Crane collapses at National Cathedral in DC

[cali]

By ERIC TUCKER, Associated Press – 6 hours ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — A 500-ton crane doing repair work collapsed Wednesday at the Washington National Cathedral amid thunderstorms and driving rain, damaging at least one nearby building and several vehicles but sparing the church.

The collapse came just four days before a scheduled speech by President Barack Obama inside the cathedral to observe the tenth anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The speech is the planned highlight of a three-day series of events scheduled to start Friday at the cathedral.

No decision had been made as of Wednesday afternoon about whether the commemoration, which also includes a memorial concert and interfaith vigil, would go on as planned, said Richard Weinberg, a spokesman for the cathedral.

The crane was working to repair damage to the cathedral caused by the Aug. 23 East Coast earthquake when it flipped backward around 11 a.m. Wednesday and tipped over into the parking lot. The crane damaged at least three cars and cathedral buildings. Fire officials said a crane operator was taken to a hospital for injuries that were not life-threatening.

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http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gLAMCuvYiS44V7n0onTjbvVrGA2w?docId=9a820264a06846688de602234eb3edae

[Enrique]

1. so what will happen

when they try to repair the damage from this?

[GKirk]

2. Apparently...

someone isn't praying hard enough. Or God is just showing us his sense of humor again.

[Kingofalldems]

3. There's a big metal beam hanging over the roof

of the cathedral. Looks like it could fall any second.

[Kingofalldems]

4. I have seen a couple news reports on this--no one has

mentioned the name of the company involved.