The Day the Wind Took Down Tacoma’s New Buildings
A fierce storm topples a nearly finished commercial building, claiming the life of a prominent contractor and leaving a city in shock.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
A terrible disaster occurred in Tacoma on May 13th, when a severe windstorm caused the collapse of a new two-story building under construction at the corner of Twentieth Street and Tacoma Avenue. The structure, being built for business purposes, was intended to be three stories high. Because the large fronts were open and the wind had no outlet, the pressure forced the sides out, causing the front and rear to fall together with a terrific crash. About twenty persons were in the building at the time, seeking shelter from the storm. The cries of the wounded and dying were heart-rending. Walter J. Bates, one of the most prominent contractors in the town, was killed in the collapse. Others confirmed dead include Gervaise, a lather from Ottawa; Frank W. McConnell, a carpenter from Lawrence, Kansas; and Thomas H. Bell, a carpenter from Charlottetown, Prince Edward's Island. Thousands flocked to the scene, and it was almost impossible for the police to keep the surging mass back off the ruins. Hundreds of willing hands volunteered to clear away the debris to reach those imprisoned beneath the heavy timbers. It is said that the building was not very substantial, as the studding used was only 2x4 inches, making the structure top-heavy and liable to topple.
“Prayers and moans were mingled together, and it was all the brave-hearted firemen and workmen could do to maintain their composure.”
Building safety and structural integrity remain a flashpoint in modern Seattle, where rapid development often raises questions about construction shortcuts. This tragedy from 1890 mirrors contemporary concerns about density, oversight, and the deadly consequences of prioritizing speed over safety in urban growth.
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