The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1915-03-19

rushed to the open door and called to
the workmen To get out.
1 Dan Schwerkart, carpenter, stat.
F, Cd that he and Mr.. Busch noticed the
wall cracking when Hack had Just
! put a needle hole through. Mr.. Busch
FASTENED to give the alarm.
Tho two teams that were in the
building belonged 10 Will Page and
Henry Benning.
Excavation Under Foundation.
This situation" said George Pass.
the architect who drew the plans, us
this: The men excavated about FIVE
feet lower than the old foundation.
! The old foundation went four feet be-
low the surface, of the ground. They
left a slope of earth TO hold the old
wall and foundation In its place. but
the slope was not strong enough.
They dug too close to the foundation,
! that was all
"They dug right under the founda-
ton itself, but that was not where
the wall gave way. The men had been
drilling holes through the wall, and
putting through needles or wooden
beams. which were supported with
jackscrews. The earth caved away
from under the wall near the rear
end along the alley. At the very back
there was an excavation right under
the wall itself. Here the wall was sup.
ported, and foundation did not give
way here. / believe II the men had
stayed five or six feet away from the
wall in doing their digging, the cav.
ing in would not have occurred.
Has Been Done Before.
Such work as was undertaken
with that old building, digging under
walls, and building foundations under
them. Is a very common thing. II will
be remembered that when the Cough.
lan-Hickey building was erected next
TO the George Klein building, that very
thing was done with George Klein's
wall. The excavation for the Cough
lan-Hickey building went down seven
feet below George Klein's wall. BE.
fore any digging was done under the
wall Il was secured with jack-screws
and needles. A seven-foot wall was
put under that wall to make the old
wall absolutely secure. could tell
you of other places where the same
thing has been done.
81 suppose this will mean that the
whole building Is 10 come away. The
plans for improvement include n
whole new front running back four
teen feet from the sidewalk line. IL
that Is carried out, Il will leave so
little or the old building. that ! sup.
pose the whole thing might as well
come down. The cave-in seemed like
a big thing nj first. hut The loss will he
small. u was q poor, building at the
beginning. To hazard q guess, ]
should say that the cost OF the new
building would be about $4,000 more
on account of the collapse OF the old
one. Perhaps tho accident will not
cost that much.
One thing that Is remarkable is
tho escape. OF John T.. McCalire,
the teams,-r, who was out in the alley
with his horses. The building fell
around him and his team, but they
escaped in a most remarkable man.
ner.
Men Were Warned.
Earlier in the afternoon, Mr.. Busch
had noticed that the wall along The
alley was cracking. and he warned
the men, and gave order 10 have /.
liked up and supported. This was he.
ing done with needles and jlckscrews.
] was over in my office shortly h'"H'
the thing happened. when Mr.. Busch
telephoned TO me to come over. When
got there. Mr.. Busch was standing
out In front OF tho building. calling
IN the men To come out. i told you To
get ont OF there ] heard him cry.
Some of tho men did not coma out
rs fast as he wanted them to como
and that was why he kept calling 10
Them After they were all out went
down into the place and I saw the
earth crumbling away under the wall.
I was the last man in the building be-
fore the collapse. When I came ont
! told the men they had better stay
out. did not know how long the men
had to get out after they received their
first warning before the smash came.
perhaps Il was FIVE or six minutes"
r,em Mondays DaIi..
That 80 per cent Of the fallen wom-
en- in the segregated districts of the
great cities OF this country are not