Print Version
Email this story
Comment
Building collapses
 |
| The roof of the Kingsley Bowmen Club building on Market Street collapsed Monday after being closed Feb. 3 due to structural concerns. H&N photo by Todd E. Swenson |
Market Street collapse fourth in two weeks
By Megan Doyle
H&N Staff Writer
Marvin Schenck thought he felt an earthquake Monday. He ran outside Downtown Auto Repair and realized the source of the movement was the collapse of the Kingsley Bowmen Club building across the street. “It certainly got my attention,” Schenck said. “It rocked everything.” (Click here to see video)
Bricks and insulation were thrown from the building at 292 Market St. A power line was knocked to the ground and 13 target backstops worth $500 each were buried under snow and debris.
Bricks from an adjacent building’s wall also fell.
Downtown Auto Repair employees called 911 at about 1 p.m. Crews from Klamath County Fire District No. 1, Klamath Falls Police Department and Pacific Power responded. Streets around the building were blocked as crews worked.
The Kingsley Bowmen Club had been closed and locked since Feb. 3, and the combination was not given to its 100 members because of structural concerns due to the snow load on the roof. Daryl Colman owns the building, fire officials said.
ZCS Engineering sent engineers to examine the building as well as neighboring buildings at 284 and 300 Market St. All three buildings were found to be unsafe to occupy.
Estimated cost
Damage to the Bowmen Club building was estimated at $22,000, with an additional $9,000 worth of damage to contents, according to a press release from Klamath County Fire District No. 1.
Club members earlier had moved much of their equipment to the front of the building, where they believed it would be safer if anything happened to the building. Unfortunately, it was the front of the building that fell on Monday.
The nonprofit organization, which rents the building, hosted an archery event Friday and Saturday at the Klamath County Fairgrounds.
The building was used as a practice range for the club members and members of 4-H. It was built in the 1920s, but was nice enough, said club member Tom Nealy.
“It fit our needs well,” he said.
The range allowed archers to shoot at a target up to 40 yards away.
Two world champion archers and about five national champions used the range, Nealy said.
String of roof collapses
Monday’s roof collapse is the fourth since heavy storms dumped about a foot of snow on the Klamath Basin early this month.
The roof of the Balsiger building at Esplanade Avenue and Main Street caved in Feb. 4, and the former Graphic Press building on Market Street collapsed Feb. 3. A storage building at C-2 Hydraulics at 5156 Harlan Drive also collapsed last week. Several other buildings were evacuated as a precaution, including several city and county schools, the Oregon Institute of Technology and the downtown Safeway on Pine Street.
“It’s sad to see all the old buildings going down,” Schenck said.
No one has been injured in any of the collapses, said Klamath County Fire District No. 1 Chief Jim Wenzel.
If anyone had been in the Kingsley Bowmen building, injuries could have been serious or fatal, he said.
Bricks and insulation were thrown from the building at 292 Market St. A power line was knocked to the ground and 13 target backstops worth $500 each were buried under snow and debris.
Bricks from an adjacent building’s wall also fell.
Downtown Auto Repair employees called 911 at about 1 p.m. Crews from Klamath County Fire District No. 1, Klamath Falls Police Department and Pacific Power responded. Streets around the building were blocked as crews worked.
The Kingsley Bowmen Club had been closed and locked since Feb. 3, and the combination was not given to its 100 members because of structural concerns due to the snow load on the roof. Daryl Colman owns the building, fire officials said.
ZCS Engineering sent engineers to examine the building as well as neighboring buildings at 284 and 300 Market St. All three buildings were found to be unsafe to occupy.
Estimated cost
Damage to the Bowmen Club building was estimated at $22,000, with an additional $9,000 worth of damage to contents, according to a press release from Klamath County Fire District No. 1.
Club members earlier had moved much of their equipment to the front of the building, where they believed it would be safer if anything happened to the building. Unfortunately, it was the front of the building that fell on Monday.
The nonprofit organization, which rents the building, hosted an archery event Friday and Saturday at the Klamath County Fairgrounds.
The building was used as a practice range for the club members and members of 4-H. It was built in the 1920s, but was nice enough, said club member Tom Nealy.
“It fit our needs well,” he said.
The range allowed archers to shoot at a target up to 40 yards away.
Two world champion archers and about five national champions used the range, Nealy said.
String of roof collapses
Monday’s roof collapse is the fourth since heavy storms dumped about a foot of snow on the Klamath Basin early this month.
The roof of the Balsiger building at Esplanade Avenue and Main Street caved in Feb. 4, and the former Graphic Press building on Market Street collapsed Feb. 3. A storage building at C-2 Hydraulics at 5156 Harlan Drive also collapsed last week. Several other buildings were evacuated as a precaution, including several city and county schools, the Oregon Institute of Technology and the downtown Safeway on Pine Street.
“It’s sad to see all the old buildings going down,” Schenck said.
No one has been injured in any of the collapses, said Klamath County Fire District No. 1 Chief Jim Wenzel.
If anyone had been in the Kingsley Bowmen building, injuries could have been serious or fatal, he said.
Reader Comments
The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of HeraldAndNews.com. Comment Disclaimer: The editors of heraldandnews.com reserve the right to refuse publication of any comment posted for consideration. We may refuse for any reason, including use of profanity, disparaging comments, libelous comments, etc. Any reader who notices a comment they believe is particularly offensive, should notify us at webmaster@heraldandnews.com.
mary r. wrote on Feb 12, 2008 1:25 PM:
" i have 2 brothers in klamath and malin grew up in malin and remember we had a lot of snow, brings back memories in the 1960 'mary rhyne maiden name grham "
Lee M. wrote on Feb 12, 2008 10:49 AM:
" I find it interesting that no one is talking about the fact that most if not all the roof collapses were in buildings with rounded roofs! I think it would be both interesting and possibly valuable for the H&N to do an interview with an engineer or two about why this is that rounded roofs are susceptible to collapse. Perhaps some serious inspection needs to happen to save lives, if there are any remaining round roofs that is! "
RSS
Michelle A. wrote on Feb 12, 2008 4:33 PM: