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| Answer to Quiz #13 - June 17, 2005 What happened to this building? |
| Photo courtesy of Liz Brown. Click on thumbnail to see larger image |
| Answer: The building was damaged by an earthquake. |
We received quite a few creative answers to this one:
This is what it looked like after the monkeys, llamas, giraffes and elephants from
Neverland plus his famous buddies celebrated The King of Pop Michael Jackson's
recent acquittal. Dennis Bussey, San Diego, CA
*****************
This picture is misleading. The obvious answer . . . an Al Qaeda suicide bomber is
wrong. The lack of sand clearly places the building outside of the Middle East.
Moreover, the architecture is not Islamic. In fact, this is the after effect of a North
American earthquake . . . dated to the early 20th century by the looks of the building.
Doyle Chastain, Lawndale, CA
*****************
Very large squirrels!
Marilyn Hamill-Stewart, Holland, MI
*****************
I believe the building damage was the result of an earthquake because that's what it
looks like and a Colleen Fitzpatrick is the author of at least two books on earthquakes.
Henry Loftus, PA
(Must be another Colleen Fitzpatrick.)
*****************
Could the quiz be the St. Thomas project which was recently torn down? The picture
looks like a project.
Merle Farrington, Kenner, LA
*****************
It is being systematically salvaged. The windows & frames have been removed on the
right side. The brick work had to be removed to get at the framing.
Bud Hanks
*****************
This is what it looked like after the monkeys, llamas, giraffes and elephants from
Neverland plus his famous buddies celebrated The King of Pop Michael Jackson's
recent acquittal. Dennis Bussey, San Diego, CA
*****************
This picture is misleading. The obvious answer . . . an Al Qaeda suicide bomber is
wrong. The lack of sand clearly places the building outside of the Middle East.
Moreover, the architecture is not Islamic. In fact, this is the after effect of a North
American earthquake . . . dated to the early 20th century by the looks of the building.
Doyle Chastain, Lawndale, CA
*****************
Very large squirrels!
Marilyn Hamill-Stewart, Holland, MI
*****************
I believe the building damage was the result of an earthquake because that's what it
looks like and a Colleen Fitzpatrick is the author of at least two books on earthquakes.
Henry Loftus, PA
(Must be another Colleen Fitzpatrick.)
*****************
Could the quiz be the St. Thomas project which was recently torn down? The picture
looks like a project.
Merle Farrington, Kenner, LA
*****************
It is being systematically salvaged. The windows & frames have been removed on the
right side. The brick work had to be removed to get at the framing.
Bud Hanks
*****************
| We had quite a few winners! Congratulations to: Lana Sutherland Diane Sylvester Henry Loftus Mary Fraser Sinika Garey Debbie Anderson Patricia Schreiber Linda Klebach Mike Pfister Doyle Chastain Leonce Waguespack Anne May Larry Adams Vicky Bair Nancy Henderson Marilyn Hamill-Stewart Marvin Fretwell Joyce A. Smith Debbie Anderson Bob Moyer (If I have omitted your name, it was unintentional. Let me know.) |
There are many hints that point to an earthquake as the source of the damage to the
building. The biggest clue is that the ground seems to have slipped to the left, causing
the building to fall off its foundations to the right. It's as if you pulled the rug out from
under someone to the left and watched them lose their balance to the right.
Other clues are that the buildings are closer together at the bottom than they are at the
top, and that the worst damage is near the bottom and not further to the top. The
bricks are lying in the street right where they were shaken loose, and there is something
smoldering in the street in front of the building to the left. Both of these clues eliminate
a flood as the cause of the damage. The bricks would have probably been swept away
and the smoldering would have been quenched by the water. (How many other clues
can you find?)
Because an earthquakes are a rare event, at least ones that could cause damage like this,
it might be possible to pin down the time and place of the quake. (I guess the quake
had to be greater than 6.0.)
The photo was found in the collection of the grandmother of the owner among others
dating between the 1860s and the 1920s. The style of the photo is not too much help in
narrowing down its date. From the size of the image, it could have been taken anytime
after about 1880. The two main quakes during that time period were the Charleston
quake on August 31, 1886 and the San Francisco earthquake on April 18, 1906.
