The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-03-10
THE FALLEN SIOREHOUSE

APPEARANCE OF THE RUIN-REPoRT OF THE
SUPERINTENDENT OF BUILDINGs-THE CAUSE
OF THE CRASH.
II an earthquake had shaken to pieces the lofty
brick house Washington street, whose fall was
described in the HERALD Of yesterday its wreck could
not be more complete. Walls and ROOF, beams and
flooring crushed and shapeless heap. The walls
did not fall outward, as was reported but
crumbled rather TO their base. Splintered
beams and piles Of broken brick do partly
obstruct the passage through the street,
but they not thrown outward by the falling WALL
AS the doors were crushed the walls yielded tho
unusual strain melted away, It wcre under tho
pressure, flowing rather than falling into the
street. compact hill. sixty feet in height, be-
tween two tottcring walls Bricks, mortar, shatcred
wood barrels OF sugar -four and peas, boxes Of dried
and canned fruits and heavy bags OF salt lie
closely packed together
AVALANCHE OF GROCERIES.
ut looks like avalanche of groceries," said one
OF the many lockers on, who gather in groups on the
opposite side OF the street to stare the spectacle and
ass laborers at work in removing the debris with
their sapicnt comments. On one side oil the wreck Is
tho brick building, No $40 Washington street, occu-
pied by the grocer, Mr. Henry Welsh, WHO rented
the ruined building. The wooden awning and some
paues the windows OF this building were shattered,
but serious injury to the framework was sustained.
On the other side oil the little frame building,
the roof OF which battered in by the crushing
weight OF the falling bricks. The attic and second
story with their contents were crushed, but the
capants escaped miraculousy without injury. Even
the baker, Robert Merson, who slept IN the attic and
was wcdged in mmovaby by the ovcryIng mass, was
seriously injured, was at first reported. When
the Jealous officers pulled him out of the heap he was
white from bead to loot with powdered limo and his
lance was summoned and they were about to put the
spcechess and apparently dying man into 1t and drive
him at once to the hospital.
THE SUFFERER SPEAKS
AS they were tcnderly laying him In the bottom Of
the ambulance the patient raised himself up with sur
prIsing bskness and grinnng at his amazed helpers,
SAID cneery, 'Be abers, boys wnat You carrying
me to the dead house iors There's nothing the mat
ter with mel" SO 1t proved upon examination, the
lucky baker having sustained no worse hurt than
sight scalp wound, from which the blood had flowed
quite freely.
The Superintendent OF Buildings, Mr. Walter II.
Adams, made careful inspection OF the fallen building
yesterday and Will present his report TO the Depart
ei Buildings to-day. The general features Of this
report he gave courleously to the HERALD repre-
animation, that the building was carefully and
thoroughly built. and would have proved
sufficiently strong ,s 10 o rssss any reasonable
sructcd this was should be able to sustain n
pressure OF $40 pounds TO the square foot but he
should estimate that The pressure actually brought to
bear more than 450 pounds. 1t was difficult to
the exact weight Of the stores IN the build
ing tho grocer, Mr. Welsh, had seemed unwill
ing furnish schedule OF the goods stored. but he
was satisfied that his estimate not exaggerated
The goods were also packed in very rrcgularly dis
tribung The weight nncvcnly and stranng the build
ing much more than II slowed in proper manner
In particular he called the attention OF the reporter
pile OF salt bags which rested at the end OF one OF
The grdcrs and were hcaped up rs to bring u
strain OF several within tho space Of few square
ect
THE CAUSE or THE FALL
The immediate OF the TALL OF the building, in
his judgment, was the reception OF large load OF
heavy barrels the day OF the breaking down OF tho
building. Two hundred and hity barrels OF ranncd
peas weighing about go pounds eacn were received
stored together the third floor OF the building
The working tune. that day too short to admit OF
their being placed carefully over large space OF floor
ing and they had been piled IN consequence. one
upon another immediately over brick column IN the
cclisr The undue weight pressed down heavy
beam through the cchtrc OF the brick pillar, spiti Bg
IT through like cheese, and following the crumbing
brick into the cellar With the sinking OF tins man
beam the falling weight o goods caused the other oun-
dation plars sway totter and crumble Ike The hrs,
In a moment, the flooring collapsed and Tho house
from attic TO basement wreck. "A lawsuit seems
pronnbc between Mr. William u. Skdmore the
ow ncr ana Mir Welsh, tho tcuant and Mr. Adams in
Dictated with sufficient cxplicitncss where, IN his
opinion the blame the OF The house and stores
rested Ic that he had given orders Tor the re-
mova OF goods and the taking down oil the over
hanging walls as quickly us possible
ANOTHER DANGEROUS HrILDISG
Mr. Adams mentioned, IN connection with tho fall OF
the bufldrg on Washington street. that cotton stor-
aye house occupied by Michael Coiligan. at No. 20
Reade street. had been examined by the inspectors and
found TO be in a very dangerous condition braces had
boon erected from the rear, IN Washington street, 10
keen the gable end the wall from buging out IL rs
The intention of the Department OF Buildings TO have
the house taken down at once.