Clock Tower Collapse

ELLWANGER, STREET, WEIGLE, WOOD, PLEINS, LAY, BELL, DUNKLEY, CANTILLON

Posted By: J. Nicks (email)
Date: 3/13/2006 at 13:36:21

Daily Times May 28, 1872
Dubuque, Iowa

(partial story...)
Victims -
The workmen were energetically engaged all day yesterday cleaning away the debris at the scene of ruin occassioned by the fall of the town clock tower on Saturday evening. It was found that the self-constituted corps of workmen who had undertaken the task of rescuing Bell & Co.'s stock of goods did their part most thoroughly, and few pieces of goods were found among the ruins in the clearing up process yesterday.

The question of rebuilding on the site of the ruins in one yet unsettled. There is no doubt the ground will be immediately occupied by a building, but of what kind or by whom is entirely indefinite at present. It has been suggested that the proprietors of the ground, Messers. F. Weigle, Geo. D. Wood and Henry Pleins unite and erect a large three story marble front block; aother suggestion is that the proposed opera house be located there. But the latest advices are that Mr. Weigle will extend the building occupied by Dr. Lay, to Main street, so it will front in line with the other buildings on the street. Mr. Wood is undecided, but will either build a block himself or sell to a purchaser who will. Mr. Bell and one or two others have offered to buy the ground for that purpose but we have not learned that any proposition of the kind has been accepted. Mr. Pleins will continue operations on his original plans.

Nothing has been decided about the town clock, although it is the expressed intention to replace it at the earliest practicable moment. Should a suitable building be erected where the tower formerly stood it will be put there again, if not another convenient spot will be chosen.

Mrs. Ellwanger, the last of the three victims of the disaster, died at half-past eight o'clock last night, Miss street had died at 4 o'clock Monday morning; Mrs. Ellwanger's child had been taken out of the ruins dead. The ultimely (sic) fate of these has worked havoc in their family. The aged mother, weighed down by grief, swooned away in the street last night, when being conveyed from the bedside of her dying daughter, and the father has nearly lost his reason. Mrs. (sic) Chas. Dunkley, son of Mrs. Ellwanger (sic) by a former husband, arrived in the city, accompanied by his wife, last night.

Connor Cantillon will probably hold an inquest in the affair.

We hear runors on the street that legal litigation will grow out of the affair, and that is is probable action will be brought by injured parties to recover damages.

in the next column:
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DIED.
ELLWANGER - In this city, Monday the 27th inst., at 8 1/2 p.m., Emma, wife of Herman A. Ellwanger, aged 23 years.
ELLWANGER - in this city, Saturday the 25th inst., Bertha Anna, daughter of A & E Ellwanger, aged 9 months.
STREET - In this city, Monday the 27th inst., at 4 a.m., Hanna Street, aged 11 years.

The funerals of the above mentioned persons will take place this afternoon, 2 o'clock from P. Ellwanger's residence opposite Heeb's Brewery, on Couler Avenue. Services at the First Presbyterian Church at 2 1/2 p.m., Friends of the family are invited to attend.
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Previous news story stated that Hanna Street is the (?half) sister of Emma Dunkley Ellwanger.
The sentence above about "Mrs." Chas. Dunkley and Mrs. Ellwanger probably has mistakes with titles and names.