Oswego, NY - Crews worked throughout the night to demolish the former St. Louis Catholic Church after the building partially collapsed Sunday afternoon. State Route 104, which had been closed due to debris, was reopened this morning, according to Oswego police Capt. Tory DeCaire. According to DeCaire, authorities decided to immediately demolish the building after the collapse because the...
A former Catholic church collapsed Sunday in Oswego, NY, prompting officials to shut down part of Route 104.Oswego, NY - Crews worked throughout the night to demolish the former St. Louis Catholic Church after the building partially collapsed Sunday afternoon.
State Route 104, which had been closed due to debris, was reopened this morning, according to Oswego police Capt. Tory DeCaire.
According to DeCaire, authorities decided to immediately demolish the building after the collapse because the parts of the structure still standing were unstable.
Bystanders were cleared from the vicinity and the Oswego City Fire Department began using high-intensity hoses about 8:35 p.m. Sunday to knock down the steeple, the largest and most dangerous part of the building still standing.
At about 8:46 p.m. the water operation succeeded in bringing down the steeple and the west wall of the building.
Heavy equipment was then brought in to knock down the remaining portions of the building, DeCaire said.
Traffic was detoured to Utica Street during the demolition. With crews working through the night to bring down the rest of the building and clear rubble from the road, Route 104 was able to be reopened, the captain reported.
Responsibility for the clean-up and debris removal has now been turned over to the property owner, he said.
Authorities today indicated it was fortunate that no one was walking or driving by the structure when it collapsed shortly before 5 p.m. Sunday.
Oswego City Fire Chief Jeff McCrobie reported even the slightest change in the timing of the collapse could have been "disastrous."
Oswego City Police Chief Michael J. Dehm Jr. said officials were also lucky to have had additional resources available due to the weekend's Harborfest events.