Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-01-10
THE CONTRACTOR TALKS.
John Huckenstein Gives His Version as to
the Causes of the Accident-His
Entire List of fWorkmen-HOw
Many of Them Yet Lie
Burieds- s-DixOn

Talks Also.
Contractor John Huckensteiu was out OF
the citv when the accident occurred. he
had gone to Greensburg to look at a build,
ing be is erecting at that place, and did moi
hear of the disaster until he arrived. he
Immediately began sending kilograms tc
friends in this city for information, bui
could get nothing definite, and some Of the
telegrams informed him that his son, John
Huckenstein, Jr., was missing. He could
not return until nearly 6 o'clock, and his
first inquiry was about his son, whom he
believed had been killed. As soon as he
learned that his boy was not seriously hurt
he went home.
A DISPATCH reporter saw him at his
home on Paramount street, Allegheny, last
evening, and he was greatly agitated over
the affair.
would not care If a dozen of my buildings
had been blown down if no lives had been lost.
Money cannot replace life or limb. My son
had miraculous escape. He was working on
the seventh story with Barney O'Connor, who
was setting the last stone, when the wall gave
way. They both fell to the cellar, distance OF
fully 100 feet, but were not seriously nurt MY
son is slightly bruised about the head, but no
bones are broken, and he will be able TO attend
to business in a few days. do not know the
nature of O'Connor's injury, but 1t is SAID ne
will be all right in a few days.
HIS REPUTATION OF CHARGES.
When informed that some persons had
claimed that the walls were defective, and
that the material used was not up to the
standard, Mr.. Huckenstein said:
'The material used was the best in the mar
ket, and all the men employed on the building
were skilled workmen. Mortar does not set as
fast at this time of the year as In the summer.
and the fact that it does not adhere to the
brick is not an indication that bad mortar has
been used We use the best lime that can be
procured. and paid 2cents bushel more for
the lime used in the building than the price OF
ordinary lime. The plans of the building
were changed after several stories had been
built When Mr.. Wiley decided to put a
seventh story on it, advised him not to, but
he insisted on it, and the seventh story was
built the last stone being laid yesterday. l
had no idea that the building would not stand
ii. as the walls were constructed of the best
material. and there would have been no accl-
dent had it not been for the cyclone. The
walls of the first two stories were z inches
thick the next three Is inches and the last two
lS inches. Headers were placed in every fifth
LAYER and the walls were perfectly constructed.
/ had 20 men at work on the building to-day,
and some of them have not been heard from
vet The time book shows the following names
of the men at work:
Bricklayers-Jonn Huckenstein, Jr., John
Donnely, Harry Faulkner, Maurice Ryan,
Leonard Shiflhouse. Thomas Lemon, Ernest
Reinhart George Blendinger, Michael Ryan
and Thomas Mckee.
Laborers-Owen Do1nelly Richard Carroll,
David Courtney, John Q. Barber, w. Springer.
Jacob Galuce, John Ridout, Thomas Jones and
Barney O'Connor, stonesetter, and Thomas
O'Donnell, a helper.
None of these men have been killed to my
knowledge, but the following are missing:
ShifthOuse, Blendinger, Michael Ryan, Owen
Donnelly, Carroll, Courtney. Barber, Springer,
Galluce and Jones.
The Others have been hurt, but none of them
seriously.
CONTRACTOR DIXoN'S VIEWS.
Mr.. Chris G. Dixon, the oldest bricklayer
and contractor in the two cities, was asked
his opinion last night and said:
The fall of the walls was not the fault of the
contractor. was shown some of the mortar
used, il having been charged that 1t was not OIL
the best and / will pronounce it equal to
that used in the construction of any building
in the city. Stillberg is the architect. and l
have worked under him for over ten years, and
do not hesitate in saying that he is the most
careful architect in the two cities. There is
no doubt in my mind but that headers were
placed on every NTH layer in the walls, and
there is no reason why this should not be done,
as nothing can be saved by laying the bricks
straight. This is done to keep the walls from
splitting and no matter how perfect wall is
built, it could not have stood against the WIND
at noon to-day.
Huckenstein has put up some of the best
Jobs of brick work in the two cities. Mortar
does not set as fast in the winter as in the sum-
mer. In the winter bricks must be kept per-
fectly dry, as the atmosphere furnishes enough
moisture, while in summer it is necessary to
wet the bricks before laying them. A brick
will absorb quart of water. The bricks that
were nut in the Wiley building were perfectly
dry, as the street is so narrow that 1t was i'm
possible to keep a big stock there, and they
were used as fast as they were delivered. ex-
amined some of the mortar, and pronounce it
as good as any used, and great deal better
tn an some mortar used.