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

think 1 must have crawled out of th'
west door away from the falling wall.
distinctly remember hearing the groani
and cries of the people inside. In repl,
to inquiries Mr.. Goodman said tina
Building Inspector Chandler looked n
the building in the morning, which
made his third inspection.
"Did you ever hear him say anything
about the walls?"
"No, 1 did not. II was generally
known that the walls were weak. know
Charles Dickson, the foreman. told tn,
authorities that they were putting
strength where il was not needed and
they were keeping it from where it was
needed"
SOME NARROW ESCAPES.
A tall, spare, rather elderly carpenter
whose light beard is gray, and who de-
clined to give his name, said that he was
in the building when the crash came. He
looked hastily up, and it seemed to him
as IL the structure was giving way every.
where. He ran towards the open end
but not having time to reach it, dropped
under an ordinary carpenters trestle fol
safety. He escaped by very close
shave, the falling roof breaking laterally
at that place and the southern portion Of
it being arrested in its fall by pile Of
boards which kept it clear of the ground.
Just behind him, at the emil of the next
section of the roof, was mass of broken
girders, while right alongside, and almost
under the same trestle, lay William j.
Wilbur, who did not come off so luckily,
being badly bruised about the head.
A young lady carrying nm umbrella was
passing along Head street Just before the
building fell. When very near one end
of the brick wall the wind caught her
umbrella with force that was about To
turn it inside out. As she turned around
to give her attention to remedying this
difficulty the crash came. The momentary
halt probably saved he life
The report that Walter Peace was miss.
ing was caused by mistake in the first
name, his brother Harry, who is n watch
man at the Old Ferry mill, being the
party referred to. Harry had been seen
to run into the building shortly before il
fell and it was at first thought he had
been caught in the ruins. Fortunately
for him he had passed right through the
building, without lingering, being on his
round to wind up his "watch-clock" at
the time, and he came OF all right.
John Il. Davis, superintendent, and
George w. Todd, secretary and treasurer
of the Diamond State Iron Company, with
reference to the fall of the finishing mill
yesterday week, state that tho plans
for the building were drawn by Wilbur
IL. Jones, according to the direc-
tions of the company, and only
ln,
the unusual strength of tho build
ing. It was 250x55 feet, 90 feet to
the caves and 80 feet to the base of the
yentilator. The ventilator was about 10
feet wide and feet high. The east side
of the building, facing on New Castle
avenue was of brick, consisting of II
pilasters 1Sx27 inches, Is feet apart from
centre to centre. The spaces between
were of . inch wall, as they had only To
support the large window placed ia each
section. The whole weight of the roof
rested on the pilasters on one side and
upright posts 10x12 inches on the west
side. The II trusses were very staunchly
built, the girders being timber, Sx12
inches, the rafters Sx8 and the braces GxS.
N shaped braces stilfened the trusses ON
either side of the ventilator and six iron
rods, varying from an inch to an inch
and half in diameter also bound them
together. On the tops of the wall and
the upright posts where the trusses
rested there were deep double notches
and heavy iron straps to hold them in
place. In addition there We're 10 feet
braces Gx8 inches binding the girder ri
the base of the trusses to the upright
posts.
The roof Ind been shenthed ready for
the slate roofers, and all the building had
been enclosed except the southwest end,
where they were building store shed.
II being open the violent wind or cyclone,
which was SO strong that it blew the dust
through the rolling mill near by in such
quantities as to blind the workmen and
blew heavy blocks and timberS off the
roof, entered the building and raised the
roof. In the settling back the whole
building collapsed.
by the merest accident Mr.. Davis was
not in the building with young Jones nj
the time of the accident for he had started
thither with him, but was called into the
Office. -. -..
The building was to cost about $50, 900,
and was designed for the rolling of light
iron rods of 100 to $50 feet in length for
which they have not Mt present adequate
facilities for the supply of their trade.
Preparations We're being made tO put in
the machinery to be used. They con-
sidered the building very secure one,
and it had been examined by Building In
spector Chandler yesterday and no fault
was found. On previous OCCASION he
had said that if he had Thought about il
earlier he might have had thicker wall
made. They do not consider the loss OF
the building anything in comparison to
TO the loss of life, and the injuries to the
other men. They had no insurance, and
are MS yet unable to estimate the loss.
The work of clearing away the debris
was pushed forward Thursday by II large
force of men. The mass of bricks arc
being separated from the mortar and re-
moved. No other bodies have been found
in the ruins and all the men in the build
ing when il fell have been accounted for,
SO the list comprising two killed and /
injured will not he further augmented.
THE INQUEST.
Thursday night Deputy Coroner Smith
empanelcda u jury Of inquest, which visited
lllt vi NftbiRt W. l1llAN 'thu w iibui
III. Jones, the two victims who were
crushed TO death,nnd viewed the remains.
The jury comprises james Bradford, fore.
man; 4. Ellwood Singley, secretary
George W. Stone, Edward Belts, Il. Tat
nall Warner, Edward Il. Bcllah, Thomas
McClary, Milton Ilackoy and John Pyle
Friday the scene of tho calamity
vas visited 10y the jurors, and after III
specting the ruins and acquninting them
selves with the location, &C., they re
turned to the city council chamber where
the taking of testimony began.
Leslie Pyle, n clerk in the employ ot
the Diamond State Iron Company, was
the first witness sworn. He testified thu
the mill fell on Wednesday afternoon
shortly before 9 o'clock. lie was stand
ing outside the doors talking with Wilbul
II. Jones when tho wind began to blow
and sent good many chips from th'
building and both went in. He proceeded
to walk across the interior of th'
structure and got by the Claymont stree
wall when the witness said tn Jones, sup
pose the wind takes this building up lili,
II balloon. The latter replied, there is III
| danger, there are too many holes (mcnn
ing windows for the wind 10 get ont.
They heard n rumbling overhead an,
Pyle, looking up, say the roof moving
over toward Claymont street. Then tn
building came falling down. The last
saw of Mr.. Jones he was running diago
nnlly across the building to door and
ran directly across to nm opening in tn
wall. 1t was raining and blowing
n strong gale Ten minutes elapsed
between the time of the first blow un,
rain until the building fell. The witnes
could not say positively that the win,
came in from the open end, but the build
ing began falling at the south end. Unde
cross. examination the witness testifie,