The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-09-05
THINKS SOMETHING BLEW UP
Mr.. BRADT,s OPINION As TO TK1
CAUSE OF THE PARK PLACE
DISASTER.

He Believes the Taylor BuiiAiae was
Strong Enough for tho Uses to which
II Wa. Put Inspectors Tee Few. saa
Opportunities for Inspecting LiHitea.
Superintendent OF Buildings Thomas J.
Brady was witness for thrse hours yesterday
before Coroner Hanly and the jury who are
investigating the Park place disaster The
Building Department. Mr.. Brady SAID had
never been informed that the Taylor building
was insecure. Additional exits had been built
in 1885. and there was no record OF an inspsc.
tion OF the building since that time. The In.
epector in the First district. which included
the Taylor building, was Mr.. J. Schwartz The
forty-two inspectors in the department were
too few, the witness said. to inspect regularly
all the buildings In the city. Whenever An In
spector examined q building and found No
cause for complaint he made no report.
Would periodical inspection Of buildings
be good thing in your jndGment" asked
Assistant District Attorney Townsend.
Yes" said Mr.. Brady, If tho merchants
would assist us In moving things so that We
could mako proper inspection. want TO say
TO the Jury though, that II complaint were
made as to the insecure condition OF any'ons's
residence would have n right to go intoths
house and remove the carpet to examine the
floor Nor could | get authority to tear up Q
floor to get at girder which had been reported
to be defe tive This is one OF tho points COW
cred by the proposed legislation which We
have been trying to get through at Albany for
the rast two sessions"
Inspector Schwartz. Mr.. Brady said. in an.
swer to a question from Juror. was practf.
cal mason and builder before he received his
appointment Mr.. Brady said he would not
hesitate to approve the plans OF the Taylor
building as originally made IL they were sub.
mitted to him To-day, because they called for
structure that would sustain any ordinary
weight.
Have you any opinion asked Juror No. II.
:" rs 10 what part Of the building first gave
way?"
Yes" said tn, witness. Il should say that
there had been q great informal uphsavAl.
probably caused by an explosion. and that the
first floor went down first"
Mr. Brady took exception to Architect Van
Norden's estimate that live weight would exert
twice the pressure Of dead weight. An In
crease OF 80 per cont he thought would cover
all cases. He also thought that II tho building
had been overloaded. as Mr.vnn Norden figured
there wa. a wesr It o, 40 pounds to the ss SQUARE
use was correct oG e didn't believe il Would
amount am y, t. more than hall That M explosion.
cured in TIE basement. he thought.
tn. S IN he nHS:f
the Tagging have been thown up;"
Yes" waa the reply. but 1t is my theory
basement"
:" You want tho Jury to infer" said another
Juror. that the building was strong enough
for, the uses to which It was put"'
Mr.. Brady said he did.
Then number 81 the Jurors questioned the
and suggested hypothetical conditions for
them: From TIE Huestioning OF the Jurors It
Of opinion among them as to the cause Of the
disaster. The majority OF them. however.
appeared to hold to the theory OF n collapse Of
Robert A. Mcdonald. a letter carrier. who
delivered letters to the tenants OF the Taylor
building Just before tho disaster and was In
fronto, Is Park place when, the crash came,
falling right down. The brick in the wall Of
the second floor and the restaurant seemed to
come out first
open windows OF the third floor first. few
seconds le,er tho building began to toppe and
then 1t all came down. Leon PasIuet. Al
two years az, when he refused to insure it on
account Of the nature OF the business done
there. f. B. Dwight. an insurance inspector.
read report OF survey no made short time
described the inflammnble materials In tho
The inquest will be resumed in Room 10. Cit>
The Mayors relief fund now amounts to
$193tG27. Yesterdays contributions were:
BcnkiSer King: $40: Joseph Sch!oss; IS; Ja-
cob Rnrnertt 500: membsr. Of the Produse
Erennick. 500: !'nchpan Brewing Company.
500: House and Real Estate Owners Associ-
alton Of the Twelfth and Nineteenth wardA
500; through the Ne,c York Tribune. $56.