Workmen operating a wrecking crane to tear down the remains of a burned building accidentally swung a boom through the front wall of the Troy City Hall.
The incident occurred Monday as the wrecking crew prepared to demolish the remains of a two-story building across the street from City Hall in Troy's business district. Troy is a town of about 4,000 people, 20 miles east of St. Louis.The burned-out building had housed a business that baked communion wafers before it was destroyed by fire Wednesday.
Witnesses said the operators of the crane had a long steel boom extended when they attempted to move it. The end of the boom struck the front wall of City Hall, caving in the office of City Administrator Bud Klaustermeier, who said he was not there at the time.