Fall Of The Central Tower And Spire Of Chichester Cathedral.

proving to have a large quantity of mortar , much of it in a very decayed and friable state , with much chalk , some stones from the seaside , and some moulded stones , evidently parts of a previous building . In November last a settlement was observed to occur in the south face of the north-west pier , to the rig ht of the respond of the western great arch : by it the new facing

was fractured , the seam extending from 8 or 9 feet from the floor down to about 3 feet , through several stones , as well as down the joints . About the same time some of the old fissures in the south-west pier were observed to extend themselves down into the new work . Some time after a crack was observed to open in the north-west pier on its north side , corresponding nearly with what had previously occurred on its other face . The attention ofthe architect

was directed to these , and at the end of the year Mr . Yarrow also inspected them . As a precaution it was determined to add centres in all the arches connecting these two piers with the nave and transepts , and these further centres were at once commenced , although only one of them was ever erected , in consequence of its being found absolutely necessary to apply shores and other remedies of

a less formal character . On the 25 th of January the seams in the north-west pier were barely a sixteenth of an inch in width ,, they thou extended about 12 feet high , and at the seam there was a marked tendency on both sides of the pier for the centre part of the wall to bulge , although , the inward movement had not advanced more than a sixteenth of an inch ; the eastern respond of this pier , which was part

of the new work , then stood perfectly straight . On the southivest pier one particular old crack , several feet iu length , at about half the hei ght . of the northside , was observed to be not more than an eighth of an inch wide . On the south side of the pier the old fissures dividing it from the south transept were no larger than they had been for many years ; on the contrary , they appeared to he somewhat lessindicating a

ten-, dency in the pier to bulge to the south ; but so slight was the change , that it' was difficult to detect it . On the 14 th of February the south-west pier was observed to be dividing from east , to west for a height of several feet , at the level of the springing of the nave arches , its north or inside facing becoming entirely detached , to all appearance . This was by the extension of au old fissure in the eastern respond right through

the pier into the nave arch . On the loth the north west pier was observed to have bulged to the extent of five-sixteenths of au inch on its inside face , where , on the 25 th of January , it had been only one sixteenth ; and as the seam in the north face remained unaltered , it was evident that a vertical fracture from east to west , in the interior , had separated the two parts . The nature of this fracture also appeared in some seams both

in the east and west responds ; on this day also the east respond , lately , newly-built , was observed to bulge eastwards 8 or 9 feet from the floor . A fresh fracture and movement had also occurred in the clerestory window of the north transept . In the south-west pier the old fissure , noticed on the 25 th of January , had opened to half an inch wide , and a very general opening of the fissures had occurred : besides , the old fissures

in the transept wall were distinctly closed , and that with so much force as to bulge out the facing of the transept wall , both inside and outside . At the same time it was ascertained , by an examination carried to the very summit of the spire , that no movement had occurred in the upper part of the building . The conclusion arrived at was that nothing could stay the ruin of the iers ifciless a jacketing of solid timber

p could be applied , powerfully hooped together with iron holts and balks of timber ; the object being to prevent the bursting out of the facing of the piers , which was evidently going on , ancl was caused by the crushed and rotten state " of the interior . Alread y at the tops of the north ancl south arches there was Warning of their tendency to slip off ancl down the backs of the centres .

The jacketing was considered a most urgent matter , and the preparation of it was entrusted to Mr . Bushby , of littlehampton , a builder well-known for his skill and energy . The arrangement of these measures was concluded on Saturday , the 10 th February . On the Sunday following , it was found that a tendency to crush and bul ge the facing iu one part of the south-west pier , which was ^ decidedly the weakest , was very apparent ; and although divine service was proceeding in the afternoon in a

part ofthe nave temporarily screened oft for the purpose , it was found necessary to prepare , without waiting for its termination , for all the shoring that could be effected in the emergency . IE this duty the men of Mr . Johnson , of Chichester , carpenter , aud Mr . Kitsen , mason , worked with unflagging energy till three hours past midnight . On Monday , the 18 th , they resumed their work before daylight , and it was vigorously prosecuted till

ten o ' clock p . m ., ft-esh weaknesses constantly calling for fresb remedies . On Tuesday , the work proceeded as before , but the failures becoming more frequent , it was found necessary , even at the risk of interrupting Mr . Busliby ' s important preparations , to call some of his men to resist the most immediate clanger , and with the additional force , the work was prosecuted till past midnight . During this day , alsothe dean ancl chapter

