New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-12-13

at No, III Eighthst am builder was ut work
the building IN Thirty second - the day fell ws- at
me fourth story when the building fell Question BY The
Coroner-Stae what caused thar building to fall Ansv
In my opinion the wall. were not sufficiently substantial
saw portion OF the wall on the Lexing,onev side
ouised cut the day before the accident il tie part
u de wall up nj the top near TO the roof when vent
there 10 work Tuesday morning this port Of the
wall had fallen down ths the portion that
was bulgec out il the only part which fell this
was near 10 the front OF the building the inside
Of brick did not fall the de did the portion
winch fell extended about three feet IN length and two
feet IN depth upon the wall the masons went work
iuesday morning and built this portion up again |
heard IRON my bo-s George Weber how frtcuiar the
man who owned the building about the materials
as beams. &c when the masons went 70 rebuild the
portions Of the wall which had fallen they asked for vet
ter mortar there were four Orders the nrst ho1r.
four on the second four the fourth story there
were four posts al the way up these posts measured
three by four the tmbers which were hoied up for the
roof were putt their proper places when hoisted up
some OF them were hoisted up Monday night there
were four Of them and they were thus put two were
left in the place to stand upon and two were carried
away and laid in their places the front Of the building
the others were put in their places the next day As a.
a. they were hoted there had been % beams on when
the building fell they were all in their places there
were other tmbers there except what were for use
and they were in their places the wood which lay near
the chimney short behms called hreheaders which
come up to the hearth as in the act Of raising up
these 10 my brother 10 put in the beams, the building
fell there were no timbers piled up where my brother
was except what were il their place that's the beams
were laid first, but not fixed in permanent pO
sition; there any of the tmbers placed
top Of another the walls propped up some days
before they hoisted the beams do not know If they
were propped that morning again when the beams
being hois,ed Monday they did not knock down
the portion OF the wall have spoken Of was not up
at the roof on Monday was to sling the beams while
my brother at the top If it were done by the
beams could II from underneath the bricks fell
ont about three feet TO the front Of the wall than
where they were hosting the beams the beams were
hoisted the dey before and the walls secure but
the next Tuesday morning going 70 work we found
the bricks had fallen out the four beams lay inside
they touched the wall but the inside bricks remained
snd the outside bricks fell the men stood upon the two
beams in hosting IL not ct this point the wall fell
II was not more than ten minutes after were done
hosting the beams when the man the root cred out
to those below that the building falling do not
know the bricks were wet which were laid upon the
top Of the building; they had been under cover; my
boss got the contract for his part Of the work from
Fielder Myers had the contract first when Myers len,
my boss took his from Fielder: | am there were
four posts under the top grder put them there myseI
each post braced with braces made Of plank; my
brother and the deceased George Weber, part
ners; there were four men the top of the building
viz: the deceased George Weber George Buyar, John
Hyde and Adam Huendrhien.
Ard Reere sworn-I reside at No 203 Third lv. an
amason worked on the building from IT. commence
ment TO the completion the mortar used in the building
good had no fault TO find with II on Friday the
foreman put extra brace to the front wall outside
they were braced inside; always brace when We put
than tier Of beams he put the brace out
side suppose because he thought needed II; did
not ask him why he did it. did not consider the build
ing very safe, there partition wall; IL shook
considerably was not there when il fell there were
a good many windows with small piers; there were
seven eight windows front and knew the build
ing weak from the size of the windows and small
of the piers Robert Fielder contractor for the
brick work and j. w Fielder was contractor for the
carpenter work
b. H. Knapp sworn-I reside at No liz First-st,;
am a builder; | drew the plan for the building which
tell had nothing TO do with the execution Of the work
drew the specification for Mr.. Henry Bitter; saw the
building when it being erected never went inside
OF it, saw il come hve SIX times when was IN pro
gress of erection did not notice closely the materials
used in its construction what did notice considered
proper to 90 into such building the specification called
for mortar made from the best Limestone lime and sharp
grit sand these were procured and brought to the
place; nothing TO be used which was found on the
premises there nothing in the specification about
ground lme there to be eight windows in the front
wall opening on the rear in the basement on the
fret story there eight windows 10 op IN on the
front and eight upon the rear second story, eight win
dow opening front and rear each three feet wide the
third and fourth stories had each eight windows opening
front and rear for blinds each window to be four feet
wide, with piers two feet wide between them; there
were to be two chimneys each gable end they had
some windows put in after the plans drawn.
Coroner Ives said this closed the testimony and alter
ward addressed the Jury recaptuatng the evidence IN
"A cear and concise manner he cautioned them not TO
travel outside the testimony in their consideration OF tae
case which IN their hands. Wrong and injury
had been DONE and is for you gentlemen 10 say upon
whom the blame will fall. This you must do without
ANY consideration of persons. You VIII say, from the
testimony II the CONTRACTOR either OF them tue car
perer or the owner Of the house. any OF them,
blame in the matter OF the loss OF the lives OF these
men you are to say whether blame attaches 70 all
or not The case may be carried before the Grand Ju
~ and brought into h cher Courts where lawyers NAV
put a different construction the matter but with fht
have nothing to do. You will look to the testimony
~ regards the materials used in the construction OF the
building 1t is not said that the mortar used was tao
best ever used in the City Of New York - sworn
20 that it was the wort With regard TO these caiani-
ties gentlemen which OF late have become so frequent,
the public mind il good deal outraged and you are TO
represent e public and decide mpartialy not regard
ing on whom the ow may fall, If II be de,erved You
have the ruins, and form some opinion which
YOU take into consideration in connection with the
testimony The is now, gentlemen entirely IN
your hands.
ALSO o'clock in the afternoon the Jury retired. Al
81, thew came into Court and rendered the following
verdict:
we. the Jury saw that George Doherty and George
Weber came 10 their deaths by injuries occasoned On
the It'll inst by the falling OF the building IN the course
of erection on the north side of Thirty second 81, be-
tween Lexington and Thrdavs The Jury further say,
that the falling of the building owing to the cupa6e
carelessness of the contractors, Messrs Robert d.
Fielder mason and John w Fielder carpenter, IN their
not seeing that the work carried on in proper
manner They therefore recommend the Coroner 10
hold the said Robert d Fielder and the said John w.
Fielder for examination by the Grand Jury.
Upon the rendering OF this verdict the Messrs Fielder
express ed their readiness put in bail which will be
duly taken.
THE MURRaY-St. Drs,srER.-James Camp
bell one of the against whom the Coroners Jury
rendered verdict IN the of Patrick Mclntaggar
late OF No 81 MuTrayE who died from injuries received
by the falling upon him Of some cornce stones from the
roof of No IL MurrayFt the 2sth ut Yesterday
arrested by Officer Brundase of the Third Ward and