The morning call., 1893-03-20

Chinese cigar manufacturers, while the
lower floor was partitioned off and let to
various tenants.
Kwong. Kong. Hee & Co. were prosper
Gus, as all good MoDgolians usually are
and soon got to look upon the big building
as their own.
One day last January came another
change. While working away at their
benches horde of MOngolians were star
tied one morning by seeing the rear wall
suddenly open up, without any Just cause
or prUvocatiOn, and allow old Sol 10 beam
in upon the various nCoks that had for
years hidden from his searching rays.
Old Sol must have been highly elated over
his successful entry into the kingdom of
Kwong. Kong Hee & Co, for on the
next day the south wall suddenly was con-
vulsed and ii, too, opened up a zap, by which
time, the Chinese becoming alarmed, beat Il
precipitate retreat to the safety of the ad-
Iacent sidewalks.
For weeks they would not enter the build
Ing, fearing it would open up and swallow
them all. They took away all their tools
eventually and since then a big sign, 40
Let" has gractd the arched doorway lead
Ing to the mantrap above.
The attention OF the authorities was
called TO the building. District Engineer
Shaughnessy went down town one day and
examined the affair.
bAlluluB Ndo GNtuludllS FpnueHlueu,
and then came the proposition, What will
we do with il ?"
The owners, through the French bank,
which acts as agent for the property, re-
fused to tear it down. Haggling and bick-
ering finally brought about a settlement
The two top stories are TO be RACED and a
one-stoTy building made of the structure.
But no work has been done on tearing
down the upper stories. so that when the
last rain commenced the north wall began
to- NHrvur a lien sci -.
feats of leaning and bowed gracefully to
Commercial street, which thoroughfare it
threatens to bury at an early date beneath
shower of brick, mortar and mud.
brilliant idea possessed the mind of one
of the owners. He found a local contractor
who procured number of big timbers.
These were showed up under the second
and third stories.
Every day the contractor goes down and
screws up the Jacks holding the timbers In
this manner the building is kept from kill
lug score or more of people some day
should it take notion to seek the level Of
the street.
a little German tailor, whose diminutiye
shop Is just beneath the glowering frown of
the south wall. does not know what TO do or
think. He has lad his life insured. he says.
and made the policy payable to himself. so
that if the wall does come down he will be
all right.
a baking powder company now occupies
Oue VI LHe SIOIeS On lne ground 100r. 1hls
may be a reason for the fact that the said
space occupied by them is in least danger,
as they claim TO keep everything up"
The showing up OF the walls Of such
buildings is but an excuse TO prevent their
being torn down." said a prominent mer-
chant. 1.-The lives Of all who venture near
such traps are endangered, and it will not
be until score or more of victims like
those of the Park place disaster in New
York. or the PembertOn Mills horror OF
Lawrence, Massachusetts, occurs, that our
city officials will compel owners of such
deathtrRps to rae them to the ground"
Nearly all the old buildings" said
Engineer Shauclmessy. ARE built on made
ground, particularly those In the vicinity
named. This ground seems to be on . shift
ing bottom, thus making it treacherous and
causing many of the buildings to lean at an
alarming angle,
when we discover such building we
close it up at once and thus try 10 prevent
any casualty that might result from its
fall"
There are other Battery-street buildings
in similarly dangerous condition and a
fatal collapse of one of them may occur
some of these days.