The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-09-03
CONSTRUCTED BY CONTRACT.
The Investigation in Regard to the Eleventh
Street Accident-The Coroner Sounding the
Depths-Mortar That Melts Into Mud
How Tenement Houses Are Con-
structed-The Cheap Prin-
ciple in Building


The inquiry into the cause OF and matters ren
orally connected with the Iamentable accident
caused by the falling OF the tenement house In
course OF erection at No. 321 West Eleventh street
was resumed yesterday morning at the Coroneri
ONCE.
Coroner Herman, on assuming the chair tool
occasion TO draw the attention OF the Jury to the
TACT that though he had subpenaed many of thu
most prominent builders in this city to render thei
opinions as TO the cause OF the accident, these
gentlemen had either sent paltry excuses or pait
attention to his legal demand fol
their services This disregard for his man
dates the Coroner considered, was due to the fact
that 1.-The trader clannish, and builders did not
wish to compromise themselves by giving opinions
which, If honest would be derogatory to one OF
their fellow craftsmen. Mr.. Hermann also quietly
called attention TO the manner In which the Inspec-
tor OF Buildings, the masons, contractors and car
penters were trying to shit the burden OF respon-
sibillfy TO the shoulders OF each other.
~. erst ,v,,ro.. oa THE TESTIMONY TESTIMONY v.u,. -
who ad he Wss srcs aS resided YUAN is
rs aFew he pahs Tor Inc nr alterations of the
building to be altered into five soried double tene-
except the first which be used two stores; the
house rig nal hres story ana attic edce
rIE OLD WALLS $500
made Tor the contracts Mr. Hozderber Ghe owner)
chose his and carpenter against the consent
man; did not know Crawford, but made no objection to
Der came about eight after Witness drew his
5 p snS os s he did to but
visited the building twice week while it was in
the accident; the working; the masons were
a 6e Ma sn of h mSes e
that some Of the old nUers should used Examined
gable tsa
front and noticed the beam holes and found that
IN.
brick and mortar considered the walls strong enough
and the foundations .1 s safe It would have
mere TO haye 6S ON new ana wal the
TO be altered witness did hear of the catastrophe
~ iRSsfs
n S the
upper part which was only eight inches the peak
10 he taken down that part was safe, being braced
wseEP VWSo aaams was the next witness sworn He
said ihs, he Superintendent Of Buildings Tor the
ss% wss m s%a sn sy M y he
srsaiteen or TO Messrs Mozaerber
sy
WERE the neSes nick ana sn
below the s curb the alterations proposed were to
szisnd i on On Re a reaf
walls as rect ad Il ae
msnt mortar walls twenylour inches thick the upper
Gid building were to be raised or lowered to suit the the
S i oMn nre n 9a hd w walls
which were to rest on Iron Orders and columns and
REQUIRED by Law;
BUILDINGS whose duty TO examine the edifee as
l. then stood and 70 report whether in good and
;ns report was made BY the Inspector a he
%:nd,ns permit stsTatSns sasg sssG;
BspsT II WITH no s on
lore ana at should be constructed by by
and this the aTehi!eet
the W f p
Inspector Of district 70 visit buildings in course
ma. department Mr. Pnrdy relieved HIM June ~; hi
sa he Ssr
81: %poss0Is in The Witness opinion him to pa
ings in hs district durnaily: Mr. Pardy had some IN
in alssa e q
here
witness gave as his opinion that the cause of the dis
va: us s to The Of a he old
braces he not think weather had had any efec,
me walls i only DELAYED me work Of the
WINES knew Crawford ana added
competent to build but who cannot be legally prevented
~ hf
S ct t aH ns s1 81 e ed In
WORK four weeks prior to the a;sdent he
SOrne who resides on Ninth avenue and came to
FOR S3eS be do e hs had
on e a n set The fhf a
before fell; at that time the workmcn had Just eveiled
H. Inc with
which softened the mortar
Witness further stated, when closely crosse KAN
tned by the Coroner, that he had never served his
time" as an apprentice IN the carpenter trade but
had been an artificial limb manufacturer.
Gilbert Borert of No SO Christopher street, testified
that he had been builder Tor twenty years; saw
nj
viewed the ruins; the building tnirtytwo feet IL
III
on and hn
been placed between tie walls iron! and rear the wall,
would not have fallen: witness considered that
WI, the cutting anp OF Of aIa four n1G nehss in M,
wall ana The removing Of the old beams te eyeg Ky
upper part Of the house unsupported there being
storms had eject the stability q the edace
% %a nes al No. rs
testified that had inspected the Of the building
from their appearance induced him TO coincide to the
letter with the testimony OF the previous witness Mr..
Levi J. Fuller, who lives at No 800 West Eleventh
in course OF and told Crawford he thought
Why @ he nD
"aa R out the % Of the casualty
nron plates were insufficient to SUPPORT them; there
made ''' 'A'""''' ''"' ""' '''" e'' 0H WHICH
THE WALL ropHrAvY;
Z would only have s. brace the walls; the rain
storms Of the previous week had nothing with the
hs asGGns CT Is sP Snh avenue testified on
sath mat he was Trainer and contracted with Newman
West EeSenh the tes Ge Wss
IN the building at hali.past eleven A. NJ. on
Lne forenoon OF the day upon which the
aceleent occurred felt himself incompetent to give
pauoe teory as TO the of the had con.
sructed many buildings this was the rst and onl
e which had al en-; when he quilted the premises he
aeeneu everything the beams were taken out AT
~h carly hour on the morning Of the casualty
coroner Herman in view OF the fact that none
oil the maay witnesses he had subppnaed were
present then adjourned the inquest until ten
O'Clock A. NJ. today wa
mn n