The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-08-15

that high without support.
This wall stood higher than the sur
rounding buildings and could not pc
braced.
"a gust of wind from the north, ne
said, when asked what caused the laii
blew it over. 1t fell on the brick lloor
beneath and broke through from floor TO
floor to the cellar
He made an examination after the
wounded were removed, and came 10
the foregoing conclusion as TO 1ne
cause.
Albert Jones, furniture salesman at
No. 274 Fifth street, heard crash ana
saw the men who were hurt. Ills tes-
timony brought out nothing new. Equai-
ly unimportant was that of VIM. Je1fer-
son Of Jersey City Heights, who mad
been told that everything was right nan
an hour before, but l know noddings
about the wall, except that the mortar
and brick were good
lie had held the plumb on the wall
but as it was blowing rather hara' II
wouldn't hang straight.
BAITI NC THE BUILDING lNSPEC-
TOR.
Jersey City's building inspector, VIM
Neil, came next, and had several bad
quarters
He fioundered about when answering
questions, and certainly didn't impress
the Jurors or the audience with the be-
lief that he knew what he was talking
about Reuben Simpsons appointee
made alpoor, poor witness, and evident
ly hadn't learned his lesson. He said
that he arrived after the accident and
went on the top story to look at the
wall It was a wall, a brick WALL and
he saw no braces.
Then the jurors flew at him, meta
phorically Why didn't he inspect the
wall before? Why didn't he inspect the
building every day? Did he know what
law he was working under and what
were his duties? But Mr.. Neil apollo
getically said that he had only been in
spector for two months, and must have
time to get the hang of things.
He didn't think it was proper for him
to inspect the City Hall, because Mr.
Tallman was specially appointed for that
purpose.
~ think" he said, in answer to a
juror, that the scaffold pushed over the
wall"
IF a wall was to go up that height
wouldn't you object if no braces We're
used?" asked Foreman Grassman.
well, that depends. You see, if it
fell, it is out of the mason's pocket,
replied Mr.. Neil.
After few more questions he retired,
mopping his heated face and looking con-
siderably relieved that his turn was over
D. w. Benjamin Health Inspector of
the city, came next and briefly said that
he heard the crash and assisted in help
ing to procure amulances. He knew
nothing about the building.
ARCHITECT OF THE BUILDING
TESTIFIES.
Architect Louis H. Broome of No. 1868
Bergen avenue took the chair and clear
" explained the position of the wall ana
it's measurements. He was on the scat
fold in the morning and said to John
english that the wall should be well
raced before night as rainstorm
might come on and throw it down. 1t
was weather wall, and the materials
used We're excellent throughout he con-
tradicted the building inspectors testl-
mony that the scaffold pushed the wall
over, because between the wall and the
scaffold there was always space OF
four inches. There was risk to the men
in working on the scaffold. There IS
always risk in working at such a height.
fall. 1t was hardly possible to brace it.
Only a few inches higher ana the
trusses would have kept the wall in po-
sition.
Mr. Broome dealt minutely with the
question of bracing and said under the
circumstances the contractor could not
have done differently.
Patrick Hayden of Pagan iron works
ba h1Ii1d a
time of the accident, and noticed the
wall two minutes before it fell. 1t was
braced from the inside part of the way
up with the iron beams. He wouldn't
say whether these were sufficient. He
thought everything safe.
John English, son of the contractor,
testified that the wall was begun Aug
ust T. and on Wednesday when the men
got high enough the scaffold was built.
They got about eight feet above the
scaffold when, with witness Wincey, he
plumbed the wall.
81 asked him why he didn't hold the
plumb strait, and he said that the wind
blew it away" witness said.
s.Then 1 heard Frank Fields shout
out. Jump for your lives and he
jumped on the WALL" He remembered
braeed the wall that night Everything
was safe, he thought, and he considered
the wall sufficiently braced. He had
seen walls yibrate and never felt timid
to go on. 1t was perfectly plumbed five
minutes before the accident. 1t was
ouite common to build walls 16 and II feet
high without braces. He had seen them
only 3 inches run up This wall was u
| inches.
WHAT THE CONTRACTOR KNEW. :.
Mr.. Richard English, contractor of the
new City Hall, was next called, and he
told a simple intelligent story, which was
listened to with great attention.
| He began by saying that he didn't
go on top of the scaffold himself be-
| cause he was stiff and didn't feel well
| that day. He was down below making
| an examination around the building and
| when he heard his son call for more
mortar, heard a crash
81 tried to go UP the wall and saw it
was falling, AT first thought a hod had
fallen but saw that sthe wall had fall
| len.
"The fall of debris came on the brick
floor, and broke through into the floor
! below, and so on to the cellar.
sI Heard some one cry that the men
hurt We're below, and Iknew that they
must have jumped"
Mr.. English told the jury that on oc-
and illustrating the wall with his hand,
showed that had the men remained
where they were no accident would have