The New York herald., 1873-09-02
THOSE ROTTEN WALLS.

Tho Eleventh street Catastrophe-Omcial
Inquiry by tho Cor0nor-The Building
Old and Rotten In Many Places-How
Tenement Houses arc Erected-Mortar
Which Melts When Moistened.
Coroner Herman yesterday commenced an in
qury into the facts Of the terrible accident which
occurred on August the 22d by the fall OF a tene-
ment house in course OF erection at No. 321 West
Eleventh street. Considerable interest was mani
tested in the case, as was evidenced by the large
attendance at the Coroner's ONCE. 1t was
also evident that the inspectors Of
buildings do not feel quite comfortable
In regard to the matter, for Commissioner Adams
and inspectors Robert McGuinis and Dudley were
promptly on hand In order to watch the case in
the interest OF the department with which they are
connected. The relatives and friends OF the dead
and the injured men also appeared in considerable
numbers, anxious widows neither and orphans
evnclng q vivid desire to learn the whole sad par
ticulars of the catastrophe by which their loved
ones lost their lives. According the formula the
Inquiry was for the purpose OF taking evidence Gin
regard to the manner In which John Foster, Jere-
mlah Driscoll, Martin Fahey, Jacob Ryder, Michael
McFee, Cornelius Cr0nln, Francis Donnely and
Mich ael Mullin met their Deaths"
Coroner Herman on taking his seat intimated
that he intended to confne
THE Days PROCEEDINGS
to the examination Of the owner Of the house, the
contractor and the Inspector OF Buildings.
The first witness called was P. j.. Holzderber the
owner OF the building at which the accident took
place. He testified that he had owned the property
q 1ve-story tenement gave the contract to J. W.
Crawford, mason, and Jesse Neuman, carpen-
ter; the house was originally two-story one,
with basement and attic; he was not present at
the time OF the accident.
J. w. Crawford, on being sworn, said that he was
the mason in charge of the building, having the
contract Tor the work in that department; the
building was formerly three. story and attic, ex-
front was to be removed and new one put in the
first story OF iron, stone and Philadelphia brick,
had progressed to the third tier Of beams M on the
new portion, and 1t was ready for the fourth tier;
the masons were lcvelling the third tier OF beams
when the accident occurred; was not present;
the west wall which ie as twelve inches thick,
cept for about three or four feet, which was only
eight inches this was to have been taken down,
could not say why 1t mad not been done; wit
ness thought that the heavy storms were partly
THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT;
there were some old beams with the third tier OF
new ones which had been removed on the morning
the wan projected about seventeen ieet over the
third tier, and was supported only by purlnes ex-
ron on sne 70 dS sr,oT 1 s ne
Edward Gallagher, OF the Ninth precinct police,
testified that he was standing on the corner Of
West Eleventh street and Washington street when
the accident occurred he heard q heavy crash
ran to the scene OF the disaster and helped to ex
tricate the foreman ana a aborer from the debris;
turned to the wrecked building; rescued another
man. who died shortly afterwards
o s brotber ou
showed that both had done their best to rescue
the wounded workmen
was mason, and was employed on the building at
the time of the accident; was on the northeast
heard part OF the Old building fall, and with few
others escaped by way OF the rooI OF the adjoining
gable ends In falling crushed the beams and the
whole structure came down. Witnesses opinion as
to the on e & @ Wa waS |as a M e Ta
stable to bear any great weight; 1t was rotten, and
the bricks could easily be pulled out by hand: no
mans lie should have been entrusted on it, as 1t
BUILT AGAINST ANOTHER WALL
was thirty years old, and lost its 'stay" when the
beams were cut away, several days before the
casualty occurred; the roof was all taken OF by
some weeks before; there were then about is or 10
ieet OF wall standing above the third tier OF peams
witness considered that il the old wall had been
taken down there would have been no loss OF life;
the beams were rotten, and he mentioned that fact
~ The testimony of Jacob Van Norden, the foreman
OF Hook and Ladder Company No. 5, merely tended
to show how the wounded were rescued and the
dead disinterred from the debris by the exertons
Augustus stevens, who resides next door to the
fallen oaahs soms sna e
live opposite, deposed that they saw the beams
the west side OF the building give way, and then
' Sergeants smith and Bogart were next called;
but as they were not in the immediate vicinity at
the time OF the accident, their testimony was nat
urally unmportant
FREDERICK HEWLETT
is mason and foreman for Mr.. Crawford; COM
menced to alter the building July Il ; the work was
commenced two three days before; excavated
the cellar; worked day after day and saw the
stones laid for foundation; the girder was twelve
inches square, rested on beams and In the wall;
worked up to second tier and third without dis
I'M frnnf fhnn rot n nm
mence taking down the front and use the old brick
on the extension; always supposed the building
was perfectly secure; not word was ever said to
me OF any danger from the old building; between
the trimmer beams there were SIX feet; between
the others, sixteen inches from the centre; the
OF brick; some OF the holes for the beams were
cut out the morning OF the accident, about ten or
eleven O'Clock some the day before. -
Thomas Trainor mason, whose wrlst was dlslo-
Gated by the accident, was the next Witness He
thought the walls were
QUITE AS SOUND AND SAFE
az those In the generality OF old buildings; ne was
employed on the new extension at the time OF the
Mr.. Johnson Purdy, Inspector OF Buildings In the
building every day while 1t was In course OF recon-
struction; he thought everything was gale on MS
Last examination (the day previous TO the ecci-
dent) and paid special attention TO the gaple emo
to ascertain whether 1t stood plumb; tncn con-
sidered that the eastery would support the west.
the frequent rains had softened the mortar, ana
active operations on the walls directly afterwards
had caused the accident which he did not tnink
would have happened II work upon the structure
had been delayed twenty-iour hours.
At this epoch the Coroner sdjourned the inquiry
a