Not Ruth's fault, but this story is bogus.

The image of floors falling one on another
may remind us of the WTC collapse,
but in this case all that fell was a temporary
flooring in a small area.

This collapse was of a small corridor between
the elevator shaft and the stairs, used for
hoisting materials to the upper floors. 
The next day, the building was opened so that
curious visitors could see its condition.
The exterior walls suffered no damage.
The cost of repairs was $1500,
the repair was done in a couple of weeks,
and the building opened a few months later,
and was on the skyline for many years.

Architects Cobb & Frost did many famous
buildings in Chicago, from skyscrapers to 
libraries to grand residences.  Henry Ives Cobb
was in Europe at the time of this incident.  
Charles Sumner Frost analyzed the accident 
in the local papers.

The Tribune a few days later enjoyed mocking
the Associated Press and Eastern newspapers.
"The impression now prevails abroad
that the entire structure is a ghastly ruin ...
In some localities it is believed that the ten
lower stories fell in a heap, leaving the four
remaining stories dangling high up in the air
in some mysterious and unheard-of way."
(Chicago Tribune, February 20, 1889.
The accident date was February 17.)

On another page of the same Trib:
"An example of reckless reporting may be found
in the Associated Press dispatch from Chicago
printed in all the Eastern newspapers Monday morning:
'Chicago, Feb. 17.- The Owings block is a ruin.
The ten tower floors fell one after another,
leaving the walls, the four upper floors, and the roof
standing in a decidedly shaky condition ... .' "

Don't believe everything you read in the
Eastern newspapers.

At 07:00 PM 4/12/2010, Ruth wrote:
>But Chicago also had its building problems.  RHB
>
>The Vermont Tribune, Ludlow, Friday, February 22, 1889
>
>  2/22/1889
>
>Collapse of a Big Building
>
>Ten stories fall in at Chicago.  The tile flooring gives way and crushes to
>the bottom.
>
>OWINGS block, 14 stories high, one of the tallest office buildings in the
>country, collapsed at Chicago, last Sunday morning, a number of workmen
>barely escaping in time to save their lives.. It was a beautiful Gothic
>structure at the corner of Dearborn and Adams streets, just opposite the
>postoffice, in the center of the business district.  The 10 lower stories
>fell in, one after another, leaving the walls, the four upper floors, and
>the roof, standing in a shaky condition.  In the 10th story the tile
>flooring was defective, or was damaged by the natural settling of the
>building.  Without the slightest warning the great mass of tiles and
>girding crashed to the story below, carrying that with it, and the two
>together pounded a way for themselves to the bottom.
>
>About 125 workmen have been steadily engaged in the building, but being
>Sunday, less than a dozen were on hand.  All were in the basement when at
>8:30 an ominous cracking and crashing was heard.  All rushed pell-mell into
>the street, not a moment too soon.  A succession of thunderous reports,
>then one prolonged mighty din, and the fleeing workmen were enveloped in a
>cloud of dust and broken plaster.
>
>The building, which was rapidly approaching completion, was considered one
>of the finest in the city, from the stand-points of convenience, strength
>and architectural magnificence.  Its upper stories were of pressed brick,
>and the three lower of stone.  The roof was completed about three weeks
>ago.  The interior was entirely of tile, supported in place by massive iron
>girders.  It is thought that the settling of the building caused the first
>break.  The tiles of which the floors are made fit together like keystones
>and depend on each other for support.  Any extension of the space confining
>them would tend to allow the entire mass to drop out.  In the fall, this
>tiling was ground into dust.  The building was owned by F. R. OWINGS of
>Boston.
>
>Transcribed by Ruth Barton
>-- 
>Ruth Barton
>[log in to unmask]
>Dummerston, VT

Martin C. Tangora
University of Illinois at Chicago
[log in to unmask]

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