TOO MUCH RAIN ...BUILDING COLLAPSES

By MARK TODD - Staff Writer - mtodd@starbeacon.com
Star Beacon

July 09, 2008 12:39 pm

— CONNEAUT — Heavy rain that drenched Conneaut late Tuesday afternoon is being blamed for a building collapse in the heart of the city’s downtown district.
No one reportedly was injured in the collapse of a vacant building at 193 Main St., officials said. Harbor Street (Route 20) between Main and Liberty streets was closed to traffic immediately after the incident and was expected to remain off-limits during the evening.
The roof on the unoccupied brick building gave way shortly after 4:30 p.m., taking with it a large section of the rear. For many years, the building was the home of Conneaut’s Eagles Club and more recently housed a coffeehouse, which closed in 2007.
Fire Chief Bim Orrenmaa said it appeared water on the roof failed to drain, possibly the result of a plugged downspout. The water probably created too much weight for the roof to support, he said.
“Two hundred fifty gallons of water is equivalent to a ton of weight,” Orrenmaa said.
A section of the wall facing Route 20 was cracked and bowed, alarming officials. A private contractor brought a power shovel to the scene and knocked away loose bricks, which posed an immediate hazard to Harbor Street traffic.
The building was erected in 1918, according to the Ashtabula County Auditor’s Office Web site.
Rudy Pryately Sr., of Conneaut, who has owned the building for the past several years, watched sadly as the big shovel knocked bricks to the sidewalk below. Passers-by offered him their condolences. Pryately was unsure about the structure’s immediate future and was anxious to get inside to see what contents could be saved.
“We’re hoping to salvage some of it, maybe (both floors) of the front,” he said.
Pryately told bystanders and city officials he had no insurance on the structure.
A structural engineer from CT Consultants, the city’s engineering firm, was summoned to the scene to evaluate the building and offer a recommendation, said interim City Manager Edward Somppi.
The partial demolition began shortly after utilities to the building were disconnected. Bricks and masonry kicked up plenty of dust as they were knocked to the ground, despite a steady rain.
A large crowd gathered to watch the work, and individuals snapped plenty of cellular telephone photos at the start but drifted away as the rain worsened.
The fire department’s ladder truck lifted two firefighters close to the exposed second floor, allowing them to examine the upstairs debris for any possible victims.

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