The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-04-01
The Thirty Second Street Calamity.

ADJOURNED INQUEST
The jury empaneled in this re-assembled pursuant
to adjournment yesterday afternoon, at the Special
Term Room Of the Supreme Court, City Hall The sub
ject of buildings falling the in question did and
the consequent sacrAce Of human life appears to have
attracted due attention the part Of the public and
the present inquiry is looked to with no little interest
Counse; attended to watch the proceedings the
part OF Dir Brooks the contractor for the masonry The
following testimony was given:
George Carrolton called and sworn-Lves in Forteth-
street Ninth avenue; was acquainted with John Ran
kin deceased saw him taken out Of the buildings
Saturday afternoon March 9th he seemed to be good
deal hurt witness helped to put him into carriage and
went before il TO his fathers house passing down
Eighth avenue and the people run was not employ
cd the luding did not examine it. and knew nothing
of its safety or otherwise.
Matthew Williams Of 2s71s Blocker street. deposed-
He wss mason; had been so tor about Is years was
engaged on building the foundations Of the houses
1hiriyscc ond street.-the stone work the mortar
the that used throughout; it was shell lime
tar; witness does not know much about shell lime, but
believes il good of the kind the sand good it
was not all crccned and some was not worked
on foundation walls till they competed considered
the work good enough capable of sustaining the weight
OF the budEg the soil beneath was clay and safer than
best did know much about shell lime he had
been in the habit Of using it, had always worked
good buildings: this the first Of the kind he had Deen
could not say what the cause Of these walls fall
ing from the completion Of the foundation till the build
ing fell was about ten days; there was not much wind
wind TO blow them down at work on the ground in
Broadway Of Thiry first street within half mile
distant did not think there wind enough then to
how down brick wall.
To Juror-The difference between this building and
others he had worked was not in the workmanship
he did not know what hold this lime had.
To the CoroncrA brick wall properly built with good
lime viii not fall of its own weight nor will the founda
tons give way his impression was that the foundation
here did not give way.
The Coroner here obliged to press the witness
who persisted he knew nothing more about 1t.
Examination continucd-Thc foundation walls wer,
eighteen twenty. twenty -four inches tlck-he middle
eighteen inches; it is customary to screen all
sand this not all screened.
Q.Wi eight inch brick wall fall Of its own weight
when properly made with proper materials built up
quickly,
Witnc.s laiter some hesitation)-An eight inch wall
built with coed mortar and properly braced cant stir,
up qUickly-that u my opinion; the mortar
seemed rich enough Of the kind did not know whether
the beams were in or no; knew OF nothing beyond the
foundation.
John Mcguire called and sworn-Livod at 2i0 Six
tccuth street between Ninth and Tenth avenues; is
principally in stone work; was the contractor Tor
sixteen wall, in those foundations they eighteen
inch walls l contracted with Mr.. William D. Bar
ton who lives in Nineteenth street for them
Under thee circumstances. the Coroner did not deem
1t xpcdicn, TO question him further and the witness
directed 10 withdraw.
Thomas sweeny mason laborer called and sworn
Resided at lo Eighteenth street witness made the NOR
tar the foundation walls; il is customary to put two
parts e sand to Of lime and such mortar would do
for work chat the proportion they used az near
iy a. They could judge they did not measure it; they
had instructions only TO make il right to please
the they always endeavored to do that and he
did not hear thu ever find any fault part of the sand
fcroencd; not because it was fine enough
and did require IT, he only made the mortar for the
foundations he considered Of course the rock lime was
best the sand was very good there was no loan mixed
whit
Did you consider those good foundation stones!
Al don't know anything about the mason work can't
give opinion.
John Water. examined Resided in Thirty second
street ju.t opposite whore the buildings fell not
mason; know nothing Of the trade; sitting in his
houe and heard the noise; looked out and them fall
heard crash and saw the rear wall falling; saw three
90 down. and afterwards the gable wall against the
frame house fell went 10 the door and saw some men
carried away; sick himself and did not 60 over till
Monday thought the partition wall went first at first
thought IL the a BY trade and knew
nothing of buildings thought there three tiers Of
beams in. and they only wanted the roofing.
John 0tsiater sworn-Resides al 1i0 seventh avenue;
is mason and has been for years employed as
bricklayer and plaserer; employed on those build
ing and left at about half past eleven that day was not
there at the time they fe the brick walls all round
eight inches except two twclvcinch piers in front
to hold the work q the door way had built abu
mcnts FOR chimnys could not say there were any IN,
tended. did not know there any law about IT. had
many built without believed il was shell lime; wit
mess had used better could not give any opinion as to
the he used the white mortar for the fronts
made Of tone lime and white sand; saw the shell lime
in the street. thought he had seen better lut was such
generally used throughout New York he had
been employed on buildings Of all classes rock lime
j. generally named in the specification and then they
obliged to fulfil the contract did not think il
usual 10 Use the shell lime in frStcass building when
Nc got there the gable wall standing two stories high
the middle partition AMI all the rest down TO the
Foundations. the iremen pulled down the gable wall
not bacpg the gable wall it not iraccd 1t would
have been afr II it had been braccd to the beams
ers,ood Il was the able wall next the Eighth avenue
that part which not braced that fell first thought
the accident occurred though this alone. he believed
he could lay dry. without any lime, and II would
stand II braced believed Mr. Brady the deceased was
the for the gable wall Fix or eight feet
above the fame house adjoining witness worked on 1t
day only; il raine that morning and he would not
go back and knew nothing Of the accident till afterwards
when his friends thought he had been killed they were
allowed ny law to up eight inch wall thirty five
feet from the level the curb and this had not been
raised quite that height the beams had to SC in 1t
was very nearly up.
SoclocS A. NJ.
Police Intelligence.
.fnoiher Charge qFdirs California Passenger 9genfS-