New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-08-15
ANOTHERTHEORY ADVANCED
DID DEFECTIVE IRONwORK CAUSE THE
WEST BROADWAY COLLAPSE

CoMPI ErED AND THE DEATH LIST RE
MAINS AT FIFTEEN-THE ARcIII-
TEcrs. 1T is SAID KNEW THE
WELL. WAS THERE.
A careful AMI thorough examination Of the col
lapsed building at West Broadway and Tnird-s'
was made yesterday by an expert in buildings anu
building materials. and he came to the concios'o"
that the disaster was due to defective iroh"o'h'
or at least to the breaking OF the lug or mango Vi
the iron pillar which gave way and precp"ateu
the rest OF the material.
The investigation showed that the architec's VI
the building had told the builder that carei"'
soundngs OF the area on which the foundations
were to rest had been made by them that tic
existence Of the well was known to them. and that
IL would be perfectly safe to go on with the con-
structon without filling in the well.
The builder proceeded upon these lines tie a'd
a of concrete twelve inches thick. which
merely impinged upon the brick wall of the weii'
the concrete being laid part of the support OF
the pillar which subsequently fell over the con-
crete granite block twelve inches thick YVES set
and upon this was put al iron plate four inches in
thickness Upon this plate the pillar was set.
This arrangement adopted on suggestions OF
the architects.
An examination Of these foundations. OF the
well and the pillar yesterday, as made by the ex-
pert. showed that the iange OF the pillar had been
broken al its top. as has before been noted the
iron plate of four inches in thickness had been
split into fragments. the granite block was in four
pieces. and hole had been poughed through the
twelve inches of concrete by the pillar. which had
plunged through the concrete for several feet ard
was incased in that material
Furthermore, an examination Of the well showed
that the concrete had not been forced into it and
that the brick wall had not been crushed In from
the side by the falling pillar. This condition OF
things made II clear TO the expert that the well
had nothing TO do with the fall Of the pillar
The fact OF the broken fange at the top OF tho
pillar is interpreted BY this expert. therefore. az
indicating a flaw IN the iron or that too great a
pressure from materials loading the upper foor
caused the fracture and that the pillar thus
weakened at the top was driven downward by
the mass Of material through to the foundation
OF iron. granite and concrete as described.
These who have supported the theory OF quick
sand beneath the centre foundation still hold to
their opinion and are supported by letter from
William w Goodrich. a Baltimore architect,
who says that during the winter OF lS6s-7O he
employed by A T. Stewart 10 bore the site
for a proposed building On the ground where
Ireland's wrecked building now stands Mr.
Goodrich writes that he bored down thirty or
forty feet and discovered quicksand and running
water when this made known TO Mr.. Stew
art he abandoned the idea OF building on the
property.
The search OF the ruins completed yester-
day afternoon and the work Of digging was
stopped No bodies found yesterday, and
the total number Of killed remains fifteen. NJ.
Ga!ligan says that every inch Of the debris In
not the least doubt that every body has been re-
covered