Crane Collapses at D.C. Cathedral: Big Pic
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Sept. 7, 2011 -- A 500-ton crane working on the south side of the Washington National Cathedral collapsed on Wednesday, crushing several cars in a nearby parking lot and sending one person to the hospital with minor injuries, according to reports.
Thankfully, the crane didn't fall onto the cathedral, which was damaged during an August earthquake and again, during Hurricane Irene. But the enormous machinery did fall against nearby Herb cottage -- a small house that sells cards and other items to tourists -- and poses a risk to Church House, which serves as office space for church members. The crane ripped a hole in the roof of the cottage and damaged an exterior wall.
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"I thought it was another thunderstorm," Father Simon Bautista told WFMZ-TV. Bautista was inside the Episcopal house when the crane fell.
Thunderstorms were rumbling through the area at the time of the accident, but, according to an ABCNEWS.com report, a malfunction caused the collapse. Crews were lifting steel beams to the roof area where there was earthquake damage. As the crane was extended 350 feet in the air, it malfunctioned and collapsed.
A 5.9-magnitude earthquake hit the region on Aug. 23, causing millions of dollars of damage to the cathedral as three of the cathedral's four main spires crumbled or cracked. Then, last week, Hurricane Irene blew down a huge oak tree in front of the cathedral, causing minor damage. The crane had been erected at the cathedral to repair the earthquake and storm damage to the 104-year-old landmark.
Image credit: National Cathedral
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