Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-11-27

Verdict Of the Coroner's Jury In the Music
Hall Casa.

TIE BUILDERS, INSPECTOR OF BUILDINGS AND So
PERrNrESDENT ALL CONSIDERED TO BE RKsPoN-
sIBLE FOR THE DEATH OF GEORGE wHrrr-rrs-
TIMoNY OF ExPERrs AND OWNERS HEARD TopAY.
The coroner's inquest into the cause Of the
fall Of the Metzerott Music Hall that resulted
in the death Of George White was resumed at
IL o'clock this morning at the first precinct
station house, having been adjourned from
Tuesday morning. As at the first day of the
inquest the examination of witnesses was held
In Lieut.. Amiss' room.
DR.. Patterson, the District coroner, was the
first of the interested parties to put in an ap-
pearance, driving up to the station in his buggy
promptly at the hour set for the hearing. A
slight delay followed, owing to the hardness
OF the stenographer and one or two of the wit
nesses in arriving. Lieut. Amiss announced
that all the witnesses whose presence was
wished by the coroner had been summoned.
The jury consisted of Messrs. J.E. Miles, Geo.
w. Miller. Jas. II. Howarth, JOS. D. Whitacre, W.
h. Goodacre and Chas. E. Brown. They were
all on hand promptly this morning and ready
to hear the testimony of the eight witnesses
This number included the owner and archi-
tects OF the new music hall and a number Of
practical builders who were wanted to give
their testimony as experts.
cHAs. EDMoNsroN.
The drst witness sworn by the coroner was
Charles Edmonton. He was asked as to the
building regulation providing for the erection
of the front and sido walls. This requires
that the side wall shall not be more than q story
higher than thafront wall while the building is
in course of erection. He was not sure what
the definition Of a story would be. For theat-
rical buildings it would sbe higher than in q
dwelling. He himself would not run up the
side walls fifty feet higher than the front walls
and in his opinion eighteen inches was hardly
thick enough for wall of this height.
The construction of the walls in the Metzerott
Hall was described to the witness, with the up
right posts set in the wall every ten or fifteen
feet, and he was asked whether he thought this
would strengthen or weaken the wall He said
that in his opinion these vertical pillars would
weaken it. He thought that O wall of that
height should have been either braced from
inside or else should have been made thicker.
he would build such a wall with only sand
mortar and answered that he would have used
cement This wall ought to have been braced
to provide against emergencies, but this par
ticular case was an entirely unusual one and
no man could tell what a tremendous force the
wind had during the storm.
DRAUGHTsMAN SUMMERS.
W. H. Summers, the chief draughtsman for
Fava, Naeff Il Co., the architects of the hall,
and their superintendent of construction, was
the next witness called to the stand. He said
he could describe tho construction of the
building best by showing the Jurors how the
wall was made. To do this he made rough
draft OF the z bar columns that were used in
the walls. The insertion of these columns he
said tended to strengthen the walls, for they
were practically iron walls with brick panels.
One OF the jurors asked Mr.. Summers what
his connection with the. building had been. He
said he was cleik of the works for Mr.. Metzerott
placed there by the architects, and read a letter
from Fava. Naeff Il Co. to explain the situation.
He said that in his opinion the carrying up of
the end walls above the front wall was not in
general way good plan. 1t would be better
II the walls had ali gone up together. Still the
end walls had already stood two severe blows.
A cyclone like that Of Monday WIGS a different
matter altogether.
Asked by Dr. Patterson whether 1t would not
have been better if the walls had been braced,
Mr.. Summers said that they were braced BY
inside beams and by guys on the outside. The
walls were thick enough, and if the work had
only progressed far enough for the roof beams
to be bolted on to the z bar columns it was his
opinion that the walls would be standing there
today. The storm came at the worst possible time
for this building. He had spoken to the owners
about the erection of the side walls and said
that he thought they were as high as they
should 60 without the front He had no au-
thority to stop the work himself, and the own
ers were anxious to push the building to COM
pletion. The delay in that part of the work
was caused by the non-arrival Of the terra Gotta
for the front.
WHAT HE WOULD NOT HAVE DONE.
Mr.. Summers was asked by one Of the jurors
whether if he had been the supervising archi-
tect he would have let the side walls 20 up so
much faster than the front He replied that he
did not think he would have done 80. As to the
in a building OF this size, where the
weight OF the roof trusses was sap
ported by upright steel columns, lime
mortar was as serviceable as cement All
along Mrs. Metzerott had insisted that the
building should be as strong it could be
made and this had been the prime object of
the architects and the builders. He considered
a Z-bar column as much stronger than q brick
plaster, for the cross section. of such a steel
column is the strongest thing known to build
ers.
In answer to question from juryman the
witness said that no special permit was taken
out to build the side walls 80 much higher
The building regulations require that such a
permit be taken out when the side walls 20 up
more than a story above the front. In the
present case the side walls were not moro than
q story higher. 1t was q high story, to be true
TACT the front wall Of the music hall was up
about sixteen feet above the floor of the audi
torium.
DR.. Patterson interjected the remark that he
would criticise the law rather than that con-
ception OF what story is, and the witness was
allowed to leave.
BUILDER MORRISON.
Mr.. w. C. Morrison, the builder, was called
and asked as to the construction of the Music
Hall He said that he had not been in the
building. but he regarded it as strong enough
in any ordinary weather In this case if the roof
had been fastened on he thought the walls would
have withstood that wind. A green wall is
always an easy matter to push over. In putting
up the side walls so fast there was some risk
incurred The materials Of the wall were all
right, though the insertion of the columns
might have been a source of weakness. The
mortar would have been stronger if cement had
been used, but cement il not always used in
buildings Of this sort.
ARCHITECT STEAD.
Mr.. Robert Stead. an architect, was next
'sked whether he would have built walls in
Iuch manner and answered that he would
lot, but added further that if in the casa of
he music hall in that wind il the front wall
lad been up 1t would not have saved more
han n short section o. either the north or the
'outh wall.
According to the best authority on architect
are no wall should be more than four feet ahead
If any other. On this point the building regu-
atoms are very lax. The chief danger that
lrlses from the modern or Chicago style of