Posted on 11/21/2015 1:12:36 PM PST by rdl6989
(CBS) — The Chicago Fire Department is on the scene of the John Hancock Building battling a fire Saturday afternoon.
(Excerpt) Read more at chicago.cbslocal.com ...
Why do you think it would it be empty? I have friends who live in that building.
It looks the Three Stooges built that thing.
Meth lab.
The project, which would at that time become the world’s second tallest building, was originally conceived of and owned by Jerry Wolman in late 1964, the project being financed by John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Co. Construction of the tower was interrupted in 1967 due to a flaw in an innovative engineering method used to pour concrete in stages that was discovered when the building was 20 stories high.[16] The engineers were getting the same soil settlements for the 20 stories that had been built as what they had expected for the entire 99 stories. This forced the owner to stop development until the engineering problem could be resolved, and resulted in a credit crunch. This situation is similar to the one faced during the construction of 111 West Wacker, then known as the Waterview Tower. The owner went bankrupt, which resulted in John Hancock taking over the project, which retained the original design, architect, engineer, and main contractor.
The building’s first resident was Ray Heckla, the original building engineer, responsible for the residential floors from 44 to 92. Heckla moved his family in April 1969, before the building was completed.
On November 11, 1981, Veterans Day, high-rise firefighting and rescue advocate Dan Goodwin, for the purpose of calling attention to the inability to rescue people trapped in the upper floors of skyscrapers, successfully climbed the building’s exterior wall. Wearing a wetsuit and using a climbing device that enabled him to ascend the I-beams on the building’s side, Goodwin battled repeated attempts by the Chicago Fire Department to knock him off. Fire Commissioner William Blair ordered Chicago firemen to stop Goodwin by directing a fully engaged fire hose at him and by blasting fire axes through nearby glass from the inside. Fearing for Goodwin’s life, Mayor Jane Byrne intervened and allowed him to continue to the top.[17][18]
The John Hancock Center was featured in the 1988 movie Poltergeist III.
On December 18, 1997, comedian Chris Farley was found dead in his apartment on the 60th floor of the John Hancock Center.[19][20]
On March 9, 2002, part of a scaffold fell 43 stories after being torn loose by wind gusts around 60 mph (100 km/h) crushing several cars, killing three people in two of them. The remaining part of the stage swung back-and-forth in the gusts repeatedly slamming against the building, damaging cladding panels, breaking windows, and sending pieces onto the street below.
On March 9, 2002, part of a scaffold fell 43 stories after being torn loose by wind gusts around 60 mph (100 km/h) crushing several cars, killing three people in two of them. The remaining part of the stage swung back-and-forth in the gusts repeatedly slamming against the building, damaging cladding panels, breaking windows, and sending pieces onto the street below.
interesting that the fire suppression system couldn’t extinguish it.
maybe al sharpton was there, farted, then lit a cigarette?
Nope, not the first time, likely won't be the last. That's a residential floor, IIRC that's the same floor Chris Farley used to live on.
Oddly, all the commercial spaces in the Hancock Building were required to upgrade to include sprinklers while the residential floors were not.
I imagine they're going to change that one of these days.
No sprinklers on the residential floors in the Hancock building.
Have dinner on the 95th as the sun's going down over the horizon one summer evening. Spectacular.
Dadburnit! Beat me to it!
I get the impression that you are from Chicago.
Please help me understand why so many support Democrats.
I’m not talking about the folks in the gutter, but those that work or worked as traders at the CBOE/CME etc..
I’ve had any number of conversations with dozens of traders and they all seem to favor Democrats.
I don’t get it.
I was 10 years old the year The Towering Inferno was in the theaters. The same week my family saw the movie we went out to dinner at the restaurant on the 95th floor of the John Hancock Building. On the ride up the elevator there was a man in an Otis uniform and another man in a suit talking. I couldn’t completely understand what they were saying, but it was obvious there was a problem with the elevators. Between the very windy winter evening, the elevator issues, and my father’s choice of a flaming dessert, it was a memorable evening.
LOL; hadn’t thought of that one.
Isn’t Chiraq Jesse HiJackson’s territory?
LOL! I like yer dad!
I knew Wolman casually and some of his DC associates a bit better. Actually, they were extremely nice and down to earth people. Hardly 3 clowns, but they did take a financial beating on the Hancock Center.
Yes, that would be memorable.
It is a weird looking thing.
it was a meth lab explosion most likely
it is Chicago after all where there is not much law and order
That’s my fav high rise in Chicago. Got to finally have drinks on the 95th floor last December.
That ride up there is so smooth and fast!
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