The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-05-10


THE VERDICT RENDERED BY coRoNER's JURY
IN THE cAsE-THE UNITED STATES GOVERN
MENT RESPONSIBLE.
The inquest hold by Coroner Ellingor upon tho vic.
Tins of tho Post Office disaster resumed yesterday
in Equity Court chambers. The n,s tness called
was Mr.. Mullctt. He testified iol.u
MULLETrs EVIDENCE.
reside In Washington; was the super visng mr..
chi;cct Of this building TIL tho LIST Of January 1875
while having charge OF tho oicc the Post Oice build
ing built under my superv ison IN tho spring OF
1874 change was conle plated In the Post Once.
consisting In tho removal Of floor and wall par
TALLY supporting the ROOT which was tho original pur
pose Of the WALL tho wall removed the fourth
moor, and my instructions were 10 tho wall
tho root; when lett Tho changes referred to IN
process OF being carried out there plan mado
NJ the time, such was not required simple order
being sufficient; so much as ! can ascertain the
tect's office In Washington; the floor upon which the
upper wall rested carried tho weight OF the same as
urchse nc time I c ,ne per
ONCE; was familiar at the time with all the details
OF the plan; cannot remember at present tho max
itnum weights cacu lated at the time; all remember
Is that examined the plans and calculations ut
tho time, and that checked and approved thcm but
cannot tell ut tho present moment any particulars
they matters of record they prepared IN tho
office by Mr. schumann and approved by mo; l went
OF office before The removal the upper wall but
my directions at tho time were to remove tho Ell.
tire wall and replace 1t by truss similar TO
those adjusted in other parts OF tho building. and
my directions either written verbal; do not
remember which wero given the subject at that
time to Mr. Stcinmctz; cannot now tell the weight
OF tho roof calculated at the time; was of the
TACT that the root was supported by the brick wall
question Of removing the upper and lower walls first
matter OF detail which left TO tho Superintend.
cnt, Mr.. Stoinmetz
GENERAL sTxIxxErz's TESTIMONY
General w. G. Steinmeiz was tho next witnesa He
said II was educated at Trcves, in Germany and was
qualified as surveyor; have also b, a civil enan-
Ger, connected with tho Coosnc Railroad; was alto
connected with the construction OF road at Wetzlar;
subsequently studied architocture; | was EN-
ployei by the United States government sew
inlendeni, from 1870 to ISL Of tho buildn. Of
the New York Post ONCE; tho plans and drawings all
direct from Washington; lett tho Office in Oc-
tobcr, 1875; the root ut that time was complete d
there was plan-a section showing tho alterations
contemplated; INC books will also show it as a matter
OF record should judge there must DO order
authorizing tho change.
Joseph W. Barton, inspector Of building material
and construction at tho Post once, residing ut Jersey
CITY, was then examined. lie ated:-rhcrc some
plans showing the changes which had been made
changes was received from washington copy Of lot
tor offered IN cvidence but cannot nnu any OF the
plans spoken OF In tho letter. the orders to remove
cated them 10 tho extent SHOWN by tho plans
and according TO instructions received 1t was not
my duty to examine the building myself in regard to
details OF execution; merely executed the orders
gwen and suporntendod the architect ura work; the
cut 10 the upper wall on tho attic story was made
verbal orders.
TIM MAN VINO MADE THE TRUSS
Wilson d. Haven, the Uuildcr OF the truss, next
examined lie SAID On the Goth OF March last Mr.
Oakshott told mo that he required truss in tho h.h
story similar 10 that already furnished by US: he gave
me general Instructions as to what he wanted; We
put IN oilers Tor some OF tho booms, braces &C., Tor
the IRON work Of tho Post Once; was asked. with
references TO The present case, to furnish proposal
Tor what ! would erect a similar truss to that al
ready erected our proposal was accepted; 1 talked
with Mr. Oakshot about the subject; / was asked
by him to use nine instcid Of seven channel IRON;
our foreman was in charge OF tho work; lie was in
sructcd TO make Il satisfactory to tho gentlemen
charge OF tho Post Once one thu firc rods gave
out; IL was defect In the iron very dicult to DIS
cover
Michael schwartz. mechanic, had heard Oak-hott
and Douehcriy converse about he lirdcr April TO-
ana jacob Webber, who made the order Tor tho con
tracing irfn noticed that tho beams supporting tue
root ana resting on the truss detected, but dld not
speak to Oaksh0tt about II.
The evidence being now completed the Jury was
charged by Coroner Eiiinger ana Withdrew. After
being odt several hours they returned the following
verdict
rug VERDICT.
Tho Coroner's jury duly sworn to inquire into the
cause OF the death OF Dennis Fleming, Charles II. Rob-
crlson and Patrick Johnson dnd that they came
Their death by the falling oil portion OF The oil the
New lors ros' once On .hc Isl day Of May, 1871 We
further ind that tho immediate cause OF the fall
ing OF SAID portion OF tho roof be from I'M
proper aud Insufficient construction; but that tho
primary cause OF the disaster is attrbu.
table 10 the incompctcncy OF tho agents OF
tho Treasury Depart fncnt charged with the erection
and completion OF this BURNING and that the United
States government Is responsible for IN calamity.
We further md that quantity Of concrete
In the covering OF the ROOF, that the load
thereby imposed upon tho iron root beams and their
support xcecds tho weight Tor which the iron
struction was originally designed by than three
hundred per cent that all OF this IS owing to incom-
potency On tho part OF A. D. Mullrtt. supervising
architect charge at the time the OF designed,
and his local employees and tnat the c'v'i engineer,
the only party appearing before US com.
pctent 10 design and compute methods oil
con structlon, has according to the testimony,
authority IN carrying out the construct His func.
tons entirely advisory, and that the supervising
architect aud employee themselves technically
intelligent, omitted 10 recur 10 his advice whom