The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-04-28
THE BROOKLYN DISASTER


Commencement OF the Inquest I'm the
Case or the Stockton street Fallen
Building.
Yesterday afternoon Coroner Whtehil begun an
inquiry az to the which led TO the fall OF the
building No. 1873 Stockton street, Brooklyn ON last
Friday morning. 1t will be remembered that three
men lost their lives by the accident and several
others were injured. The victims were Moses
Osborne, Thomas Ledwth and Thomas Burns.
Before commencing the inquest the Coroner stated
to the jury that he would only examine one wit
ness, Mr.. McGarrey at that sitting, the police
having failed to notify the other witnesses to be
present, for which omission on the part OF the
police he was unable TO account.
TESTIMONY OF AN EXPERT.
Mr.. Levi McGarrey, being duly sworn, testified
that he resided at No. l40 Stockton street; ON
April "A his residence adj0ined the building that
ell; they commenced operations by digging the
foundation for the building that Tell about February
10 or Is; they Were about three weeks In complet-
ing the foundations; stone walls and mortar
formed the foundation; there was about six feet
OF the walls OF stone, the depth from the sidewalk
to the bottom OF the cellar was about ten or eleven
feet an eight-inch brick wall rested on the stone
foundations the wall about feet IN height:
the building that fell was moved about 1--WE years
ago. and the sub.celar was dug this winter and the
building shored up previous to the recent rails
ing OF the building. the basement was about SIX
feet in height; the house consisted OF two Stories
q basement and attic, frame, brick flied ana
double pitched; before che sub-cellar was dug the
house movers shored it up and the old stone and
brick work was taken out OF the foundation; after
the stone work was finished they put in O tier Of
beams Tor q sub cellar and laid the brick Q
basement story; when the brick wall was finished
from the side stills lowered the frame building
thereon; tine SIDE walls were seven inches higher
than the front and rear wallis
THE BEAMS RESTED IN NOTcHEs
OF four inches in depth, which were cut in the
brick wall before the building was lowered: the
beams we're about three by eight inches; the
weight OF the building stood on the iOurInch stills
don't know whether they were anchored or not; 1
was IN my own mousse at the time the building ad-
joining fell in; the beams were cut about TOUR or
nve weeks ago, as near as can tell; they built an
addition in the rear OF the house that fell and
dug out cellar to correspond with the mont
part; the addition was the width Of tho
aud IN sP ME s
the old walls; the lowering OF the front tier Of
beams necesstated the cutting OF the rear tier or
beams to make the floor level; the new part was
disconnected from the old section OF the building:
in breaking planKlng there was none OF the old
TO anchor the beams wnen they were cut away;
about i've feet or the Sill was cut away TO level
the Suaine V was about ut tWenty.two feet ' and
thrry-e'ght in depth; the old chimneys were re.
moved and new ones built; witness as carpen.
ter OF thirty years. experience, considered the
brick work was rather weak for such a superstruc-
ture; would rather have had a twclve-inoh walls
the stone wall was, Ill my opinion all right for q
three story structure; also think that the corner
posts Of the house should have been splced instead
or being set on barefoot; my opinion as to tho
cause oil the fall OF the house Is that
THE EiGHr-INCH WALL GAVE WAY;
there was quite "A number Of the house movers
tlmbers in the way, and the brick wall could not
be built as solid as ii they had not been there;
when the timbers were taken out these spaces
were filed in, but the wall could not be made 30
solid as II IL had been constructed at the same
time; as o carpenter, would not wish to take the
contract FOR cutting and filing IN the manner In
which this building was put up; fet there was
risk in the building all the way through; up 70
within days before the fall OF the structure there
were joists supporting 1t resting against my house,
the ground there Is sand and gravel, which makes
what il considered the best OF bottoms; did not
notice what dis lance the trench in the cellar was
dug the wall for che plumbers pipes: the car
penters were IN the act or hanging the doors the
morning the house ie; my house was torn down
by order Of the authorities, 1t was so much In
jured.
at this point Coroner Whitehill adjourned the In
quest until next Monday afternoon at two O'CLOCK
when the house-mover. Mr.. G. w. Wood, Doyle, the
plumbers laborer, and several other material wit
nesses will be IN attendance.