New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-08-01
THE LATE CATASTROPHE AT THE NAN
HAITIAN GAS WORKS.
nnRonrR's IsogEsI


At O'Clock the Jury renSseH"ieu Nnen 'ne 'oho"ihs
testimony taken:
Michael Raleigh being sworn, said l an assistant su
of the construction Of iron works in the
isbsbment of James Beebe Co.. and have been in this
bnsness since 1876 have carefully examined the ruins
Of the building which fell and of opinion tina. the
cause of the fall Of the roof the improper construction
of the iron work the main ribs not OF proper form
or strength they sufficiently supported by diago
nal braces; think the accident occasioned by the
twisting Of the main ribs which caused the roof to coll
lapse and pulling down the supporters and breaking
the pillars the frame work not proporonate by
any properly constructed roof made as this was
could scarcely support the slate which was upon this
there might have been secret flaw in the iron unknown
the most skiful workman which would PROSTATE the
whole roof ia improper have the tie bars secured by
a only at each end a. they are liable TO ny on
should the iron be brittle in certain conditions Of the at
mophere these tie bars should be well secured by cross
KEYS the witness examined the iron, and thought to be
Of good quality
Geo. Christensen sworn-Ssys, a., an architect, and
had the charge Of constructing the New-York Crystal
Palace associated with Mr. Gidermeister who is my
partner and examined with me the ruins Of the Gas
Works the system made of in the construction Of that
building ia BOT new, and has been found to succeed in
other parts of the country the gutter which placed
the outer foundation wall not fastened inside with
Orders transverse longitudinal beams form
perfectly sold square which could depend the vertice
pressure and horizontal strain there not single beam
grder in the whole building the consequence that
the shoe supporting the rbs Of the roof gave way the
system Of the constr ,on Of this very deficient there
not, in fact udclous system OF adjustment employed
in the building there deficiency Of diagonal tierods
Throughout the whole the frame sufficiently strong TO
support the roof account of the length of the building
which would require different system 10 insure its stand
ing; consider the design of the building very defective
and the of its falling; the material used was good
enough the roof system employed waswrongly managed
this system hes succeeded elsewhere where 1t was not
employed in the extent that was in this covering one
part OF the roof with slate may have caused TO shake and
high wind, in consequence of its inferior construction,
might have affected il.
Isaac w. Ayers sworn, says-I belong to the Iron
Works of Mott & Ayers and have examined the building
which fell found the materials 10 be good and consider
the structure n and the work properly executed near
y all the gashouse roofs in the country have been erected
on the same plan more work and more stifeniDg might
have been employed in the construction OF the roof but
consider what there all that was necessary as to the
quality of the iron and the roof system which has sue
ceeded elsewhere do not consider they were Objection
able as 10 the Of the accident, cannot give an
opinion and think il is yet unexplained II was remarked
by previous witness there were no longitudinal grders
beams used in the building consider tha the valley
cutters or beams grders in themselves this plan
gashouse with exception has been in general use
the exception that there were three alternate roofs in
the budiDg the cutters performed the office OF orders
if one of the columns had been displaced would very
probably have caused the building to fall cannot con-
ceve Of any number of men or any weight Of slate neces
sary have been kept the roof that would have caused
TO give way the breaking OF SIM tie rod would not
have thrown the building down.
Michael Grosez sworn-Says, general house
SMITH bars of iron, such used in the gas building,
would expand in very hot weather nearly an inch end
half less according TO the temperature and this might
have something 10 90 OF
think the design the roof good and also the u.ate
rial but think that if the iron used in the rafter had been
iron would have stood better; do not think there
was any occasion for diagonal braces in the building
saw no twist in the root.
VIM W. Cornell sworn-Says am house smith of the
firm of j. b. & w. w. Cornell constructed the iron
work of the building in question: do not think that any
of the iron had been tested by weights executed the
work according the design given; the Gas Company
found fault with the work, but were pleased with IL
much approved of the design the contract for purchasing
the iron works given to being the lowest bid
ders as an informed.
The evidence here closed and the given to the
Jury, who rendered the following verdict:
1--WE find that the deceased came to their deaths by
injuries received by the falling of the roof of the Cas-
houfe corner of Fcureenth-st and Avenue c; and we
are further of the opinion that there deficiency of
the bracng of said roof account of the extent of the
area and the combination Of three roofs although be-
leve that the bracng sufficient to single
roof of the construction.
After the verdict rendered vote of thanks was
rendered to Coroner o Donnell by the Jury