The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-05-10

WARRINGTON, May o.-The commits
sion appointed by Postmaster James, oi
New York, to inquire into the esu;e OF
the late accident at the New York post
office building, in their report to Secre-
tsry Sherman, conclude that the scci-
dent was due TO two causes:
. First-Thst the truss erected did not
correspond with that recommended by
Superintendent Oskspot. approved by
Supervising Architect Hill, and sp-
parently contracted for by Hevelnann o,
Haven & 60.
Sfcond-That the shores were removed
and the truss was subjected to it's load
before it was examined by person com.
petent to determine If it wss construct
ed in conformity with the contract.
Your committee consider that il is per.
haps fortunate circumstance that this
accident, sad as 1t is, hiss led 10 the detec-
tion of the radical weakness OF hidden
girder OF the ceiling OF the United States
Court room, the continuance OF which is
now q source of jeopardy, and the com.
munity has great reason to be thankful
that they have been spared the details Of
calamity far more appalling in its
character.
NEW YORK, May 8-The coroner's
investigation into the cause Of the re-
cent fatal accident At the postofice was
brought 10 an end this evening by the
jury rendering the following verdict:
The coroner's jury to inquire into the
cause of the death of Dennis Fleming,
Chss. Robertson and Patrick johnson
find that they came to their desth BY the
falling of part OF the roof of the New
York postofice, on the first day of May,
1877. We further find that the imms.
diate cause OF the falling OF said roof to
be from improper and insufficient
construction, but that the primary causes
of the disaster is attributable to the incom-
potency of the agents of theTreasury De-
psrtment charged with the erection sod
completion Of The building, and that the
ULitcd States govern ment is responsible
for this calamity. We further find that
an excessive quantity Of crete Was used
in covering the roof, and that the load
thereby imposed on the roof beams and
their support exceeded the weight for
which the iron constructed was origin
ally designed by more than 900 per cent;
that all tuls Is owing to oincompetency on
the part of A. r. Mullet, supervising
architect in chsrge'at the time the root
WAS designed. and his employees and
civil engineers. The only party appearing
before US competent to design aud CON
pute The methods of construction has, ac-
cording to the testimony, no authority In
carrying out the construction; his func-
tions are entirely advisory, and
the supervising architect and
his employees, not themselves
technicaIi. IN ,ellIgent, omitted to
recur to his advice when changes were
made by their authority. 1t appears
that on the removal of the wall on the
tonrth story the remaining wall OIL the
sixth story WAS lett standing by order OF
A. b. Mu!lelt, supported, according to
his directlont. by TWO light
fifteen inch iron beams, compe
tent 20 carry only One-tourth
of the weight imposed on them; that this
wall was recently taken out TO be re-
placed by an iron truss, and that the
cost OF the truss was reported to the su-
perinteuding architect at Washington
by the local superintendent here, and the
expenditure was approved By him. but
no special drawing WAS made for the new
truss and It's outer support; that the un-
derstanding between the local superln-
tendent and iron workers was for the
truss to be similar 10 another truss then
in tho building. 1t appears that neither
the local superintendent nor ssid iron
firms had the necessary technicle inior
nation to correctly understand the iunc.
tion OF the truss needed or how
such truss should be constructed, snd
that, in consequence, It's supporta gave
way ss soon rs the temporary props sup
porting the root beams We're removed.
Furthermore, we are OF the opinion that
the method now in vogue in the Treasury
Department in Washington tor the de-
sign and constructing OF government
structures throughout the United States
demands Intelligence IN local superln-
tendents, in this or similar emergencies,
which the government has certainly not
in this case been successful IN securing