-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: MAPS-L: UGA Map Library pics
Date: Mon, 2 Oct 2006 18:36:55 -0400 (EDT)
From: Lucy Rowland <[log in to unmask]>
To: Maps, Air Photo & Geospatial Systems Forum <[log in to unmask]>
Paige,
I don't know where Neil got these pix--Jean Cleveland, UGA Libraries PR person disavowed any responsibility, and said that she'd heard that one of the Libraries Security folk had been out there with a digital camera. This was the first I'd seen of the series and I'm actually involved, albeit not as directly as Tom Hardaway, my trusty sidekick in MapLibraryStuff.
The driver was coming south on Milledge Ave, apparently at a high rate of speed (Tom Hardaway informed me that the clock on the wall, which ended up in some of the rubble, was stopped at 4:35 a.m.), went through the (somewhat awkward) T intersection, and encountered the wall in a Physics 101 experiment moment.
When Claire Colombo, UGA's Head of Access Services, called me at 6:30 a.m. from the scene she said the car's grill was inside the Map Library (as you can see). Tom was already on the scene. I didn't get out there until a day later (because Tom was already on the scene).
A tribute to airbags, the driver was found by police walking on the side of the road for some unknown destination. Since this event wasn't reported in any of the newspapers, I have no idea of anything more than that, except the Agriculture and Consumer Sciences Librarian said she drove home via S. Milledge Ave and there were no skid marks, and as the speed limit approaching is 55 mph you can draw your own conclusions.
I suggested (too late!) we should sell the messy parts as a fund raiser, but by the time we got out there, Physical Plant had done its part in cleaning up. I do have a nice chunk of mortar if anyone wishes to buy it.
Seriously, by sheer luck and timing, nobody was seriously hurt, the collection itself sustained almost no damage, we lost 2 tables and 2 chairs, one drawer to one of the map cases had a brick careen into it although it is still operational, and the steel supply cabinet got a head on whack that pierced it in at least one spot.
Had this happened during the day with people inside the building it would have been tragic. No one in that area would have escaped serious injury or worse. I sent the 2 photos I had at the time with a description of the "event" to an engineer I know in Durham NC and his response was "Wow!"
I expect the racket must have been unbelievable, as according to the engineering report it was an 8x10 (feet) hole, caused by an object moving at 60 mph, turning potential energy into kinetic energy, sending the resulting loose bricks and mortar at least 70' through the air and along the floor...in a converted warehouse.
I am most thankful that my excellent staff (Tom Hardaway and Cynthia Prosser) were not on hand at the moment, and that they have been there since.
Lucy Rowland
>Oh my gosh!!! Thanks for sharing the news and the pictures [Chris and]
>Neil! Indeed, thankfully this did NOT occur during the day, and I'm sure
>Tom and others are counting their blessings for that. How is the driver
>doing? I hope not too seriously injured (and if they were that
>inebriated probably not I am assuming).
>
>Paige
>
Lucy M. Rowland, MS, MLS, CNU
Head, Science Collections & Research Facilities
University of Georgia Libraries
Athens, GA 30602-7412
[log in to unmask]
+1-706-542-6643
FAX: +1-706-542-7907
http://www.libs.uga.edu/science/scicolldev.html
"Human subtlety will never devise an invention more beautiful, more simple,
or more direct than does Nature." --Leonardo da Vinci
"Always do right. It will gratify some people and astonish the rest." --Mark
Twain
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