The Express.
London, England, 1853-09-20 00:00:00

-211 E FATAL ACCIDENT BY THE FALL

OF HOUSE IN 711.1 8714111.

ADJOURNED INQDZST.

Yesterday the inquest on the bodies of Mr. and
Mr.. Thompson, Georg. Dunn, their shopman, and George
L ,we. foreman to Megan. Lucas the builders, was resumed
before M.. Laughers, the D..psty-Coroaerjor Westminster.
in the Vestry.hall of St. Clement Danes, Pieketbstreet,
14:rsitd. Mr. Hawkins appeared for the friends of the
,:.:sued, Mr. 11,4biamo fur Mr. Angell, the district sur-
veyor, Mr. Bodkin fcr Messrs. Lucas, the builders, Mr.
Bat Anti.... fur Mr. Abrahams, the surveyor, and Mr. Ford,
solicitor, foe Messrs. Smith, the owners of the house.
he Coroner stated that he had received the reports of
the surveyors on Saturday, but he thought it would be
hotter to go en with the other evidence first, and then have
the repots read.
The Coratur and jury then proceeded to view the pre-
mists, sea oa their torture,
Mr. Stevens, Bridge-street, Blackfriarv, the surveyor,
pert in • sketch of the premises, and said that on examining
the premises they found that • quantity of the original
gestate' had been removed to shore up the house that was
left etandin. For the purpose of examining the founds-
Len they had more of the rubbish removed eleven feet
from the Strand. They four.d that the kitchen was floored
with stone, and, proceeding with their excavations, they
load the beak:mesa story had been floored mainly with
I :tel.., and he found from the position of the bricks that
the home must have slipped eastward from the basement
fl hoe.

Mr. Stevens was then sworn—l am district surveyor
of St. I:bisect Danes. I made this drawing. Com-
mencing at the bott,nn of the drawing, the small red
spot represents the foundation of the house. The next
drawing represents • section of the ruins which had
not been removed ; the blue represents the stone floor.
The nest drawing shows the portions of the ruins
which bad been removed by their orders. The seat draw-
ing rspre.ents the debris ; the line represents the 'salon
from Hut to west, six feat from the back of the building.
The painting here represents the ground which has
not been touched. The witness here pointed out on the
*ketch the various points referred to in the report given in.
John Forelhon Stamford, 9, Arundel-street, Strand,
clerk to • yor—l had my attention drawn to the
pecans.. before the accident—on Tuesday before the occur-
rence par ;icul trly. I considered the workmen were dig-
ging the earth too low, and endangering the premises. I
celled on Mr. Phillips, clerk to Mr. Abrahams, and men-
tioned i! to him. I did not see Mr. Abrahams. Mr.
Plulbi a saved that the wall was well shored up ; and I said
I considered it nevertheless insecure, and advised him to
gu and look at it. A short c,mversation ensued relative to
work which we had done several years ago, under similar cir-
cumstances. I saw that the e trth had been dug out from 9
to It Metes below the bottom of the party wall. The
Swindon= was undulating. It did not appear to me that
any under-pinning had been attempted at that time. There
were several long short*, but none about the lower part of
the well. There were no jack shores, but I considered they
were recraired. I don't think that if there had been jack
shores, that would have been sufficient. I considered that
neither* would render the wall safe. I would never have
ezeavatea in that form. If it was necessary to lower the
floor I would have taken out • part of the wall nearer the
street, and continued that, taking out small portions of the
earth at • time as I proceeded.
Ily the jury-1 considered the wall was in such • condi•
tion that no shoring would keep it up for any length of
time. The excavation was close to the wall, and the earth
on which it was standing. If it hail been underpinned
before thu excavation too: place the wall might be kept
up. I suggested to Mr. Phillips the plan of under-pinning.
lam eert tut I did so. It was on the Tuesday I called on
91r. Phillips. All the assurance Mr. Phillips gave me was
that the wall was well shored up. I noticed nothing
having been done after that day. It the wall is to be pre-
saved untlor-pinning is absolutely necessary. It is au ca-
ressive operation. If the foundation was good a leaning of
one or two inches over the foundation would not endanger
the wall. Toe soil under the wall was • loose gravel; that
is, not at ado. sive soil, but clay would slip as well.

By Mr. Ballantine-:l called ezprculy on Mr. Phillips to
snipe him of the danger. I did not go in the pr mum
I stood in the open gateway in Arundel street, and made
my observations. I saw no jack shores at the time I went
to Mr. Puillips. There were no short shores at the bottom
of the wall. I swear there were not as many as five or sin
jack-shores.
Shrini?liit recalled—A jack-shore is a piece of timber
avainbt the wall with a piece of timber to he it, and
placed under the raking shore. The jaek•shores against
the wall were ten feet. There were five of them, and
were pat by me three or four days before the house fell.
There was is all three single shores, five double shores,
and five jack-shores.
A jut)mas—On Saturday you said there were only eight
stmts.

