Piano Once Owned By Liberace Feared Damaged In Roof Collapse
ROCKLAND (CBS/AP) -- A rhinestone-covered grand piano once owned by Liberace was feared damaged after a roof collapse in Rockland Tuesday morning.
Part of the roof at the Piano Mill on Centre Avenue caved in, all over expensive pianos inside, WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Doug Cope reported. Rockland received 29 inches of snow from the most recent snowstorm, according to the National Weather Service, in what's been a record-setting period of snowfall for the region.
The Liberace-owned piano was featured in the HBO movie "Behind The Candelabra" starring Michael Douglas. Store owner Rob Norris says the Liberace piano has 88,888 rhinestones and has been appraised for $500,000.
"Damages are extremely significant," Rockland Fire Chief Scott Duffey told WBZ NewsRadio 1030. "Unfortunately, I think [the Liberace piano] may be in that collapse zone."
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The pitched roof of the Piano Mill had lightweight construction, and a roughly 100-foot-by-100-foot section fell into the showroom, Duffey said.
"Everything is interconnected," Duffey said. "When one portion of the truss fails, the whole truss will fail."
No one is being allowed inside until a structural engineer assesses damage.
Neighbor Bill Wall said he heard a loud rumble overnight, and motion-detection lights on his property turned on.
"Sounded like a freight train. I thought maybe it was a big plow truck coming down my driveway," Wall said. "Then we heard another crash later."
Several Massachusetts roof collapses were reported under the weight of several feet of snow.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Doug Cope reports:
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