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Basilica gets damage inspection
Published Thursday, November 8, 2007
NATCHEZ — Studies are being done to determine if there is further danger to the structure of St. Mary Basilica after church officials said a July city water leak likely caused the church walls to crack.
Soil engineers are scheduled to survey the building’s support later this month, Building and Maintenance Chairman Daniel Dillard said.
“We’re going to open up the footing (supports the walls stand on) and see what’s down there,” Dillard said. “We won’t get into the soil that supports the building, but we will remove all the other soil so we can see the footing.”
Engineers couldn’t rely on original plans for the building because they couldn’t be found, Dillard said.
“The building’s 160 years old,” he said. “Until we dig it up, we’re not absolutely sure what’s supporting it.”
In April, cracks started forming along the Catholic church’s walls. Church officials tried to pinpoint the cause, examining plumbing and the sewer system.
It turned out a city water line along Union Street in front of the church had leaked. The leak was fixed, but a city waterworks official said the water line did not appear to have caused the damage.
While surveys still have to be done, Dillard said it was a possible cause.
“To date, we have not been able to determine any more movement in the building since the day they repaired the municipal leak,” he said. “There could be a number of things, but it would be hard not to think that the water main was a major contributing factor.”
There is very little risk of any serious structural damage to the building, he said. Engineers have inspected the building’s trusses and found nothing worrisome.
“These characteristically heavy-framed building are really tolerant,” Dillard said. “They can take this kind of movement and remain stable.”
The church is also installing monitoring wells so they can keep an eye on groundwater activity in the future.
Comments
Posted by peacerulz (anonymous) on November 8, 2007 at 12:55 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Who proofreads this stuff? Anybody?
Posted by artist (anonymous) on November 8, 2007 at 1:42 a.m. (Suggest removal)
It beats me! Funny that you should ask. I knew right off who was responsible. I believe they just let her write whatever and however.
Posted by sayitloud (anonymous) on November 8, 2007 at 4:28 a.m. (Suggest removal)
proofreads? They don't know what that is!!!!!!!
Posted by annuity (anonymous) on November 8, 2007 at 7:56 a.m. (Suggest removal)
"Sable"? A small mammal living in southern Russia! How can a building be sable?
Posted by buttercup26 (anonymous) on November 8, 2007 at 8:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)
this is said for me to say.. but i haveo only been in this church once.. a family memebr died and i was in awe!! there was soo much color in that chruch!
Posted by myopinion (anonymous) on November 8, 2007 at 8:32 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I am willing to bet that the ND relies on the computer to do all their proofreading. The computer would have missed sable b/c it is spelled correctly. Unfortunately for the Democrat they have put too much faith in the reporters to do their own corrections. Hence this example.
If the city water leak was the cause of the problem, will the city be responsible for repair costs?
Posted by gemccull (Gary McCullars) on November 8, 2007 at 9:40 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Probably, so on the spelling and grammar.
Of course, the paper is trying to meet a deadline and the old eyes and brain get tired.
However, one of my old bosses had a saying, "You had time to get it wrong, why not get it right."
Posted by buttercup26 (anonymous) on November 8, 2007 at 10:41 a.m. (Suggest removal)
(((myopinion))) i too would think the city would be reliabla for the repair IF thats what caused it... but they also said the building alone is 160 yrs. old... that could become a question too, and they don't even have the plans or whatever on the building.. haha!! so THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THE HECK!! THEY JUST GOING TO DIG AND DIG AND CAUSE ALOT OF NERVES TO BE RACKED in the down town area in the mean time.. haha! (sorry not funny)
Posted by destiny (anonymous) on November 8, 2007 at 12:43 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Didn't read article until an hour after ya'll. They went in and corrected 'sable' b/c when I read it it was 'stable'
Posted by peacerulz (anonymous) on November 8, 2007 at 2:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I'm gonna look in the print edition to see how many typos are in the paper.
Posted by artist (anonymous) on November 8, 2007 at 9:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Its not so much the typos. Its the grammar and articulation. I know this is the south, but goodness this
is an article distributed to the public. I'm sorry, just my opinion.
Posted by peacerulz (anonymous) on November 8, 2007 at 10:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
There's no excuse for it. These ppl went to college.
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