Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-04-10
UNSAFE BUILDINGS.

The Hutchisson House Was Three Times
Condemned by Fire Chief Healy and
Mayor Seabright-The PerniciOus Prac-
tice of Adding New Stories Upon Old and
Weak Walls and Insufficient Foundations.
This disaster calls public attention
in a very forcible manner to the prac-
tice, unhappily prevailing to great
extent in this city, Of rebuilding and
enlarging business houses and other
buildings by adding one, two or three
stories upon old walls and foundations.
Both the buildings involved in this
wreck were examples of this sort of
thing, and it is almost certain that
neither building would have been al
lowed to go up under the provisions
IF \ proper building ordinance, such as
was introduced in Council about four
years ago, and which was there killed
| by interests which did not want such
intelligent
SUPERVISION AND INSPECTION
of building operations.
This is particularly true of the
Hutchisson building, which was en-
larged by the addition of story, four
years ago. by Contractor Brooks. A
considerable portion of the old walls
were left standing at that time, and
since the building was completed, as
well as while it was going up,
there were many predictions that it
would collapse. The section of the old
wall left standing on the north side OF
Alley 8, and which was incorporated
in the new building, was particularly
insecure looking, it being badly bulg-
ed, and not properly tied to the new
wall constructed at the east end of the
house, and it must have required very
LITTLE ADDITIONAL WEIGHT
to topple it into the alley.
Chief Healy, of the Fire Depart
ment, said yesterday
L repeatedly condemned this build
ing, but was laughed at, and told to
mind my own affairs. Now we have
the result. In my judgment, the
Hutchisson building was a most i'm
proper one, and was bound to fall on
very slight provocation.
Ex-Mayor Seabright said:-
"Three times Chief Healy and my
self sent written protests to the own
ers and the contractors, but our efforts
were fruitless, and we were finally
| told by counsel for the owners to
mind our own affairs and let the
building alone. This we did, and here
we have the result. A proper build
ing ordinance would have prevented
this calamity, in all probability"
The contractors for the enlargement
and rebuilding of the Chapman build
ing was Betz, Flading & Co. The adj
ditional stories we're going up on old
walls, with an addition of entirely new
work in the rear, as was the plan fol-
lowed in the HutchissOn building. The
additional weight must have been very
considerable, but, of course, just what
CAUSED THE COLLAPSE
can not be ascertained at this time.
In the opinion of some the high wind
of Sunday night which blew down
portion of the scaffolding in front of
the building. may have weakened the
structure in some respect, and the rain
of Monday night and early yesterday
| morning may have completed sufficient
disintegration to precipitate the cal
amity. but the exact fact may never
be aScertained
The Hutchisson building represent
ed an expenditure of about 1000, and
the stock contained in it was valued
at about $4,000 The value of the
Chapman building, in its uncompleted
state, may have been 100000 and the
stock in it was valued at at least $l0.-
600. The damage to the Rice building
is probably $4,000, and the value Of the
stock. which must have been quite
ruined by fire, smoke and water, was
likely $4,000. The loss to Mr.. Speyer
will doubtless foot up considerable, and
thetotal will not be far from the $780,,
600 mentioned at the outset Of this ar
ticlp