Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1885-08-06

I
dler TO the effect that if he had seer
the building sooner there might hav,
been some changes. In the opinion
of the witness the building wai
blown down hby the rush of wind
through the open end and which could
not find sufficient vent through the doors
and windows. He explained that
the company would undoubtedly have
closed up the mill end had it beer
apprised of the possibility OF
any damage resulting. The witness
considered the wall sufficiently strong to
bear all the weight and repeated his
opinion that the open end accounted fol
the collapse.
After Mr.. Foulk concluded his testi.
mony, at 1920 p. M, the jury took re.
cess until Q o'clock.
The coroner's jury reconvened Friday
afteinoo at 2 o'clock.
The first witness called was Building
Inspector Chandler. He was affirmed.
He stated that he had examined the build
ing when the foundation was laid when
the masons were there and nc other times.
He said he tried to be there when the
bricklayers came. The third time he saw
| it the wall had been started; il was 100
feet long and of scaffold hight. The
foundations were good and the work was
properly done.
Mr.. Singley at this point directed Mr..
Chandler's attention to page 10 of the
inspectors ordinance which says that in
buildings like churches, opera houses,
&C., having truss roofs from walls 81 to
% feet high should be II inches thick.
In view of this he wanted to know why
Mr.. Chandler allowed the wall of the
ruined building to be only 9 inches.
Mr.. Chandler-"The ordinance does
not concern that building.n
"We are not trying Mr.. Chandler" /"
said member of the jury; "City Council
can do that
''No," said Mr.. Singley, "but we want
to get at the facts"
Mr.. Bradford said the jury wanted Mr..
Chandler's opinion as to the building.
Deputy Coroner Smith-''Wea are trying
to find if there was any negligence.
Mr.. Chandler was told to answer Mr..
Singley's question and said the ordinance
did not bear on the ruined building. It
was not church, nor a theatre, it was
not brick building strictly speaking.
Mr.. Singley-"Can frame buildings be
built in that territory?n
Mr.. Chandler-''They can"
Mr.. Bradford -"What was your opinion
of the wallis"
Mr.. Chandler-"I thought they were
strong enough to do all that was required
| of them"
Mr.. Lackey asked Mr.. Chandler if he
| did not say ii he had seen the building
before it lad progressed SO far he would
inuve made some changes.
Il Ia ntlniit.l thut bn cnil cn and aoi1
hat when lie snid the wall was rather
light he was Informed it was onlyto carry
he roof. He thought the wall was
sufficient TO carry donblc the weight of
| the roof.
Mr.. Warner.-"Mr. Simpson says you
| said if You had seen it sooner you would
have suggested changes; What changes 2"
Mr.. Chandler said lie couldn't tell now
but he thought likely that lie would have
male n change.
Mr.. Singley-"Would you have had n
thicker wall"
"Mr. Chandler-'No thinner one."
Mr.. Singley-'"That is not direct an
swer."
Mr.. Chnndler-"I hardly know"
In response to u question from Mr..
/ Singley to Mr.. Chandler, Mr.. Warner
| said that the wall of the ruined building
was 18 inches where any strain was put
on it. Mr.. Lackey asked if iron fasten-
ings had been put at the north end of the
building. Mr.. Chandler said he thought
not, because it was an unfinished job.
| Mr.. Warner-"Even if these fastenings
had been there they wouldn't have saved
the building, would they 2"
| Mr.. Chandler-"They might have made
/ IL etrononr lint not mIInh
| Mr.. Lackey-"Ihey would have saved
it they wonld have held"
Coroner-''Do you always close the ends
and side of a new building?"
Mr.. Chandler-"They are most always
weather boarded before putting on the
| roof" ..=
Mr.. Singley wanted to know if the
| open end could not have been temporarily
closed, and he was told by the building
inspector that it most certainly could
have been but was left open because the
company wanted to make an extension.
| Harry Lape was recalled. The coro-
ner asked him if he had been building the
mill would he have left the end in ques-
| tion open. He said, no, not without the
company promised to take all RESPONSE
bility.
George II. Thompson, superintendent of
the Old Ferry mill, was next sworn. He
said he was standing at the south end of
the Old Ferry mill when the storm came
| up. Suddenly there came hard puff
| which raised the dust so thick that the
i men could not be seen. He saw the ill
fated wall totter, start and fall to the
| ground. The Old Ferry mill worllmen
ut once rushed to the scene to aid the
injured conveyances convenient to the
locality were gotten and physicians werc
talephOned for. Fifteen minutes after
| the crash there was not n man left in the
ruins.
| Amos A. Eastburn, who lives near the
building, said that he always thought the
wall was not very strong. In talking
with the building inspector about it
several days ago, that official said if he
had seen it sooner he would have had
some changes made in it. He had heard
some say the wall was unsafe and others
that it was safe.
Charles Dickson, boss carpenter, said
that Immediately before the wreck he
| went over to the north end of the build
ing and saw the walls giving away; when
he had run 30 feet away the building fell
with crash. He did not notice any
strong air. Tho building went MS though
it was pushed through. He said hc
thought the wreck was caused by the
heavy rain Of Sunday on the green wall
and the wind. Tho wall was rather light
but it wns able to hold the roof. The
frame work was strong.
Seth II. Fcastcr slid he did the lloisting
of the raficrs for the building aud con.
sidcrcd il very strong. He lad done such
work i'll this city for 25 years and thought
the walls We're unusually strong. He said
he thought the building would have fallen
on Wednesday if it had been Is inches
thick. On cross-exnminntion he said he
would not build wall for himself $50
feet long, 81 feet high and . inches thick.
After the coroner had asked if any one
else had testimony to give the jury re-
tired to the mayors office at 5 o'clock to
consider n verdict. In few minutes il
adjourned until O'Clock and at Q
o'clock the following verdict signed by
six members was rendered.
The jury find that Wilbur II. Jones and
George W. Elzey came to their deaths in
this city on Wednesday, July 29th, 1885, by
being crushed while working ON II new
building in course of erection by the Dia-
mond State Iron Company on Head street
near Peach street said building being blown
down, before the mortar was sufficiently
hardened, by very sudden and violent
wind squall. While the jury can now see
that certain precautions might have been
taken to guard against any possible con
tingcncy, thcy are of the opinion that there
was no criminal negligence on the part OF
either the owners, contractors OF building
inspector.
JAMES BRADFoRD,
| E TATNAII, WARNER