Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-07-02
ARCHIE McMILLAN'S DEATH.
INQUIRY BY THE CoE oNER INTO THE
CAUSE THEREOF.
A Synopsis of the TestimonY-The Verdict
Attaches the Blame Entirely to De-
ceased Disposition Of Remains.

Saturday evening the Coroner impaneled
Jury to inquire into the cause of the falling
of the frame of the Agricultural and Indus
trial Exposition Building, which caused the
death of Archie Mcmillan, of San Francisco.
Governor Stoneman and Secretary of State
Thompson were present, also members of the
State Board of Agriculture, and DR.. D. Nc.
MILAN, of San Francisco brother of the de-
ceased. The first witness was
NELSON REoM,
Who, being sworn, said Am foreman of the
framework of the Agricultural Pavilion
| knew deceased; he was a loftsman on the
building; saw the building fall, but did
not see deceased fall. A few minutes be-
fore, Mr.. McKillican came up with a
stirrup to be used to fasten the
ridge purline. Witness gave the stirrup
to deceased and told him he could put
it on when he was up on the building. and
that there was no hurry. Suppose deceased
removed the guy-rope, intending to hold it,
but it pulled away from him. There were
| five trusses up. They were held by guys.
These guys are frightened by block and
tackle, and were as taut as fiddle strings;
did not see the rope lOosened; deceased was
one Of the best men on the work. The foun-
dstion is composed of piles driven 81 feet, to
the bedrock or gravel; on top of this is eight
inches of concrete, three feet square this is
followed by brick to the hight of thres feet
above the ground, and on top is cast iron
cap 18x19 inches, in which the post sets.
These piers are 2S feet apart, from center to
center, and hold the main weight of the
building and contents. Am accustomed to
building high buildings of this kind it is
usual to stay the frames with guys; the guy
that was lOosened was in the proper placs
it is not customary to stay buildings with
wooden braces; all the guys were lcoaened
| each time truss was raised; have worked
with deceased before, and know he was a
good and careful workman.
n. L. KIRK,
Sworn Am raising the Pavilion have been
working at that kind of work for seven years
! am superintendent of the raising Witness
gave he same account Of the cause of the
failing as A1r. Reom. He had examined the
guys and found them all secure the work of
the raising Of this wing was complete, and
witness considered it perfectly secure the
use Of guys IS the only way to stay build
/ ing of this size; the foundation was per-
fectiy secure; the building stood free of
guys three or four hours before the accident
| the whole weight of the roof and super.
| structure rests on the piers.
A. ". BURRELL,
! The architect Of the building, sworn Am an
engineer, contractor and architect ; was not
in the city at the time of the accident the
whole weight of the walls, roof, and the
people that will be in it, is concentrated on
the main piers, which stand twenty-eight
feet apart from center to center the inter.
mediate foundation wall, as far as the frame
! is concerned, need not be there the only
weight it will sustain is seven feet Of the end
| OF the floor; the main dome posts are 24x24
inches and are the heaviest that are in a
building In the State the trusses are con-
structed the same as in the railroad depot in
this city, and are much heavier; in the depot
building there is no intermediate wall be-
tween the piers, nor is there in the Oakland
wharf depot, Witness described the mar
ner Of raising the building, and said it would
be impossible to stay truss eightY-six feet
high by means of wooden braces the founda-
ton is calculated to sustain twenty toLs per
superficial foot, and would have sustained
ten times the weight that could have possibly
been put IN the building if there was 125
pounds on each superficial foot of the floor.
Juror AItkin interrupted. and said he saw
no relevancy in the examination, as the jury
was there to investigate the cause of the &C.
cident, and not what it would hold when
completed.
Governor Stoneman said he was interested
on behalf Of the State in the construction of
| the building, and had been frequently asked
in regard to the foundation since the accident
occurred. If it was not safe, he wanted to
Know it, and il it was he thought the people
| should understand it was perfectly secure
Witness continued : The foundation is now
| intact, excepting where it was struck By
heavy timbers. Timbers 60 feet long, stand
! ing erect, fell without bresking.
EVERETT LIE ROY
Sworn Am millwright and carpenter was
at the Pavilion when the accident occurred
saw deceased unloosen the guy. As he lots-
ened it there was snap; deceased yelled,
" Look out below - the last I saw of him he
wss in mid-air 1 considered the building
properly stayed have worked at this kind of
work for sixteen years; it was decessed's
work moro than that of any other TO go up
on the building; no one, to my knowledge,
sent him up; could not tell what the snap
was. Oae guy each way would have held the
building.
H. BUBRELL
Sworu Was at tie Pavilion on the day Of
the accident, bnt did nos know deceased was
on the top of ths building until after the
accident the building wss stayed 10 the
usual way; / had baan aloit myself, and
should not have gone up had / not considered
it safe. Witness gave 2 long description Of
the knot and manner OF tying guys, and said
the rope could have been unlOosened with enc
hand
CHARLES n. WHITAKER
Sworn: The deceased was named Archie
Mcmillan, native of Nova Scotia, and
about Y years Of age. Witness was q work.
lug partner Of deceased. Wss with deceased
when he started TO go sloft it was about
twenty minutes before the bailding fell that
the deceased went up; there were more ropes
(guys) on the building than witness would
have put on had be been foreman
have worked on large buildings of this kind {;
was foreman of the work of erecting some of
the Centennial Exposition buildings st
, Philadelphia witness might do the same
thing as deceased in untyiDg the rope he
would not do it tomorrow, but be might in q
month he considered the building perfectly
secure, or he would never have been aloft
the knot was s. a round turn with two half
bitches"
L, B. CHURCHILL
Sworn Have been contractor in Sacra-
. mento for fourteen years; visited the Pa
, vilion building before and after the accident
the way the building was stayed was safe
, know of no other way of staying the build
, ing never constructed building Of that
kind, but have erected churches with large
| steePles,
a. a. COOK
Sworn: Am an architect am Superiutend
ent of Construction on behalf of the Board Of
Agriculture and Capitol Commissioners, of
ths new Pavilion was on the ground when
the accident occurred, but not very near the
, building have erected buildings Of that size
considered the stays sufficient to hold it il
place the building was properly erected
, from foundation up and properly braced; i
was erected in accordaucs with the plans and
specifications the iron work is the finest OF
the coast the brick work was amply sufi
cient never saw or knew Of an exactly slmi
: lar accident: the foundation was as good a
colld be made for the building it would b
impossible for the building to fall without
= guy was loosened in some manner.
f. J. oR0LY,
j OF Garlic & Croly, sworn Am contracto
and builder; examined the plans and spscit
!. cations of tie new Pavilion, and made bi
. for the work; building erected in accord
!. ancs with the plans and specifications Boui
n be perfectly secure in every particular. Hs
= witness been erecting the building he woui
= have secured it with guys. He was unabl
= to say whether or not the foundation was SUI
fioient, as he did not examine the base. IN
e foundation of the building was described
"a witness, sud be stated that he would conside