Judging by the brick facade of the building, its overall style, and the cobblestone
streets, I vote for the Charleston earthquake that occurred in 1886.
I have written to the Director of the South Carolina Seismic Network, Dr. Pradeep
Talwani, a recognized expert on the Charleston Quake, to get his opinion on whether
the photo could be of damage from the Charleston quake. I will inform readers if I hear
anything interesting from him.
You can see photos of the San Francisco earthquake and fire at
http://www.sfmuseum.org/1906/photos.html.
You can see photos of the damage from the Charleston earthquake at
http://www.eas.slu.edu/Earthquake_Center/1886EQ/.
*************************
Our readers offered some interesting observations:
Judging from the brickwork being broken off both the face and the left side of the
building, it appears that the building fell off its foundation -- probably during an
earthquake. The wooden framework held, but the brick facade gave out.....I don't
think it was my past time in an earthquake area that clued me in; rather, the fact that
the bottom part of the brick facade was destroyed and not the top. It just had to be
that the shock to the building came from the bottom. From that, it was a quick jump to
the idea that the building had fallen off its foundation.
Marvin Fretwell, OR
*****************
Here's another comment from my husband who's a geology professor: I know Pradeep
Talwani - a good guy and the most knowledgeable guy I know regarding the Charleston
EQ. I also think it was not in SF because of the style of the lintels over the windows.
They don't look "western".
Diane Sylvester
*****************
The smoldering would probably be from fires resulting from ruptures in gas lines, etc.
Mary Fraser, NH
*****************
I'm going to go with earthquake. It makes no sense for it to be human demolition that
started at the bottom. It it were caused by wind, I would think the chairs would have
blown over at least. If it were a flood, why didn't the building next door show some
effects? Also I
don't see much evidence of water mark lines on the neighboring building or deposited
mud. An earthquake could shake the bottom bricks loose on a poorly constructed
building and leave those along next door. It could crack the windows in the upper
stories by stress, but leave the chairs alone.
Between Charleston and San Francisco, I would be tend towards Charleston. The two
balcony railings seem to be made of an open metal work that would leave the
occupants open to the breeze. I think that people would be more likely to sit outside to
catch a breeze in a hot climate like Charleston rather that a cool, damp, foggy place
like SF.
Gary Rice
*****************
I can see what you mean about closer on the bottom than the top -- But it also looks
like the building on the right doesn't have a "full" first story- it looks as though it's
been ripped off its foundation. The "balcony" on the second floor is several feet lower
than that of the building on the left, and the first floor windows are look to be set too
low to the street. Also, part of the left hand side of the building has collapsed between
the two structures, which may also account for the leaning. If it wasn't a brick building,
I'd think tornado damage. (That still might be the case, but I'm a New Englander born
and bred, and don't have any experience with tornadoes!)
Explosion? - it seems to me that that would have knocked down more of the walls. The
damage doesn't look catastrophic enough.
Joyce A. Smith, AR
*****************
A first guess looks like a flood washed away front brick veneer but further study
indicates broken windows on the upper floors - also note iron balconies so I would say
EARTHQUAKE damage - Charleston, SC, Savannah, Ga or San Francisco because of
the wrought iron balconies.
Bob Moyer, Greensboro, NC
*****************
building. The biggest clue is that the ground seems to have slipped to the left, causing
the building to fall off its foundations to the right. It's as if you pulled the rug out from
under someone to the left and watched them lose their balance to the right.
Other clues are that the buildings are closer together at the bottom than they are at the
top, and that the worst damage is near the bottom and not further to the top. The
bricks are lying in the street right where they were shaken loose, and there is something
smoldering in the street in front of the building to the left. Both of these clues eliminate
a flood as the cause of the damage. The bricks would have probably been swept away
and the smoldering would have been quenched by the water. (How many other clues
can you find?)
