The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1879-09-12
CoRONER'S INVESTIGATION.
Continuation Of The Inquest-More
Witnesses Examined.


Yesterday morning at 0 O'Clock the
jury renewed their investigation rela-
tive to the cause of the falling Of the
buildings on Sixteenth street, by the
examination of witnesses, whose testi-
mony is given consecutively, and in
substance as follows:
W. NJ. MAST.
Resided for some time in the build
ing heretofore known as the Delmonico
hotel. During my occupancy of said
premises, observed that the floor on the
west side of the rooms was an inch or
two inches lower than the east side;
observed also that the floor on the west
side had settled away or separated from
the base board, from an inch to an inch
and a half. Noticed that the partitions
between the rooms running east and
west were very badly cracked, SO much
SO, that a piece Of material a half an
inch in size bould easily be inserted in
said cracks; continual apprehension of
the insecurity Of the building was con-
stantly entertained by Mrs. Mast; the
playful movements of a dog or cat on
the upper floors would shake the build
ing, aud cause it to vibrate quite per-
ceptibly; the running Of a man across
the lower floor at one time shook the
building to such an extent that 1t
brought him down stairs to request
that the operation be not repeated; re-
moved from the building at Mr.. War
ren's request, who said he had an OPP
portunity to rent it for a term, to be
used as q restaurant.
MRS. VIRGINIA. DELL.
Prior to the 9th instant occupied the
building known as the Delmonico hotel;
kept a boarding house there; had two
male children living there with me;
about 10 O'Clock, on the night of
the 9th instant, was sitting in the din
ing room up stairs, and within u few
feet of one of the windows. when a
loud cracking noise commenced, which
sounded like hail falling, which was in
stantly followed by the floor CIV
ing way, and the whole structure tum-
bled in a mass; never noticed anything
previously that would indicate weak
ness in the building; noticed some
cracks in the plastered partition wall,
just wei the stairway, which appeared
to have been filled up when she rented
the house; the walls were smooth, hav-
ing recently been calcimined, when the
house was rented; noticed about noon,
on the 9th instant, that the cracks be-
fore referred to had opened more than
usual, and remember to have expressed
wonderment as to whether the house
was ever going to cease settling;
thought SO because the man that had
put screens in the windows said that
the house had settled a great deal from
the time 1t was built; never discovered
any unsteadiness about the building;
people walking to and fro therein did
not cause 1t to shake sufficiently to at
tract attention; was never told that
the building was unsafe; heard no
shouting or screaming down stairs on
Nv hfkbt III 4dCohiOh NIL I'll TIC
Sande was sitting between me and the
window when the building fell; have
not seen him since; my children were
killed by the falling of the building;
put my youngest child to bed about 8
O'Clock on that evening; left the other
eating his supper, and started to mar
ket; die not enter their room upon re-
turning; next saw their lifeless bodies
at the Inter Ocean hotel on the 7th
inst; think the building fell all at once,
and not that the floor fell arst and the
walls afterwards.
MISS MAGGIE o'BRIEN
testified: Was an employee of Mrs. Bell,
and lived in the building known as the
Delmonico hotel, previous to the night
of the 9Th inst; myself and Miss Nora
Grier were In bed together, but not
quite asleep, when we We're fully aroused
to consciousness by a noise which
seemed to come from the roof, and
sounded like q storm; Immediately af-
terward the house fell; found myself
covered with plastering, timbers, etc.,
but not unable to arise; got up on my
feet and assisted my companion, who
was more helpless because of the
amount of material that had fallen
upon her; made our exit through a sky
light in the roof, when we received u.s.
sistance from the men who at that
time were working there; the building
seemed to go down with one crash.
JOHN HENRY SMITH
examined: Have been employed in L.
r. Bresnahen's meat market; was in
bed at the rear end of the market;
heard my name called; sat up in bed,
when the building went down; had
been up a short time before the acct
dent to let the window down, and in
doing SO imagined / heard a cry of
fire, but being unable to find out that
such existed, retired again, and had
been asleep just before being awakened
by the calling Of my name.
GEORGE e. PARKER
sworn; Am a carpenter and builder;
worked on the Washington market
building when it was being erected;
assisted Nj. Halves to measure the
spaces between the iron columns in the
front Of the building; also worked on
the partitions in the upper story; con-
sidered the foundation of the building
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