Chapter 602

10/21/2021

Falling Marble 

near death experience

This 2021 failure re-ignited my interest because I was affected in an incident 14 years prior. Took my drone up there and got some cool shots but this shot from my pocket cam was best at depicting the failure. You can see what appears to be steel rusty hangars that hold stainless steel washers. Appears that the nut threads rusted away with 4 of the six that held two slabs in place.

On 4/30/2007 I was doing my courrier run throughout Albany delivering various legal paper work. Walking up the State Street / Washington Ave when I heard a big explosion behind me. About 15 feet back was a cloud of white smoke produced from the three foot slab of Vermont Marble that had just fallen 20 stories from the top of this One Commerce Building.  I visited the State Insurance Department there regularly and actually served a summons on their Attorney once Ch 114.

I have saved a piece of the history.

Had started to write up the story but got distracted. At the time I tried to interview the building management but it was a big coverup.

My notebook was apparently 11 x 13 inches at the time.

I really felt like I had a new lease on life. It was so random, could have been so sudden if I was not a fast walker missing a collision by mere seconds.

There wasn't much news on the item. It was a very windy day up to 50mph gusts. No harm no foul, but the story lives on in Wikipedia.

They have replaced the marble facade with lighter white painted sheets of steel.