The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-04-14
A BAD BUILDER
Cause. the Collapse Of Eight Five stol,
Tenement Houses.

Causes the Collapse Of Eight Five story
go Tenement Houses.
NEW YoRk, April lS.-Eight five story
tenement houses on the south side oi
West sixty-second street, between Tenth
and Eleventh avenues, that had recently
been put under roof fell this afternoon
while efforts were being made to brace
them up, that the yielding foundations
might be made secure. The wreck was
complete, not q stick remained standing
and not q timber OF the whole row stuck.
Hall hundred workmen were at work in
or about the buildings at the time. At
least thirteen OF the men were injured,
none fatally. It was said soon after the
accident occurred that twenty persons
were buried in the ruins, but up 10 Q late
hour nobody had been found.
The excitement about tho place was so
great that itwas difficult TO obtain any re-
liable information as to who might have
been lost, butgangs OF workmen employed
searching for remains found no clue to any
object Of their search up to nightlall. The
most superficial exam,iH9tieP Of the debris
showed the cause Of the disaster to be
wFetched workmanship and poor mate
rial. The mortar contained little or no
sand, but loan or mud instead, and was
wholly unit for use. This and the fact
that the building had been erected during
the cold weather Of wet and frozen bricks
were directly the cause Of the collapse.
The builder, Charles A. Buddensickl
who was responsible, left the neighbor.
hood in carriage Immediately after the
disaster and drove to his residence In East
Seyenty.seventh street. Where he went
from there nobody could learn. The
polieeawho arrested the master ErieklaYer,
Charles Frank, could not find the builder.
Ruddensick has been for years in trouble
with the authorities on account OF the
t.sskin" buildings he has put up. The
evidence given BY Frank, and Charles
Swager, anotherbricklayer, is very damag-
ing 10 Mr.: Buddensick.
HoY THEY TphatEn,
The erection Of the buildings had been
going on since Last December, during all
the cold weather. Tho fourth story walls
showed weakness in sudden thaw be-
fore the fifth story was reached and had
to be taken down. Workmen were for
hidden 10 carry home scraps of Timber left
by, the carpentsrs. Blythe builders orders
tnese were 70 pe useo ~ ming IN tne
walls 70 save pTicEA, which were some;
tmes I1 put IN py tse .arniql
Mheh gooa Nsg III 10 ths Waha pe:
ga1n 70 EeaEEeen aIia sleRs Yefe tesen 70
ptaee then N from Doth ends 50 tnat
they wouiu suck ,sogetuer unIl lhS I9ot
could De put on ana the END walls rebuilt
me walls $1,000 mus ior . week or TWO
wlthout SO iaf Is couia % learned sSei!:
ing the curiosity OF the oHAalng
department. Ihe Heavy EatM ram
n HestfsaaX mofning completed
the WORK Degnn spy ths thaw, and this
e. srd was houses a.
The ionndation had bnlced noticsaSIy and
the walls were shasy. luildeg EGadeMn-
siek's attention was dallefto the matter.
H. ses men to work Ito to iia up the walls
IS I earnsntsrs were % At work. as on tSis ,vsau s
the crash came. 80 N'r'
About S!is . shout oi VaFning went up
fRs end 81 Ehe building toward Eleventh
avenue was seen TO totter and then fall
with o thunderous noise. Both Of the
foundation side Of the walls had fallen out
and the body OF the house deprived Of its
support fellto the cellar; The building cd:
joining 1t having nothing 70 lean upon
ltell nett Then the whole row followed
IKE q line Of card houses. A continuous
roar followed that seemed to last many
minutes, as one alter another the tall
buildings went down. When the heavy
cloud OF dust had cleared away the neapIe
looked upon the heap ai hsokeR bricks
and tmbera piled ehly a few feet above
Ehe level oi'the street. Men with broken
limbs and bruised faces were struggling
olt from under The wreck and aisgFirs