New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-11-20
the NEW STATE ARSENAL IN RUINS.
FALL or ITS ROOF AND WALLS.
About $4,000 Damage.

Aiou, | O'Clock Yesterday morning tne roo' " ''S
new State Arsenal, situated on the nof'hes'
Seventh avenue and Thihy-6ith street, 'e" W.T." ~
,nepdous crash, carrying with 1t the uPPoa o''
northern. eastern and southern walls 'o D''1"s
v.s rearly completed and would nave oeeu o.'uP'0'
nv the State authorities in few oays o'' o' 'is
aj.v. Workmen, to the number OF twenty haa oeen
emp,oyed the previous day IN pas'er'hg ,ne ceDDg Z"
1920 a. The time of the accident was ex-
."e upp ,,.ss IN view of the loss Of life which must
Ie~. ,.,,,,,d had the roof fallen in the day tine
W.. styucture was authorized by the Legislature,
- soiqtast-Gen. Townsend Inspector-Gen. Bruce
.nd commssa y-Gen. Ward were appointed Comnis-
soners 10 select the site aud receive proposals for plans
for the building. The plan Of Messn. Cleveland &
Bsckus was accepted and 10 that firm was awarded
the superintendence OF the erection Of the building.
The contract for construction awarded to Richard
Carlow IT,. for s637 e0 The building g. feet in
the clear on Seventh avenue by 1874 in the clear on
Tint With street. A tarrct was erected each
mar a the budipg-the highest Of which was l2O feet
!, b;vbt. The walls to the second story were con-
st,uced of Hastings stone above they were OF brick,
and doube-each being eight inches in thickness,
with spaoe of four incnes between the two.
The cause of the accident the imperfect support
of the roof The raiters were constructed Of wood,
and were designed TO sustain the roof without any
support in the center Of the building. The span being
81 feet to make it sufficiently strong became prob
lem and the plan adopted by the architects though
was pronounced by many practical men, and among
them Mr. Calrow the contractor to be imperfect, was
believed by them to be secure The raiters were OF
frame work quite complicated in construction, being
brsced and girded at frequent intervals and the whole
held together by iron bos. Eight Of these rested on
the northern and southern walls. Resting in iron
sockets at the apex Of the principal rafter either
end were rafers which extended 10 the eastern and
western walls, built the same plan 1t is be-
Ieved that joint Of of the rafters extending to
the eastern wall was not sufficiently strong to support
lie own weight and the heavy slate roof above -tha
gave way letting the roof fall upon the lower grders
which rested upon the walls and that the weight was
70 great as to force the walls out One raiter having
thus given way, the others followed in quick sue
cesson throwing down the side walls and precptating
the roof and rafters in O Of ruins the upper
floor of the binding.
In the original plan Of the rafters the architects
proposed to have iron tie TO extend across from the
foot of each but this was abandoned by them under the
belief that the frame sufficiently strong without.
The damage to the buildings will probably reach
sos, 600. Workmen are already engaged in removing
the rubbish.
IA
.rosii s,ory hn;Idnc occnnied nv Mr., Armstrong
-. d.,~h,o, WIZ Tho crash occurred conng.
-. -, 80 Coo, Ion, hu ,wo wide and we;ehny
."sro ,Ion ha,f ,nr soiI from the Arsenal wall
.h,ouab The roof If Mira Armstrong; dwelling into the
ta,o,, ooonn;od NV herself and dspcbter and landed
- ia 7, ,,r.zed Tho love-, limbs If Mira Arm.
$780,, b., ;,a;c,sd no ssrous ipu,v upop either her
or h. dorobts, The atone bowever killed a dog
80 20 =, th., GOO, os ,bs bod In the rear Of
H...s,aa 49, :, a,ooa L;,,lon ,vl;ol =.
'..D D'' ,,.'.Ss "a ",,'..os ~ =. ;,,,non.o
u''e',! ue"c '.~ 49, -, a.-..~.I,.
weign' Oh runs mrs a'"'.oDs noe - s"oIs0
pn'o,'"n".o, y" ,"o 49, H. - =. 49,,
% Pc ~"oO' e'0 Will u ''''--e
A.. ,,o .,ova drrar;nv 70 brck harm
a. A.. .,n. $500 II ,,h;ob ,vss . v.lu'
- IS ..,s. r. A. C.Idrou wor+b <aOo
oo' "o''o o'oe nv. a.,t,o .".s oo,,
q. quon! % 'a , ~. u .;raS .ho,,,
p,e, "nS 'e'''"''''' ""' '"''''
Fi,VVV. ana