Shrimp —That was besides the jack shores. The
shores I Imam were up against the wall of the house. I
don't nmenaber Mr. Phillips and Mr. Abrahams having
been oa the ground the day before the house fell. I took
my order, (tea Mr. Rowe, and not from Mr. Abrahams or
Mr. Phillips, after Illr. Rowe came. The jack shores were
below the Ant Boor. Mr. Phillips was on the ground on
Toesday, after a little bit of the earth, about a cart-lead,
had been taken away. I saw Me. Phillips and Mr. KIWI,
sear the spot oa Tuesday, but I did not see whether they
pointed to the spot. They were within ten yards. After
that Mr. Rowe gave me no directions. Since the last
Metairie= Mr. Abrahams showed me a drawing, and
asked me if there was anything deficient as to the
stets of thins before the house fell down. 1 said there was
not. That was on last Friday. Mr. Phillips and two more
were present', but 1 don't know who they were. Mr. Lucas
was there also. The two other men were not working men,
but I had seen them on the ground before. I altered the
F.:salon of one of the shores on the plan a little bit. This
ts the plan, and it is just as strong as it was before the house
fell. The :tont where the earth came from is accurately
pointed out on the plan, and had nothing to do with the
fall of the !rouse. I was asked to sign the plan. I believe
the three plans produced to be correct, but I have not
measured them to the scale.
Mr. Swaged milled and szainined by Mr. Hawkins—
When I was near the premises on Tuesday I saw several
men at work, and a man of about 60 years of age saperia-
tending Needle shoring would, in all probability, have
prevented the accident, if properly dose.
Mr. Sidney Smirks, surveyor—l raids at 26, Berkeley.
square. I was acquainted with the iitegeseal Mr. Rowe.
He worked at the King's College eel and Cam-
bridge Club.housia. He acted se isle& el th• wales, and he
was one of the most vigilant and prempt dodo attic weeks
I ever knew. In any work of deepe se I ebeski
have felt m mach confidence la him se was am I haw.
bye juryman—The clerk d the wall is pop !airy the
person building, and the foremen repeemalle the Ismer.
By Mr. Bellentine—H• immilismes I had is
Rowe, I should not at that eastr Mao of dm works have
employed him as • (cream tad a eledt et the works.
Rows was well knows to pawns In sat peolbmion.
By Mr. Bodkin—Armenia Paws be low been the fore-
man of the worka, he wewldithe mime hem the architect.
A juryman—In the accesses et tits desk of the works,
would the lemma vesture to masts ander the walls,
without cemalthig the Sitfmor ?-11e was a man of great
energy; sad If he thenght it was right, would do it. I
have aft examined this building.
Mr. Themes Tatem, 91, St. Cleorge'rroad, Southwark—
lam a dealer bebuilding materials. My attention was
White &shaft building the day before the accident, on
W about 2 o'clock. I was on a lead fiat
eni thee. I was so struck with the appear-
mese the building, that when I came down from the eat,
I went down into the escavatios. There was a large hole
in the corner, not of the main bnildiog, bat in a preretion.
It appeared to be a kitchen, or something of the kind. I
went to the hole, and it appeared to be made-earth. I
went up to the flat again, and returned. I went on • little
farther, and found they were cutting right along by the
main wall. I came out of the building, and saw another
builder of the name of Goodie', and we both went
down to the bottom again. We found it was a
sandy, shifting soil, and a very bad bottom. They
had git down about two feet below the foundation
wall. I did not measure it. The nest thing that I
oloserved was that they had got the ground out actually
below the footing of the shores, and the shores were not
long enough, they did not reach mach above half up the
buddit.g. The top Boor joists could not be shored at all.
The shore, which were up could have been of no use.
There were three raking shores. I sew no jack shore.
They were all raking shores. I did not communicate my
Observations to, anyone.
Ly a juryman—The eseavatinn was carried to within
two or three inches of the tooting of the party wall, and
took some of the wall itself. There appeared to have been
three er four inches of the party wall cut right along. The
'mantic* about the shore did not come dose up to the
short, but to within about a foot end a slat I think there
must have been two cartloada of earth removed. The
earth behind the wall was made-earth to the height of 12
feet, and that thrust out the wall. If the three raking
abres bad teen carried higher up I think the building
Wild have been standing yet.
By Mr. Bodkin—l was on the premises for the purpose
of buy Mg materials ; my business is rather to pull down
than to build up. There was no pressure of made-earth on
VI. party wail. They had cut off a portion of the party
wall to make room for the spring of their arches, as 1 sup-
posed.