Because an earthquakes are a rare event, at least ones that could cause damage like this,
it might be possible to pin down the time and place of the quake. (I guess the quake
had to be greater than 6.0.)
The photo was found in the collection of the grandmother of the owner among others
dating between the 1860s and the 1920s. The style of the photo is not too much help in
narrowing down its date. From the size of the image, it could have been taken anytime
after about 1880. The two main quakes during that time period were the Charleston
quake on August 31, 1886 and the San Francisco earthquake on April 18, 1906.
Judging by the brick facade of the building, its overall style, and the cobblestone
streets, I vote for the Charleston earthquake that occurred in 1886.
I have written to the Director of the South Carolina Seismic Network, Dr. Pradeep
Talwani, a recognized expert on the Charleston Quake, to get his opinion on whether
the photo could be of damage from the Charleston quake. I will inform readers if I hear
anything interesting from him.
You can see photos of the San Francisco earthquake and fire at
http://www.sfmuseum.org/1906/photos.html.
You can see photos of the damage from the Charleston earthquake at
http://www.eas.slu.edu/Earthquake_Center/1886EQ/.
*************************
Our readers offered some interesting observations:
Judging from the brickwork being broken off both the face and the left side of the
building, it appears that the building fell off its foundation -- probably during an
earthquake. The wooden framework held, but the brick facade gave out.....I don't
think it was my past time in an earthquake area that clued me in; rather, the fact that
the bottom part of the brick facade was destroyed and not the top. It just had to be
that the shock to the building came from the bottom. From that, it was a quick jump to
the idea that the building had fallen off its foundation.
Marvin Fretwell, OR
*****************
Here's another comment from my husband who's a geology professor: I know Pradeep
Talwani - a good guy and the most knowledgeable guy I know regarding the Charleston
EQ. I also think it was not in SF because of the style of the lintels over the windows.
They don't look "western".
Diane Sylvester
*****************
The smoldering would probably be from fires resulting from ruptures in gas lines, etc.
Mary Fraser, NH
*****************
I'm going to go with earthquake. It makes no sense for it to be human demolition that
started at the bottom. It it were caused by wind, I would think the chairs would have
blown over at least. If it were a flood, why didn't the building next door show some
effects? Also I
don't see much evidence of water mark lines on the neighboring building or deposited
mud. An earthquake could shake the bottom bricks loose on a poorly constructed
building and leave those along next door. It could crack the windows in the upper
stories by stress, but leave the chairs alone.
Between Charleston and San Francisco, I would be tend towards Charleston. The two
balcony railings seem to be made of an open metal work that would leave the
occupants open to the breeze. I think that people would be more likely to sit outside to
catch a breeze in a hot climate like Charleston rather that a cool, damp, foggy place
like SF.
Gary Rice
*****************
I can see what you mean about closer on the bottom than the top -- But it also looks
like the building on the right doesn't have a "full" first story- it looks as though it's
been ripped off its foundation. The "balcony" on the second floor is several feet lower
than that of the building on the left, and the first floor windows are look to be set too
low to the street. Also, part of the left hand side of the building has collapsed between
the two structures, which may also account for the leaning. If it wasn't a brick building,
I'd think tornado damage. (That still might be the case, but I'm a New Englander born
and bred, and don't have any experience with tornadoes!)
Explosion? - it seems to me that that would have knocked down more of the walls. The
damage doesn't look catastrophic enough.
Joyce A. Smith, AR
*****************
A first guess looks like a flood washed away front brick veneer but further study
indicates broken windows on the upper floors - also note iron balconies so I would say
EARTHQUAKE damage - Charleston, SC, Savannah, Ga or San Francisco because of
the wrought iron balconies.
Bob Moyer, Greensboro, NC
*****************
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You will also receive a free Forensic Genealogy CD or a 10% discount towards the
purchase of the Forensic Genealogy book.
us at CFitzp@aol.com. If we use it, you will receive a free analysis of your picture.
You will also receive a free Forensic Genealogy CD or a 10% discount towards the
purchase of the Forensic Genealogy book.
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| Answer to Quiz #13 |
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