Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-04-20

THE CENTRE WALL CRUSHED.
Had it simply fallen, the bricks at
the point Of fracture would have been
cleaner, while as they are, they are
crushed and badly broken. Mr..
Browne said he had made a calculation
showing a weight OF five and half
tons per square foot on the base Of tho
party wall Five tons per square foot
was enough for agOod brick wall The
party wall was not good wall, and
aad a pressure Of five and half tons
per square foot on it, The weight on
the alley wall would be about one-fifth
less, that wall being but four stories
high. Adding 10 these weights on the
walls the one hundred tons of stock
above the first floor, In the Hutchisson
building, assuming this weight TO be
evenly distributed, would add about
quarter Of ton per square foot to the
pressure on the base of the alley wall.
AS 10 the action Of water on the sample
Of brick used, MIR Brown thought the
water thrown by the fire department
would not have produced the effect ap-
parent. lie rather thought the brick
had been exposed TO water for a longer
period. Afer a personal examination
and mature thought, witness said he
was inclined TO think
THE POINT OF WEAKNESS
was at the base of the party wall, al
though the high wind of the Sunday
night before the accident may have re-
suited i'm strains which were a factor in
the suhcpOupDt trOuh1p
J. L. Woods was questioned as to his
personal observation OF changes and al
teratiOnS in the buildings lie said he
knew little about the Hutchinson build
ing, not havig been a bidder on it, but
he was bidder on the Chapman house.
Asked to give his best opinion, as to
what caused the accident, he said he
believed the stories had been raised In
the Hutchinson building, and he knew
they had in The Chapman building.
That weakened the centre wall. and be-
ing shaken by the storm of Sunday
night, the wall gave way and brought
down both houses.
NJ. l.. Giesey. architect. was next call
ed and enQuired of. He said he had
more to do with the Hutchinson build
ing than with the Chapman, being lat
| terly out OF town most Of the time. lie
had charge Of the work on the Hutch
isSOn building. The alley wall Of the
/ Hutchinson building was taken down
as far as IL appeared to be in a bad con-
dttiOn, and rebuilt. There was a slight
/ bulge in the old wall remaining rhe
old wall allowed to stand was about
one hundred and ten feet long by about
thirty high One slCry OF the ola par
" wall was also left.
THE DIFFERENCE IN COST
between the building Mr.. Hutchinson
actually constructed and an entirely
new building, on the old foundations,
was about $1,000 and if new founda-
| tons had been pat in, about $500
would have been the difference, as an
/ outside figure In other words, Mr.
Hutchisson saved about 81 POO by using
| so much Of the old walls as he did. AS
/ TO the causes of the accident. the rain
/ and storm of Sunday night may nave
had some effect on the Chapman walls
which were uncovered, and in addition
| the buildings may have been over
/ loaded The contract price for the
work TO be done for Mr.. Chapman was
/ about $500 for five story building
| 22x12O. A new building entire would
/ have cost about 10000. In other
| words, the work as done saved S4,-
| 500 or $4,000, in the estimation of the
/ witness.
J. T. Goodwin occupied the Hutchis-
/ son building from 1888 to 1891. Dur
ing that time the firm did not consider
| the rear portion of the building safe,
and the last few years they
CONSIDERED IT DANGEROUS.
They felt no especial anxiety about the
/ alley wall. but there was a large stay
iron in the rear wall. which ct the last
| had crushed into the brick work an
inch. In the partition wall there was
a crack which was wide enough TO put
a hand in. His firm had the partition
wall put in MelOde0n Hall. The upper
| portion of this partition was brick.
Plastering would not stay on the south
wall, low down, on account Of damp
ness. but he did not recall anything of
the sort on the north or party wall, but
ne accounted for this by the fact that Il
high case of drawers ran along that
side He thought the alley wall was
/ 'Water-soaked' along the bottom, but
in the absence of especial information
he would not say the party wall was
damp. The lower jOists had rOtted next
the alley wall, and a heavy timber had
| been put in to take the weight. When
the timber was put in he could not say,
but he thought it was there yet The
flood of 1891 came within an inch OF
running in the cellar grating.
This concluded the evidence and the
] Coroner said the jury could commence
| its deliberations at once, or wait until
I manifold copies of the verbatim report
\ Of the evidence could be made.
lIr. Howard suggested that the jury
I go into its deliberations at once. and
when i'm doubt call on the stenogr9Dher
/ to read the evidence. This was agreed
to, and the jury was left alone to con-
! slider upon its verdict at $3.50 p. m.
THE VERDICT
At six o'clock the following verdict
was returned
! State Of West Virginia, County Of Ohio
1 tO-wit.
An inquisition taken at the Court
/ House. at Wheeling. in the county OF
/ Ohio. on the 9Th. 10th, 18th. 18th. 14th'
| 10th. 18th and 18th days of April, 1870
/ before me. John w. Schultze. Coroner
of the said county. upon the view OF the
/ bodies of Benjamin f. PritChard, Very
| Rev H. f. Parke V. G., Harry cow,
/ Eugene Birch, Robert Wincher ana
Michael 2. HOran. there lying dead.
! The jurors sworn 10 inquire when
( how and by what means the said above
named persons came to their death,
/ -1nnn Lha-L naths do saN thaL tho MC.th