By Mr. Ballantine—lt was my deliberate opinion at the
tree there wu danger to the neat house. I did not know
there wet* persons living in the neat house. I did not sag
aerhing about the danger, because it is a delicate thing to
laterfeu with another man's business. The shores were
from 3d to 10 feet high. The building wu 60 feet high.
The shores ought to have gone up to the top door plate. A
jack shore is an upright shore. A railing shore to a slant-
ing shore. Between the raking shores there were short
strves.
i Ur. Ilakin stated that there were several builders of
eminence present, to speak to the character and comps
Puy of Rowe, but if the jury were satisfied on that head,
there would be no necessity to call them. Ile had also a
letter from Mr. Pets), M.l'., speaking highly of Mr. Rowe,
end directing Zit to be psi.' to his widow. (Applause.)
The jury intimated that they were satisfied upon that
point.

Mr: George Cole—l reside at 275, Strand, opposite
*here the house stood. Mr. Thompson called on so
twoor duet times about the state et the house. In my

sidninn the house was not properly shored. The shoring
was not high enough, and little attention was paid to the
shoring of the lower part, and the lower part of the hoot*
should haves been needled, if they had intended to have
removed any of it, and the house should have been shored
up teem top to bottom internally. This would have car-
ried the weight of the five doors, which rested on the wall
which has fallen. I saw the excavation. It appeared to
me to be below the wall, and also below their own shores.
I did not see them cutting the wall.
By a Juryman—The highest shoring did sot go higher
than the first 'titre winnow. I did not see any sinking in
the wall. I believe the house might have been kept up,
had it been properly shored.
11 By Mr. Ballantine—The shoring in the plan produced is
higher than it was by nearly a fourth. The top of the
shore did not reach the sill of the second floor window.
Robert Brown, of Stratton•garden, Westminster—l am
an excavator, and was employed on this job by Mr. Wil-
liam Hearn, a sob-contractor. We begun on the Bth
August. I worked under the direction of Mr. Rowe. I
got no directions from any one else. We got it all
levelled out 10 feet deep, ise.cl 51 feet long, according to
the mark on the wall for me to go by. We cat holes ou
Tuesday worming beside the party wall to see wiled," we
were under the foundation. We made three holes. We
were below 15 or 16 inches in the hack part, but la the
front pert we were not below. We did not out into the
well, or under the wall. We were 14 inches oil the wall
except in the three places where I tried if we had got
under the foundation. It appears to me the foundation
was not level, as we had cut level, and the front of our ex-
cavation was not under the foundation, and the latter part
was. 1 do not know what was the height of the shores.
The shores were not in below our groundwork.
By a Juryman—The cuttings 1 made within 14 inches of
the wall were 12 feet from the back part, and only the
width of the shovel. I was present when the building
fell. Mr. Rowe was beside me. The cuttings were 12 or
14 feet apart. I made the cuttings by direction of Mr.
Rowe.

By Mr. Ballantine—l know Mr. Abraham by sight.
Most days ho came oa the premises, and Mr. Phillips too.
Whatever went on I reported to Mr. Rowe, and Mr. Rowe
took his directions from Mr. Abraham. He used fre-
quently to go to Mr. Abraham's when I wanted instruc-
tions, and they would come up before we proceeded. Nei
thee I uor Rowe apprehended the least danger up to the
moment that the wall tell. I had nothing to do with the
shoring. Mr. Shrimplin did that. As far as I was able to
ere. Mr. Abrahams paid every attention.
By Mr. Hawkins—l am merely an excavator, and my
business is merely to excavate and take the soil away. Mr
Rowe went down to Mr. Abraham's 1 times to get
directions. Ile went down on the Tuesday morning, atter
t e slip at the corner. I saw Mr. Abraham there on the
Tuesday or the Wednesday. There were flee main doub'e
shores at the side of the house, and • few short shores
besides. I heard the crack before the building fell. The
wall gave way about the middle of the building, and then
bent outwards. I had then as much to do as I could to
save myself, by running. They had bricks and cement
there, and Mr. Rowe intended to underpin as he went
along.
By a Juryman—Only ono load fell in the corner where
the slip took plate.
Thomas Eves, 68, Tothillatreet, Westminster, excavator
—Was employed under the last witness in making the ex.
cavation. Was present when the excavation took place.
Was under the wall, and when he beard the crack, ran into
an arch. There were live persons then at work, including
Rowe.

