The New York herald., 1879-12-10
IS ANY ONE RESPONSIBLE?
How the Fallen Walls in Third
Avenue Were Constructed
VIGILANCE OF BUILDING INSPECTORS.
Mr.. Michael Duffy Proposes to
"Show Those Offices Up"

the elder brother is ex-Assistant Alderman. and
he thinks he can get anything he wants from the
city without paying for it. they could prove that
the fall of these Third avenue fronts due to a
broken sewer they might saddle the city with their
loss of $4,000. and the Building Department might
rid itself Of good deal of discredit. Superin-
tendent Dudley and Tom Duffy are old cronies. The
building is of course all done under the eyes of the
inspectors and must be according to law don't
believe there is another city in the wide world where
the poorer classes housed unsafely with
worse ventilation than they are in New York"
In the Bureau OF Sewers the reporter told
that the pipe in front of the fallen buildings
at 1O2d street to the east side of Third whore
it joins the large brick sewer. Some workmen
Monday found lot of sand in the neck
of the pipe where it connects with the main sewer
but still it not stopped up. The reporter
told that Of tho Duffys admitted having
opened the man-hole in front Of the buildings
during the last rain storm to get rid of the water
about his mortar beds In this way the workmen
account for the sand and sticks which collected at
the corner Of l02d street. Michael Duffy had
planned to the reporter that the people
in the Ave houses next to his build.
ings had been greatly annoyed by defec-
tive sewerage. The Dufys built these houses
also. and are employees Of the Sewer Department.
stated that for all those five houses there only
one six-inch pipe connecting with the The
department. he said only collected $40 for the single
connection. but entitled $40 for each house.
six-inch pipe totally inadequate to the pur-
poses of Ave buildings and he not surprised
that they suffered annoyance from it.
sINGULARLY CHEAP.
By way of illustrating the Dufys methods Of deal
ing with the city, the reporter informed of nine
houses which they built the corner of Ninety
fourth street and Lexington avenue two or three
years ago. According to this Information the Duys
had all these houses connected by single drain,
but the Bureau Of Sewers found them out and
compelled them to pay $40 for the nine houses.
Engineer Towle denied a statement from one Of
the Duffy brothers that the big house Of the
elevated railroad company connected with the
sewer OF which much complaint has been made
The railroad company he said had drain of their
own which crossed the avenue and emptied into the
brick on the east side; there no houses
at all connecting with the sewer above the block
"I don't want to get into q dispute with Mr. Dud-
ley said Mr.. Towle. "but will not have it sup
posed that the sewer could possibly have caused the
fall of those walls. The foundations built on
solid rock and good mortar had been used in lay
ing them the action Of the water would only have
made it more firm"
"How long does it take cement mortar to set?" \
'The common cement that we use along the North
| River will set in six hours"
.Then." said the, reporter, ''as the foundations
laid in rock and yet went to pieces. the infer
| qured by law3'
| "That is 1t exactly"
| "Michael DuHy d1Sagrees with you about the
| uuired thickness Of the iron columnsY
| Mr.. Towle nswered-'Those columns broke all
to pieces. An iron dealer who has seen the speci-
mems have OF them declares that the iron Is very
| poor. 1t is full Of what called sand flaws.
| Where great buildings have burned and crashed to
the earth how often have seen the iron columns.
when made of the right stuff. out Of the ruins
unbroken? In good building iron column is only
| used to support one-tenth Of the weight it is
actually capable of supporting. These facings the
columns used by the Duiys are only OF
| or a N
DUDLEY's TEST.
When the reporter called at the Department Of
Buildings Mr.. Dudley was engaged with the Com
nittee on Plans. He could only spare moment for
| conversation.
Of the accident on Third svenueT asked the re-
porter.
testing some Of the mortar. There it is. pointing
to three tumblers standing the stove in his Office.
which, evaporating. leaves the sand at the bottom
of the tumblers. and Whatever lime the mortar con-
Mr.. Dudley took down one of the tumblers and
The experiment. is not complete yet but can tell
you to o-morrow just how much lime there in it,
"Where did you get the mortarY'
''rook 1t from the walls myself"
Mr. Dudley received yesterday the following report
of Inspector james Rooney
To THE SrPxRINrESpENr BUILDINGS
s- havs this day Is block Q. brick and
iols lo2d street and find the fronts of three
sn S
G saa sns s e%sn aD nd s
flooding Of the cellars thereby undermnins the foanda
Inspector of Fourteenth district.
A FEW pEvIArToNs.
While insisting that tho Duffy buildings
properly constructed. Mr. Dudley gave the reporter
. copy Of the laws relating to buildings, to enable
nm 10 % ~ tba aow
particulars he succeeded in finding discrepancies,
but only an experienced builder could discover them
ALL section 1t is written that all foundation walls
shall be built Of stone brick. and shall DO laid in
cement mortar. and II constructed Of stone shall be
at least eight inches thicker than the wall next above
them. In the present there several persons
to testify that cement mortar was not used in the
foundation walls. The latter are twenty inches thick
while the walls above them are only twelve, con-
forming in this respect TO the laws requirement.
| buildings other than dwellings the bearing walls
shall be less than sixteen inches thick II forty
foot and not more than fifty Ave in height Michael
Duffy himself informed the reporter that the walls
these buildings iftyhree feet above the level
the curb. but he claimed that party walls could
| though they do .'bcar" the foorings. Sec
| ton declares that all stono walls less
at least header extending through the walls in
every three feet IN height from the bottom of the
| the headers in the foundation walls Of the Third
avenue buildings showed the reporter that this
with. but headers appeared to have been put in
| left out rs suited the convenience OF the
masons Section 10 says that tho walls under iron
columns shall have bond stone at least four inches
In thickness and at least two feet in length running
through the wall at intervals of thirty inches. When
the reporter called Mr. Dufys attention to this that
| gentleman endeavored to persuade him that the
scattering headers in his foundation walls wered
to bond stones. Beneath an iron column resting on
| the stone wall the law plainly requires both
headers and bond stones; and any inspector Of tho
Building Department might have discovered this de-
hciency in the Duffy houses. Section 10 says further
that whore iron column rests on wall of stone
IL shall be set base stone of cut granite not less
than eight inches i'm thickness by the full thickness
of the wall The granite blocks supporting the iron
columns in the two Duffy buildings whose fronts
tha,.N
In width. while the foundation walls are twenty
Incl hes.
DUFFY Il DISSATISFIED.
At half-past nve o'clock last evening Michael Duffy
paced up and down the sidewalk in front of his
fortunate enterprise with his hands thrust deep in
his overcoat pockets. He saw the reporter and tho
reporter him. but Mr.. Duffy was not inclined TO
be convcrsive. Perhaps his Unsuccessful negotia-
tions, backed by hve-dollar note, to have things
fixed up the day befo re- did not dispose In IN 10