shortly after 1870
O'Clock the northeast corner OF the
First Nationals building collapsed.
The foundations had become weak
ened by the excavation being made
next door for the proposed Virgins
Building Corporations skyscraper.
and suddenly gave way II
A section OF the east wall OF the
bank building fell into the pit. part
of the front tumbled out into Main
street. practically blocking 1t with
pieces of stone and great piles oE n
bricks and broken timbers.
Messrs. John r. Wilson q Co. had
the contract for the Virginia Bufld4s
ing Corporations building, but had
sublet the excavation contract to
ASSSis. l. Nh AAQuKH@
representatives of this latter concern
declare that they had nothing TO a.
with underpinning the walls OF tna
First National building and are con-
sequenty not responsible for the dam
age.
Had Warned Contractor.
City Building Inspector Beck had
sent a number OF warnings to me
general contractor In charge OF the
work notifying him that the waliS Of
the be1k building were not being SUI
dcientt' supported The contractors
believed. however. that they had exer~
cised the proper precaGtion. having
put In number Of props. and were
more than surprised Wednesday night
when the props gave way allowing
the wall to collapse.
No one was In the building wh0n
the wall fell. though Watchman !. B
Farrar. connected with the MerchartM
National Bank. just across the Streek
narrowly escaped injury from failing
material. Hearing a rumbIing SOUND.
he entered the building to see what
was the matter. Suddenly he felt
the floor tilt, and rushed from the
structure barely In time to save HIM
self from falling stones. bricks ami
timbers Two members OF the city
police force we're on the block at the
time. and they telephoned the police
and fire departments and notified tho
officers of the bank
Engage Other Quarters.
President John b. Purcell and Vice
president Fred Noting immediately
opened negotiations with President
William III. Habliston, of the National
Bank of Virginia. and procured for
temporary quarters the building until
recently occupied by that Institution.
now merged with the Bank OF Rich
mono. @
10 re REPAIRED At Once.
Inc damages to the First Nationa3
building nave not been accurately CO.
timateo. and probably will not be Tor
some tine' as u is nor yet possible
$3.50. :. n M, 1he uaAses - lHo - M
however, and "a worrman hava g.
ready been engaged to begin tyrm~.s
diately the repairs. II IL thou1hf thss
the First NatIonars ONCE force vriii
be In Its old quarters within fhtr4V
days.
AS soon as possible after the walls
fell members OF the force were g.
sembled and hagan the transfer az th1S8
hooks and FURNITURE intn the femnn-S
rary Headquarters. The vaults WERE !
opened ana the cash ana sec,rr4tfasnz
taken to the yault In fra Nationafz
Bank OF Virginia huilding. @S
Such desks ana chairs !. could -
recovered were then carried OUT alon.rsA
with the books and records. sn6
shortly after o'clock Was1nss i.s q
morning the First National Hanie y
opened its doors ready FOR buaInea..
While a comnaratiyelv sYnafI No.
Of the wall OF the FIRST Nafionaf
building fan tbs front ~ TIA h,slIg1~ 7
inv lis a wrack--not an fha n,,fsixaoS
for the front walls ara ~ sniid ~
ever Int ON ths interior. TIA str,,Sssssl
tura ia three storta. htrh thA sfrrt \
f,oor being nsed for the hank nronersSs
the second for the ookkeapers' cIerk MI
ana stsnorranherr. TIA nI,nay AMOR fruS.
= kitchen and dining room NJ s'A
r.,.
hihgs are crusfafu.