LEE COUNTY LOCAL/FAMILY HISTORY DEPT. * DONNELLSON PUBLIC LIBRARY * 500 PARK AVE. * DONNELLSON, IA * 52625 |
MAK Project: Keokuk Building's
Collapse
Mary Alma Powers Kay Project Continued from March’s Newsletter . . . . . It was just another summer evening in Keokuk, IA on June
14, 1893 when suddenly the calm turned into chaos and a three-story building at
824, 826, and 828 Main Street collapsed, taking four men down into the ruins.
This is the third installment in a series of four describing the injuries and
statements of the people involved.
TERRIFIC CRASH WITHOUT
WARNING
Three Main Street Business Blocks
Tumble to the Ground
The Pecuniary Loss
Must Come Down
The building commission of the city,
consisting of Oswald Schmied, chairman
9
of the fire committee, W.H. Jones, city
engineer, W.S. Sample, chief of the fire
department, examined the three
buildings this morning and met
immediately afterward at the city
engineer's office. The buildings were
condemned and were ordered torn down.
The owners and agents of the buildings
will go to work at once.
Among The Debris
Photographers were at the scene today
taking snap shots at the wreck.
Rumors were flying about in the crowd
that certain other men were in the ruins,
but they all proved without foundation.
Four little boys were seated on the back
porch of the Burrows' building, but got
out of the way before the crash came.
The back wall which remained standing
was barricaded last night and a
watchman put in charge to keep unwary
persons away.
Young's condition showed considerable
improvement this afternoon and his
recovery is probable, though he is still in
a critical condition.
A false fire alarm was turned in shortly
after the accident for the purpose of
drawing the crowd away so the work of
rescue could proceed more
advantageously. It did not work
however. Mr. Brellon's little child,
mentioned in the foregoing, was secured
after the crash by Wm. Higham, who
found the little one sitting in a rocking
chair in the second story back room
wearing a paper cap and rocking
unconcernedly, unconscious of the
danger just passed through.
George Charnier was passing through
the alley when the crash came and ran
around to the front of the building. On
learning of the presence of the men in
the ruins, he lifted the grating, kicked in
the cellar window and quickly got to
where pinioned men were.
All praise should be given to the men
who worked in the cellar at the probable
risk of their lives, to secure the men
from the ruins.
Among the active
workers were Wm. Sinton, George
Tryon, Isaac Stamper, Pat Mullen, J. W.
Nichols, Wm. Shepherd, Frank Conroy,
Wm. Stimpson, John Reynolds, W. S.
Sample, C. Van Hesley, M. Berryhill,
John McCormick, Dr. O. P. McDonald,
E. W. Harrison, Dr. J. C. Hughes, Mayor
Moorhead, and Sheriff Kerr, Marshal
Hardin, and the police force did effective
work in handling the crowd. In keeping with the
policy of providing free information on the internet, data
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individual submitters This page was updated April --
2009
Page Four
WALLS FALL AND FLOORS
FOLLOW
Falling Timber and Bricks Bury Four
Men
John Real and Harry Young Badly
Injured
Many Miraculous Escapes and
Moving Scenes
When Mr. Wiley bought the two
buildings that belong to him he paid
$9000 for them and they are now
practically worthless. The flour he had
stored in No. 824 was somewhat
damaged. Real and Shepherd had but
recently fitted up their place anew and
their loss will reach $500. A. Hoagland
lost his full set of carpenter's tools,
which was unusually complete and
estimates his loss at $350. Mr. Burrows'
loss will reach over $3000, though many
of his goods were saved. Mr. Burrows
stated today that it was his intention to
tear down his building and put up a new
one. Mr. Wiley is in Chicago and his
plans are not known. The buildings as
they stand are worthless and will have to
be torn down entirely before new ones
can be built.
~
Researched and submitted by Brenda
Anderson