1
 Nothing was going to hold up the long-delayed settlement of Britton vs. Thomasini.
5001
span

2
 Not even an earthquake.
1
concession

3
 On the afternoon of Oct. 17, 
5003
span

4
after hours of haggling with five insurance-claims adjusters 
5006
span

5
over settling a toxic-waste suit, 
4
reason

6
four lawyers had an agreement in hand. 
5005
Same-Unit

7
 But
5008
span

8
 as Judge Thomas M. Jenkins donned his robes 
5009
span

9
so he could give final approval, 
8
purpose

10
the major earthquake struck, its epicenter not far from his courtroom in Redwood City, Calif.
5010
Same-Unit

11
 The walls shook;
5012
List

12
 the building rocked.
5012
List

13
 For a while, it looked like the deal 
5013
span

14
-- not to mention the courtroom itself -- 
13
antithesis

15
was on the verge of collapse.
5014
Same-Unit

16
 The judge came out 
5016
List

17
and said, `
5016
List

18
Quick, let's put this on the record,' 
5017
span

19
says Sandy Bettencourt, the judge's court reporter. 
5017
attribution

20
 I said, 
21
attribution

21
`NOW?' 
5020
span

22
 I was shaking the whole time.
5022
List

23
 A 10-gallon water cooler had toppled onto the floor, 
5022
List

24
soaking the red carpeting.
5022
List

25
 Lights flickered on and off; 
5022
List

26
plaster dropped from the ceiling, 
5022
List

27
the walls still shook 
5022
List

28
and an evacuation alarm blared outside.
5022
List

29
 The four lawyers climbed out from under a table.
5024
List

30
 Let's close the door, 
5025
span

31
said the judge 
30
attribution

32
as he climbed to his bench.
5024
List

33
 At stake was an $80,000 settlement 
5027
span

34
involving who should pay what share of cleanup costs at the site of a former gas station, 
5028
span

35
where underground fuel tanks had leaked 
5029
List

36
and contaminated the soil.
5029
List

37
 And the lawyers were just as eager as the judge to wrap it up.
5030
Same-Unit

38
 We were never going to get these insurance companies to agree again, 
5032
span

39
says John V. Trump, a San Francisco defense lawyer in the case.
5033
span

40
 Indeed, the insurance adjusters had already bolted out of the courtroom.
5034
span

41
 The lawyers went to work anyway, 
5035
span

42
duly noting 
43
attribution

43
that the proceeding was taking place during a major earthquake.
5036
span

44
 Ten minutes later, it was done.
5038
span

45
 For the record, Jeffrey Kaufman, an attorney for Fireman's Fund, said 
5040
attribution

46
he was rattled 
5040
span

47
-- both literally and figuratively.
46
concession

48
 My belief is always, 
5043
attribution

49
if you've got a settlement, 
50
condition

50
you read it into the record, 
5043
span

51
says Judge Jenkins, 
5045
span

52
now known in his courthouse as Shake'Em Down Jenkins.
51
elaboration-object-attribute

53
 The insurance adjusters think differently.
5044
antithesis

54
 I didn't know 
55
attribution

55
if it was World War III or what, 
5047
span

56
says Melanie Carvain of Morristown, N.J. 
5047
attribution

57
 Reading the settlement into the record was the last thing on my mind.
5048
evaluation-s

5001
span
5002
span

5002
span
5026
span

5003
span
5005
Same-Unit

5004
span



5005
multinuc
5007
span

5006
span
3
temporal-after

5007
span
5001
elaboration-additional

5008
span
5010
Same-Unit

5009
span
7
temporal-same-time

5010
multinuc
5011
span

5011
span
5005
antithesis

5012
multinuc
5015
span

5013
span
5014
Same-Unit

5014
multinuc
5012
List

5015
span
5010
consequence-s

5016
multinuc
18
attribution

5017
span
5018
span

5018
span
5019
span

5019
span
5012
result

5020
span
5021
span

5021
span
5023
span

5022
multinuc
5020
temporal-same-time

5023
span
5018
comment

5024
multinuc
5021
elaboration-process-step

5025
span
5024
List

5026
span
5037
span

5027
span
5030
Same-Unit

5028
span
33
elaboration-additional

5029
multinuc
34
elaboration-object-attribute-e

5030
multinuc
5031
span

5031
span
5002
background

5032
span
5030
comment

5033
span
38
attribution

5034
span
39
restatement

5035
span
40
concession

5036
span
41
comment

5037
span



5038
span
5026
temporal-after

5039
span
5041
List

5040
span
5039
span

5041
multinuc
44
comment

5042
span
5044
span

5043
span
5042
span

5044
span
5046
span

5045
span
5042
attribution

5046
span
5041
List

5047
span
5048
span

5048
span
5049
span

5049
span
5041
List