James Mugford Mason, of Milford-wharf, Strand, stated
that about twenty minute. to eight, on the morning of the
amid. nt, his was passing with his foreman, and saw the
deceased, Mr. Rowe, lying at the foot of en inclined plane.
It'seemed from the man's position that something was
wrong, and he ran down and asked him what was the mat-
ter. Hassid his leg was broken in two places, and he asked
far some brandy, and witness sent for some. He believed
that no shores were used until the excavation was made.
By Mr. Bodkin—l shored inch part as I thought neces-
sary for Messrs. Smith in October, 18.52.
Mr. Samuel Angell, 18, Gore-street.—l am district sur-
veyor of St. Clement Danes, that part which is in the
Duch/ of Lancaster. I received no notice from the builder
of any works being about to be executed at the spot in
question. I knew that a building was going to be erected
there, but bad no formal notice. The act of parliament
states that two days' notice must be given before commenc-
ing operations ; but I believe the g 1 notion among
builders is that that means before laying bricks. I was on
the premises on the 19th of August ; not on Mr. Thomp-
son's premises, but on Messrs. Smith's ground. Was there
looking at the state of the wall on Mr. Thompson's pre-
mises. I received a notice from Mr. Phillips, Mr. Abele.
ham's clerk. It was not a written notice, but Mr. Phillips
celled on me with the plans for the rebuilding of Messrs.
Smith's premises. The plan had something to do with the
party wall. The question was as to the party wall, whether it
should stand. I recommended that it should rand, and
that an external wall should be built against it. Mr. Phil-
lips said hi would state the c.se to Mr. Abraham, and I
considered it settled that the new wall should be built.
Considered the party wall as sound enough for Mr. Thomp-
soa's building, but not sufficient for the new building. I
was not aware that opera' ions had commenced, and should
' not have gone to the premises unless I had received hernial
notice, fhf had seen on passing that operations were go ng
on. Ido not consider that it was my duty to go. If I had
been aware that operations had commenced I should have
' conceived it my duty to have gone to the place and super-
intended the works, but I had no knowledge that opera.
lions had commented.

By • Jarrinan—ls it not your duty to keep a look out in
the district to see if works are going on, and see that those
Forks are conducted so as to be safe ?
Undoubtedly it Is my duty, if I had known of them. I
went on the 19th August to make a preparatory survey, and
saw Mr. Phillips there.
If by any means you are made aware that a building is
going en, u it your duty to interfere, whether you receive a
formal notice or not ?
It is ; but in this case I expected formal notice would
be vex before they commenced.
Does not the set require the district surveyor to attend
from time to time when a building is being erected ?
Witness—l oonlider my duties had not commenced. I
had mad* • preparatory survey. The taking down of
houses, or taking out ground for a new building, I do not
think come under the district surveyor's duties. If I had
seen the building a day or two before the accident, and seen
that it was not safe, I should have remonstrated with the
builder. It would have bees my duty to do so. When I
was there on the 19th August it appeared safe. The ques-
tion as to whether there should be under-pinning as well as
shoring would depend on the kind of soil. This was a
gravelly soil, which is considered the best for working on.
By Mr. Robinson—l saw no insecurity whatever when I
saw the premises.
By Mr. Bodkin—lf I had received two days' notice from
Messrs. Lucas, it would have been in accordance with the
usual practice of builders.
Mr. Bodkin—l see by the act that two days' notice must
be given before they commence; but I imppow you read
that as meaning before they lay bricks ?
Witness—l think that may be the inference.
Mr. Bodkin—And before any intention to alter ?
Witness—That would not apply to this case.
Mr. Bodkin—No. Thir was an intention to rebuild.

_______
By X. Hawkins—Suppose the builder does not give you
notice, and you know of the building ?
Witness—l must give him notice, and then I cannot do
anything bat refer it to the official rsferee,and a fortnight or
three weeks must elapse before anything can be done, ac•
cording to the swim prescribed by the act.
Mr. Hawkins tben. amid mach laughter, read the 40th
section of the Bei/Aft Act, rating the mode to be pursued
is case a bandit be sergesed to be in danger from failing,
much laughter bacir excited by the roundabout procedure
laid down, the surveyor having first to give notice to the
builder, then to refer the matter to the official referee,
who is to appoint a surveyor, then notice is to be given to
the Lord Mayor if the premises are in the city, or to the
magistrates if in a county, who are empowered out of funds
they may have in their bands to put the building in a safe
condition.

The inquest was then farther adjourned until ten o'clock
on Monday neat.