New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-08-25


HOW THE WALLS FELL
Mr.. Brady backed his theory that the dIsastor was
the result OF explosion by calling attention TO the
way in which the walls fell. aThe fart y he SAID
that they fell outward into Park place shows the
presence OF great force which spread the building
out and hurled the walls northward with such violence
tae the cornice lodged on the building opposite. The
building stood thirty feet eight inches In
wiclhst and 1875 feet I'm Park Place The mart OF the
building on the Greenwichst. side the whole of the
part in front OF the stairway is st standing and Is
damaged only by fire. II the accident resultad from
the internal weakness Of the construction why was not
the part Of the structure In front of the stairway in
volved In the collapsed
The part Of the edfce which was thrown down
was that In which Eosenfeld was manufacturing
bronze powder aud liquid bronze according to my ID
formation. In preparing hs goods he used benrne
and naphtha both Of which are highly indammable
Where quantities of such combustibes are about It
Is easy enough TO believe that an explosion rs q
natural thing, especially when the bsnxine and napb
tina are put into vat and brought by FIRE 70 certain
temperature this, understand being one Of Resen-
fields processes
Would not increase Of insurance on the part of
the underwriters indicate to you that thew believed
the building to be unsafe and It's construction de-
fectve1"
"Not necessarily" the superintendent answered
Increase Of Insurance is often due TO the hazardous
nature Of material stored ip building When such
raterial Resented used at No 20 Park Place was
put into this building It would not be astonishing II
the insurance companies increased their rates.
Mr. Brady said that another circumstance seemed to
him to Justify the conclusion that the building was in
no such shaky and unsafe condition as some seemed
anxious to make cut. Persons engaged in the litho
graphing business he said. inform me that they
cannot do good work in a building the floors Of which
are subject to vibration. This is because it has ten
@1,o
up the work and to make it indistnct. II also
told dsarranges the machine for counting the sheets
making II inaccurate very important matter in the
business of photography. No complaints regarding
steadiness in the fallen structure were made by
the photographers who were in IT, so far have been
able to learn"
aTheu Won are ready to declare that, in your opin-
ion the disaster was caused by explosion Of COM
bustbles on the ground Hoor and not by any inherent
weakness In the buildingf'
Yes that is M opinion unreservedly. Benzine
and naphtha the most dangerous things that be
brought into a building l believe that the disaster
was caused by an explosion Of such combustible ma
tersls in Rosenfeld's store
Mr.. Brady said that he had not yet prepared his
mort OF ue disaster but would do to-day and would
send 1t to the Fire Commissioners. He win carefully
coate all the facts which into his possession and
he believes that he make an unansweraoie state
nent in support ofhis theory Of the canse.
TALK WITH CHAMBERLAIN caAIS.
City Chamberlain Thomas c. T. Grain, whose mother.
Mrs Durham Jones Grain. Of No 81 East Ffty-sm
ST. the owner Of the unfortunate edce. was enjoy
Ing his vacation at Rcheld Springs when he heard OF
the horrible disaster Mr.. Grains father and mother
were at the same resort. On receiving news Of the
calamity which had betallen 90 many Innocent PEG
pie they Immediately decided to return TO the city and
arrived here early yesterday morning.
"My mother is overwhelmed by the magnitude
Of this dreadful affair." said Chamberlain Grain yester
day "although in no possible way could ste DO re-
garded as responsible for 1t. She has al
WAYS thought Il as safe and stanch
buibding as could be found IN New-York,
and such an accident as occurred the hast thing In
the world OF which she expected 10 hear. Eeverthe-
less she is in great distress about IT, and this en- free
to say feel with her. Personally, know nothing
about the property. IT built in 1872 whom was
boy in lnickerbockers. It acquired by my
mother TN 1883. She paid good price fu 1t and
always considered It an advantageous investment
The building have always understood was we'll con-
structed 1t never Was condemned and never was
thought unsafe. II has always been used for the
purposes for which 1t was used up TO the time Of the
fire.
~Tre statementis made tnat the stock of material
and the heavy presses the upper floors caused the
collapse OF the building. think that any one who
win look at the facts calmly and dispassonstely will
witnesses who were near. who say that they saw q
pat of the sidewalk upheaved and heard the sound Of
an explosion My opinion from all have been able
to learn that the cause OF the accident was fire
followed by explosion, which is the theory, believe,
of the fremen.
"The explosion occurred on one Of the lower floors
What caused It, or how IT took place, It is not for
TO say 1t was one Of the most tasteful looking
buildings IN the city, not ornate as some possibly.
but fne-lookng building. l was insured for $780,
900. 1t was worth just about that sum- never
heard that u considered extra hazardous"
EXAMINING THE RUINS.
Charles N Harris Mrs. Grains counsel, accompanied
nv an expert in architecture, made examination OF
the structure and surroundings yesterday afternoon.
Their conclusions were not made public, but II Is
understood that they coincded with those of super
intendent Brady as to the cause Of the accident
S. A. Reed, wellknowp Insurance expert, who is
connected with the Commonwealth Insurance Company
as an examiner Of risks, inclined to accept the
theory that the crash was caused by explosion Of
oombustble material In the lower part of the building
MI Reed as part Of his education. took scientific
course at the University of Heidelberg Germany. He
&c regarded as man of fine attachments scientist
among his acquaintance and his opinions were re-
ceived yesterday entitled TO weight. printers
he said ause benEne for washing the ink from their
forms and plates Large printing establishments use
considerable quantities Of benzDe. This Is washed
down into the sewers and 1t mingles with COM
busttble gases there what Is likely to occur than
an explosion. On Saturdays prntets likely to use
larger quantities Of benzlne than on other days. as
they are cleaning up for the week This may give
an explanation of the explosion which took place on
saturday under the sidewalk in Park Place
al find in my experience that dealers In photog
rauhors supplies large quantities Of gup-cottop
They use 1t In the manufacture of coodion together
With ether asd alcohol have found often fifty and
100 pounds Of gun-cotton In such manufactures The
ether alcohol and gun-cotton placed in vat and
fire is applied 10 melt them together. 1t difficult
10 conceive q material more likely TO bring about
ali explosion. do not know whether photographers
supplies were manufactured In the Park Place building
or not but it would be at all astonishing II such
should be found to be the case"
~. pood cid that thu fnsuranca comuanieS