NEWS: Razing of the Mountain House, Cresson, 1917, Cambria County, PA

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Altoona Tribune
Altoona, Pa.
Monday Morning, 12 Feb 1917


RAZING OLD HOTEL IS GIGANTIC TASK
Four Months' Labor Finds Removal of the Mountain House but Half 
Completed

With a force of eighteen men working steadily for the past four 
months on the razing of the old Mountain house at Cresson, Contractor 
J. C. Cassidy, of this city has the task little more than half 
completed.

The big building, in its days one of the most famous summering places 
in the country, was bought by Mr. Cassidy from the Pennsylvania 
Railroad company, four months ago, with the understanding that it be 
removed from the grounds.

Work was started at once and the eighteen men employed have worked 
steadily since, dismantling the great rambling old building.  The 
dining room, in itself a building 52 by 220 feet, has been removed, as 
has the large boiler room and the west wing of the building.

So precarious is the work of tearing down the old structure that it 
is necessary for the contractor, under the state compensation act, to 
insure his men at a rate that makes the premium twelve and one-half per 
cent. of their earnings.  There have been no accidents so far as the 
work has progressed.

Most of the several hundred tons of metal in the building is being 
sold to Sealfon Bros., of Tyrone, while the hundreds of thousands of 
feet of lumber are being bought up by residents of both Blair and 
Cambria counties.  Hundreds of farmers, especially from Cambria county, 
have built and repaired houses, barns and outbuildings with the 
excellent grade of lumber that is being taken out of the well built 
structure.  Several Philadelphia firms have purchased quantities of the 
lumber.  It has been estimated that there was 1,000,000 feet of lumber 
in the whole building.

Under Mr. Cassidy's contract, he has until April 11 to finish the 
work, which he expects to complete within the prescribed time.

To Gerald P. Wallace and Virginia L. Gallagher, both of Clearfield.
To Joe Bruse and Ruth Cooper, both of Altoona.