, having determined to lake independent advice , the building was minutely examined by Mr . Christian , architect . Another examination to the top of the spire ou this clay showed that that part yet retained its upright position . On "Wednesday , the 20 th , the tendency to crush the south transept wall , about the old fissures , was very alarming , and the bulging increased very rapidly , both in it and in the lower part of the south-west pies ,

in which , at 7 or 3 feet from the floor , the facing bulged about 3 inches out on the south side -. on the north side it strained the timber braces placed between it and the north-west pier , ancl one of them began to bend . It was deemed necessary to add Mr-Bushby's presence , with fresh additions of men , to the force already employed . About five o'clock , the south-west pier settled clovot about three-quarters of an inch , crushing in the centre , and leaving in parts of its north face at about 4- feet from the groundthe front o (

, thestones standing to their original height and perfect , whilst the back part ofthe same stones was erushedand compressed down three-quarters of an inch . During some hours the crushed , mortar had been , pouring out ominously from the old fissures in the triforium wall <__ the south transept , flakes of facing stone , too , occasionally fell . AVith evening came a terrific storm of wind . To those within , the building it appeared at first to beat on the north-east side of the

church ; but as night advanced , it came with unabated violence from the south-west . About half-past eight , p . m ., a mass of brickwork , built up probably in the last century to fill in the triforium arch on the south : side of the nave , next the tower , fell into the church . A strut of the triforium roof had a bearing upon it , and by the settlement ofthe walls the strut had unshed the brickwork over . An hour and a . half past midnight stone was heard to fall outside the tower in the north-west part . It was found , to iuree

broken the triforium roof , but the p lace of the weakness could oat be ascertained during the darkness . The working parties continued to add shoring till three hours aud a half past mUhugltt _ and amongst the latest of their labours was the strengthening of one of the braces before mentioned , between the north-west and south-west piers , which , before the remedy could he applied , wa _ bent to the extent of a foot . On Thursdaythe 21 stthe working parties returned Wore

day-, , light . Soon after it was ascertained that the fall of stone whielt hacl occurred during the night , outside the north-west part of the tower , was from the arch of the clerestory window of the nave close by . The pier appeared to have sunk nearly an inch , carrying down , one jamb of the window with it , unci thereby loosening the arch stones , which fell out . It was also perceived that the head of this pier had become much seamed with cracks during the night , and the head of the south-east pier , where hut slight marks of new

failures had before appeared , was cracked , and audibly cracking in many directions . To the weight thrown ou these two piers by tho settlement of the south-west pier early on Wednesday evening , awi to the straining of the storm , is probably to be attributed the mischief now found in progress at the tops of the north-west and south-east piers . About the bottom of the south-west pier , shores applied only the night before were found to bend . Strenuous efforts to increase the number of the shores were made hy about seventy

men , at work under ancl around the tower . Crushed mortar appeared in large quantities flaked stones fell more frequently , and especially from the south-east pier , whence none had fallen before ; whole stones burst out , and fell more than once . The position o £ those who worked was critical . Before noon the failing of the shores became still more evident ; no appearance of bending or weakness was , however , observed in the three centres under the great archesthough evidentlhearing an enormous load . The

, y straining of the shores showed that the piers bad arrived at the last extremity , and warning was then given to the inhabitants near the building to the south-west , as it was clear that the fall of the southwest pier , if it happened before thc others , must have thrown the tower and spire in that direction . At one o ' clock , when the workmen returned from dinner , Jfr . Bushby prevented most of _&_ men from re-entering the building , and about thirty who haii - .-reentered or remained were brought out : it being ascertained ths .