The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-08-28
AND NOW Ni) FIX THE BLAME.
F1HsT, THEN, TINT FALLEN BUILDING
WAS INTENDED, o yLY.FOR OFFICES.


Loading. the Upper Floors with Heavy
Printing Presses snd IAthoR~sphinE
stone. Not Contsp plated In she Arehi.
tec,.' Pi.ns-suPefint undeat Brady says
tae Disaster was Ceased By an Expio-
siou, but tho Architects DiRer with
IIim-Ihe District Atto~ney Summons
witnesses-Coronsr IIaAhy's Jury visits
tho Ituins-Naore Hodies Ident,nes.
Coroner Hsnley has done we'll 70 secure
irry OF experts TO determine the cause OF tho
collapse Of the Taylor bulldingin Park place
No one not an expert could ayer pick to pieces
the m ass OF contradictory Testimony that will
DO given and decide what caused the building
to fell and who is responsible for the fearful
loss Of life. This testmony is being gathered
By acting District Attorney Cunning S. Bed
ford. ON the ono side th,re are Su porintend-
ent OF Buildings Brady. the tenants oil tho
building. and other Interested persons who
cay an EXPLOSION caused the iail; ana
OIL tho other thcro are men OF equal
in; diligence ard knowledre' who say tho build
Ing collarsed because II was overloaded.
The.o Ia n third lot who sny that the baildinG
wrs n death trap under any circumstances.
md that It Was criminal to put up such
! ling This last lot is composed chiefly OF
~ ,, ons who have haunted the RUNS for the
nur,cse OF forming scientific opinions"
They arc headed by an architcct who made
himself conspicuous at the ruins Jew lays
ego BY his scientific assertions.
Acting District Attorney Bedford hrs invited
all who wers witnesses of the collapse 10 send
their names TO him. lie has also in"it sd others
10 give testimony. This Is mis- list OF witnesses
SO far:
Rudolph New man. John Meyer Henry Grunlich, Mrs
Robert II. Marks l. j. Mu!aly. Louis Pusrieman. Dom
iuick Berky. John Weibeti. George Fisher. Liebler
Mass John Shaeler William Dit,el G. c. shelly. Fred.
sricE q Hoffman EuEon" and Frank Heasney Jamea
Irwin Herbert gilmore. Dr. Doty. Isaac shean. and
J. Il. Kion.
Mr. Bedford has also seen TT 10 summon and
examine, apparently as experts. eome OF the
"scieptffic haunt"rs" who didn't see the col.
lapse. and who IuGge only from what they have
seen since thn q s.>ster. He or his representa-
/; vo WAS closcteu with ono Of these mon. an
architect. for NJ nour or two yesterday. Ter
hans when the actinC District Attorney finishes
with these Witnesses he will send for tho archi-
tects who built Tie building. and who know what
It was built OF. what It was built for. and how
much weight 1, could reasonably support.
AS has been sintoI in THF Sun. the archi-
tcc;s nre D. and y. Iardne OF 1862 Broadway.
Mr. j. Jardins said 10 a Sun reporter yester-
day:
Tho building was never designed for heavy
rresses. and any ono with common sense
wouldn't have IN. presses IN it"
Jay II. Van Nordcn. one Of the firm OF D. 4 J.
Jnrdne, showed TIE Sun man the plans OF the
tuiiLng yesterday and explained all about Its
construction. 1t was q flve-story brick with
1877 feet front on Park place and 80 feet depth
on Greenwich street and was CT feet high. Tho
,roa. wall was 90 inches thick. the rear wall Ii
inches The most interesting part Of tho plans
is that relating TO the supports OF the floor.
Through tho centre OF ench floor was girder
IL by II inches This was held up
ny nine iron pillars Tho pillars ran
through the centre OF the building on
zach floor. They were sixteen feet apart. On
tho first floor each was inches In diameter.
on the second inches. on the third inches.
~ the fourth inches. and on the Nth inches.
nc cross beams were zach BY IA inches and
were sixteen inches apart. They were Is feet
G. inches long They rested on tho front and
f est Of shs builSigs. T5s ends Sers baTIed u
law. and in some specifications is moro than
than the law requires
lie had On ished tue sxpian alton OF the plans.
is that the building was terribly overloaded
m io lisht once S%ildins and |, was nc. u CON-
trmplated that it would be used AS machine
shop or printing or lithoGraphing establish
TO prove this assertion NJ. Ven Nordsp tex 81
H., SPe e b. bSSss
..:Mhsa : Sun reporter, ssked sape rintendent
81 Sn n essdy Hn The Oeial
a rfi an, thug At all" - '''''e '. "'D0
dom who toof from the rse little BOOK con-
snnE extt4ss from Inc 6Tidng And
hv machine GhODs DYintinp offipaa
m .nufattorles; ana places where heavy ma:
.:hinetE is used Do not come under the head OF
:.How much WEIGHT we're floors IN tina. build
ing intendeH to support :" asked Il erePorter
en- pointed out 200 pounds to the square
~" % Tsre PsrsSz f .ass VI, = h sss
i%d /" nrar fou. times that weight: bel!cSe
ssh wss
moving. Earring one. That made 1t worse. I
%ou . 10 Of 1o %oynS
1 .sSs ws "a afS n tho tho
grabbing stone piled NJ. in the centre Of ,he
x4s GFss; s'tsG Ird Hhi Psssf
SAY h"Ss Era ss .sn hSs M . to
81 Judgment. ana de building would have
Jill In: S"Her!n;en N Brady visited the
ruins IN AK place ,csiorday. lie said his 10
i,nr, Oh = cause Of the accident was roRly to
te suhmil'e!," the Fire Com nils,sioncrs whom
eve ih.y .aT 1T t. call for II, lilo refused 70
lnE SrS yesterday morning. that the collapse
was caused by an EXPLOSION. This announcer
nent was verified BY no,iSe which ono Of the
The end Of tho building hat did not ial! down.
in this. lolice. which is signed BY Mr.. brady.
lie olflcially declares that nm OK piosinn eau ed
N" wreck. The notice = head.d: In the mat
and rs Park place and 247 Greenwich a:reet,o
II Eutiee, in part. Is MS follows:
IA Mt R,pnah 4. Crtin. o,e,Ier:
S.a wilt please notice that building Situated
the front Of tho ots the souihss corner of Park
place aud Greenwich sreet has been reported
to me unsafe AMI dangerous in tho folio lug re-
spees to y. Thai In consequence of explosion and
the collapse of the building resulting In IRE sofae Of
the remaining parts OF said building are un,Ats and
dAnssrous
The notice orders that the east wall Of the
hbRdins No. 10 be torn down together with al
tho stnirwsys. q part q the north wall and ali
Of tho south wall (which remained standing ol
Girders ind all the floor and roof beams DO 70.