Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-04-28
OUR NEW YORK LETTER.

To the Editor Of the Eagle
The cnlI-e-.. AT light tenement
houses on SiXiy-second street, near
Eleventh avenue few DAYS ago, turns
out not TO be a great "a calamity a.
was at first feared The first reports
were that from fifteen 10 invent, men
wer,. buried beneath the ruins. but
:hHs far only one death has occurred.
although dozen ar more were iniur-
ed. Bulden-eik. the contractor. is uu-
der criminal indictment for construct
ing such houses II seems that the
walls were put up "f broken and rot
ten bricks. They only used mud with
little lime mixed, and ~ q result. be
fore the buildings were complete
they all fell with Il crash. Thus far no
arrests Of the inspectors Of buildings
have been made, bat there }.
no doubt but thai they
are jus; as much responsible
for The accident as the builder him
self. The plans for all buildings IN
the city are submitted to the depart
ment of buildings before permit. are
given for construction, and the in
speciors are supposed to have an
oversight durin. The process OF con-
structIon. Ii he law i violated i, i,
their business To stop the work or
compel the builders TO comply with
the law. The law defines wha, ma
terial shall be used, the Thickness of
the walls, etc. 1t seems that i1udden-
seik has constructed nearly 400 houses
in the past four wears. and about sll
of them were built in the manner
those were which have tumblcd down,
and ali OF these houses have been an
der the supervision OF The building
department. II i said that the build
ers ia the city have been in the habit
Of paving money to the inspectors in
order IA get pea mits To carry on
their buildings. In otter words. Ihc
building department, il is said, is
a sort of Matchmaking department.
Any dishonest contractor can find "A
way TO get permits for building any
thing he wants to build. Ii this i
the case, every man connected with
the building department ought to be
arrested and imprisoned aS well II
Buddenseik.
February. March and April are the
principal months in this city for rent
ing houses There are large num-
Der of houses likely 10 bc without
tenants this season, and a IA result
there has been general reduction of
rents amounting TO about % per cent.
not only on private houses up town
but on business offices down town
How much the election of Demo
cratic president has TO do with this
certain, although good judges claim
the reduction i caused b. the general
depression in business, aud The de
preston in business Is caused bv a re-
ductioa in the duties on foreign i'm
ports which the Democrats favor.
OF course real estate will go do n in
value rs rents are reduced; a; the
saline time taxes are being increased.
Barnum's greatest show on earth. /
closed its exhibition at Madison
Square Garden on Saturday evening
last. and before two O'Clock next
morning. Jumbo, the white elephant. !
and the rest of Barnum's troupe were
on their way across BROOKLYN bridge. /
Barnum will exhibit in Brooklyn one
week and then 20 TO Philadelphia. |
When Jumbo got TO the roadway of
the bridge, he had TO test IL very care |
fully with his probascis before he reu- I
tured farther. He stepped with a
great deal OF caution and had about |
as much fear a child would have. |
crossing the bridge for The fret time /
r II MlIIEr,