The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-08-05
lHE CHELSEA DISASTER.
Due to D,iectiN Construction Of tho
Balcony.
HAIN SUPPORT WAS VERY WEAK.
Interesting Statement by the Building
nspector-Architect Says building
was Not Constructed According to
Plans He Drew-who fs Responsible |:

CHELSEA, Mass, Aug. 5.--Viewed in the
4 honest, searching light Of the sun, the
evidence presented by the torn and splin-
tered timbers of the ruined veranda of the
Chelsea Yacht clubhouse leaves no fur
ther doubt as to the cause of Thursday
nights terrible disaster.
Tho precious lives Of some 20 people
were bung upon bit Of wood-a tenon OF
but two inches wide and four in depth,
supporting heavy girder of Sx10 inches
3n dimensions, and with absolutely moth
Ing beneath 1t to support stout timber
should the tenon snap just as it did.
Six Of the 10 inches Of that sound girder
three flfths Of It's supporting strength
for vertical pressure-were cut away.
sacrificed in the rortising. Therein lies
Che key to the whole situation. Every
Yiven timber and floor joist shows its
inner core as sound and firm as when first
put in new into the building. There was
not rotten bit Of wood visible anywhere.
All OF it appeared as sound as nut.
"FauIty Construction"
said Superintendent Lord, that is the
only cause that can be given for the fall
of that platform" In his view, however,
the fault appeared to lie in the placing OF
the mortise originally too high in the
balcony post. The particular workman
who did this had filled up the hole thus
enormously made and had then butted
the tenon of the girder right up against
the filed portion.
The cause of the trouble is best told In
Mr.. Lords words. 1.-THE cross beams
were sxl0 inches" said Mr.. Lord, land
wien it was originally framed the mortices
were made eight inches wide, or the full
width of the cross beams. Later on, how
ever, part of the cross beam at the point
where it entered the upright beam was
sawed away until the rart OF 1t which en-
tered the upright was only four inches
deep by two inches wide, and then the
upper part of the open space in the up
right beam was plugged up.
1.-THE saving away of such large por-
tion of the cross beam at the bottom OF
course weakened it To a considerable ex-
tent, but another circumstance
Weakened 1t Still More Fatally.
"A season check, or split, ran along the
Oenter of this cross beam from the point at
which 1t entered the upright post almost
20 the wall of the clubhouse, which prac-
ticaiiy made it two beams instead of one.
This crack ran from about the point
where the beam entered the upright, or
four inches from the top of the cross beam.
Then there were lighter joists running
Crosswise on these cross beams overhead,
on which the flooring of the balcony was
laid. Portions Of the upper part Of the
CROSS beams had been cut away, perhaps
for couple of inches, to allow these joists
70 sink into the crosslbeams.
sThis practically cut away all the por-
- a - A~ til l...I.
the uprights, and then the crack running
along the center of the cross beam had SO
weakened the remainder that it
Cracked on sharply
about eight feet from the front of the
balcony.
''The weight being then thrown on the
lower portion of the cross beam, which had
scarcely any support where 1t was NOR
tised into the upright, that portion, too,
broke off, and down went the balcony"
Mr.. Lord further stated that he was not
supposed, under the ordinances Of the city
Of Chelsea. to make an examination ofany
building unless some one complained
about it. No complaint had been made of
che yacht clubhouse, and he had not.
erefore, examined 1t.
The most casual observer who glances
St the woodwork of the place where the
balcony broke down will be inclined to
agree ut once with the opinion of Mr..
Lord as to the cause of the accident, and
many were the expressions of surprise on
the part of the spectators yesterday that
en- accident had not occurred before.
That portion OF the cross beam which en-
tered the upright one appeared so slight
that one marvelled how it could ever havo
supported 100 or l5) persons, as Is said to
..&ir. Ao-... Tho