Dateline: November 14, 2002

Courthouse chimney collapses Friday

By Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

Enterprise Digital Photo

A chimney on the northwest side of the 1890 Donley County Courthouse collapsed last Friday, and officials say they are still investigating the cause. 

The 22-foot chimney had originally been removed many decades ago and had been reconstructed as part the ongoing restoration of the courthouse. 

Friday morning the structure fell over and broke into three pieces. The top piece, weighing 8,000 pounds, knocked a hole in the roof and then rolled off and crashed into the scaffolding surrounding the building. It hung up in the top level of the scaffold. 

No one was injured in the collapse, and other reconstructed chimneys – including an identical 22-foot structure – are receiving added bracing as a precaution.