New-York tribune., 1873-09-02
THE RECENT BUILDING DISASTER.

ROTTEN Walls AND RAIN THE ALLEGED CAUSE
TESTIMONY BEFORE THE CORONER
Coroner Herman began an inquest yester-
day relative 10 the death Of John Foster and seven
others who were fatally crushed by the falling of the
buiding NJ 32l West Eleyenthst, near Greenwch-st,
at 1l-5O a. I on Friday Aug p, when nine other work
men we're also severely injured. An outline of the tes
timony Will be found below:
r. j Holzderber testified with my brother, j. II.
Holzderber have owned the building IN question for
four OF tive months II had two stories, an athc base
ment and cellar; gave ont contract 10 nave IL al,
tcred TO a fve-story tenement house William jose
was the architect and superintendent; j. W. Crawford
was the mason, and Jesse Newman the carpenter CraW-
ford was not the lowest bidder he had bult an eXten
sion for me before, and considered him competent
John W. Crawford testified: am mason. and reside
az No 80 Eghhave.; the upper part Of the rear wall
only eight inches thick that part was TO be taken
down end rebuilt inches thick, the same az the lower
part Of the old WALL the third tier of floor beams were
already placed IN the walls OF the new extension, Wch
was ready for the fourth ter in the old part the hrd
tier beams already n aud trainers we're leveDg
them up; my foreman. Nj Hewlett was Duldlbg scar
FOLD for the wOrkmen put the fourth tier OF beams
four inches OF the walls mad been cut away Tor the re-
ception Ot the beams; the principal direction OF my
work was left with my fOreman have known hun hye
or years and considered MIN GOOD mecbaIc ana
sober left him in charge OF the building al 10 a. M
on the OF the accident he old west wall fell during
my absence, crushing everything below II; the lower
part of that wall u inches hck ANA the upper part
eight inches; the upper part was to have been
taken down and rebuilt four inches thicker; can
give DO special why the upper part Of tue wall
wa not taken down when the roof rtmOvcU dld not
think necessary; several OF the old beams o the third
tier were left n until the morning of the accden the
old beams taken out that morning. the old west
wall about i feet above the beams II was supported
by two OF the old purines galOws beams OF the gable
roof which had been efE there was no other support
was doing the work according TO the contract specca
tions prepared by the archec can't give any particu
lar cause why the building fell, except the storm.
Henry O'Hagan testified: / am mason and live at
No TAI Greenwichst at the time OF the accident was
working the new extension; IN my opinion the
accident was caused by the upper part Of wall not
having been properly braced the old beams the fourth
taken Out nNe before tne accident
instead Of on the same morning; think an old beam
should left here ana there TO support the
walls till the work done; working the
old walls part Of the time they were very rottcn the
bricks could he pulled out with the hands easily the
walls unable 10 stand any pressure without sup
port and were very dangerous; the storm made the
walls Insecure think told the foreman that jhey
rotten tnat could pull out the bricks with
my hauds.
Frederick Hewlett testified am mason and live
in Jersey City: foreman for Mr. Crawford;
old bricks from the front wall 10 build the
extension some Of the old beams were nsed again;
don't think they were rotten; had The walls ready for
the fourth tier OF beams on the morning of the accident
the foreman of the Trainers tod me the beams were al
ready; began 10 build scaold; was On the top Of the
building when IL fell have no knowledge hat OHagan
ever told me that the OH walls were rotten; thought
them safe myself and no one ever iuumated 10 me that
they not perfectly secures most OF the old beams
the fourth tier were left IN I'll the morning OF the
accident the last were taken out only about 20
minutes before when they were taken out there were
no beams left above the third er except two or the old
gaOws beams Ui the roof; the architect al the
building three four times at least also saw the In
specor Of Buildings there several times; was around
the building all the time myself; neither the Inspector
Of Buildings any else ever gave me any nstruc
tons TO take down the upper part OF the west wall
Jonathan Purdy testified am carpenter and builder
by trade, aud inspector Of The Department of
Buildings; the building ia question was IN my district;
visit buildings every day When they ~ OF al
trration visited building every day; examined 1t
the day before IL c and considered IL safe the soften
ING of the mortar by the rain, with tho premature
sumption OF work, the OF the ACCIDENT when
! - " The west wall Thursday 10 plumb, and
would not have fallen II the mortar had been given
chance To dry ana become hard again before the wall
disturbed by the wOrkmen.
The inquest adjourned TO 10 to-day, when the
testimony OF 1perts will DC introduced.