Nobody hurt when alleyside parapet of building tumbles

Nobody was hurt and no vehicles were damaged when a 25-foot alleyside section of the upper parapet of the Emling & Hoffman, CPA accounting offices building fell at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in downtown Du Quoin.

Firemen worked alongside partners Harold Emling & Don Hoffman and staff members to pull records crucial to the current tax season, ongoing audits and bookkeeping out of the building and move them to the Kabinet House building at 217 East Main St.

The fire department declared the office building uninhabitable until a structural engineer could look at the building. "A structural engineer inspected the building and found no structural damage at all. We have to clean up the portion of the top of the building where the decorative façade fell, and re- attach the the electric service and the gas before we will open the office again. We hope to be back in the office Tuesday or Wednesday," said Harold Emling Sunday.

Roof joists were separated from the wall when the section fell. Bricks fell between cars parked below, but did not hit the vehicles.Emergency Services director cleared the area as firemen set up barriers and Ameren works shut down a natural gas line struck be the falling bricks. The building is 136 years old and despite maintenance and tuckpointing, moisture, freezing and thawing is taking its toll on buildings across historic downtown Du Quoin. Chief Bob Shaw has been concerned for months and said Saturday his hope was that a weekend ice storm didn't compound the problem.

The loss and subsequent repairs are insured.