New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-03-13

THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT
SHOULD BE REORGANIZED
FROM TOP To BOT
TOM. SAYS THE
VERDICT
The Coroner's jury In the Orchard-st. building
disaster in which four men lost their lives. re-
turned a scathng verdict yesterday. finding that
the primary cause Of the accident were faulty
plans and gross and criminal carelessness on the
part Of the builders; finding also that an in
spector had been crlminaly In COLLISION with
the authors Of these methods, and that the
Building Department should be thoroughly re-
organized
Superintendent Brady OF the Building Depart
ment when the inquest was resumed yesterday,
testified that he had examined the buildings IN
Orchard-st after the collapse and found them
loose and faulty in construction. The foreman of
the Jury asked Superintendent Brady II II was
not common rumor that the insI ectors of
the Building Department could be bribcd by "A
builder
THAT has been a rumor." said Superintendent
Brady. since | have been boy. In some cases
have found il II be true, and | have dismissed
the inspectors. on an average 5000 complaints
come 10 my office every year anonymous ana
otherwise and all these are Investigated
Charles g. Baxter. Of No sos East One-hun-
and-forty-second-st. an architect. was then
called He testified thai he had examined the
buildings in Orchard-st. after the collapse.
81 find" said he. that the bricks used In the
construction Of the buildings were old.
The witness here produced TWO bricks which
no had taken from the wall at No. 153 Orchard
81.
Ring the bricks" said Mr.. Mcintyre.
THE BRICKS DROPPED To PIECES.
Mr. Baxter clashed the two bricks together
lightly and they shivcrcd into dozen pieces as
thcv fell on the floor That's the kind OF
brick" said he. that was used.
The witness said he had taken samples Of the
mortar and found II composed Of half loan ana
half sand The workmanship on the building
was poor.
The Jury retired at 2:3O o'clock. and returned t.
court al 5lS p. m. The following Is me V'r''''
they returned.
We find the primary cause of the disaster at
80 l5l to ~ Orchnrd-st. which caused INC ur".ls
NJ Vincerzo Ferraro. Frank Thornton. Giovanni
V,nro ana Giuseppe Crcscenjo was faulty 81 Ian
nina, A. regards certain details OF construc ion The
nans provIie for the construction Of IN We NJ. OF
The wills about the alrshafj OF the i've upp'r
stories in each building upon fouT EIrue!", "mosr
carried up from the foundation throush thr 'eIar
ana nrs, story When IN" entire We Sht ~ 81. IN
case OF abou, 100 running feet ~ DICK W''', Nv
stories high together with the weight Of ne hoorS
and roof ana partitions ~hic3 t..'.r W"''+ ~
rirdcrs ipon four points on INC wall ahoV" re-
fcrred t. The templates under these gf iris meas
ured each about T. by lt inch"'. ,h"rcioL' ."'i
of about l2O tons. OF go tons 70 m" SQUARE i'''
would he transmitted 20 the brick "ii4
DISASTER WAS INVITED
To cony,rur, in this fashion was TO invite dis's-
ter and can only be explained upon 20" fHpi"s''l'n
Of Ignorance Of 49," commences laws Of construct on
mr. If gross carcl.ssu..s on The part Of he de
-ipners and th. buili.rs. and aIso On "a" part -
those who's" duty Il WA 10 examine ana pass upon
the plan 10 the nicf's = ne CIV ,,.t ~ vr,.
land IL appears that b. was clearly the dHty u
both Nh. Waite; who ,A9inlnel ;hc r"n c,r ar" ~,
tentiou 10 the overlooking OF tNr hI'hN"IH Al VIZ
hearing o. the elri'Is ans, npp.t. I'M, M ~ ~
~" -, se maj m" law Vas complied with
~ ,b I",,or In the plans which came before them
and I.ohis s. iIofnum were guilty Of eross care
IL appears that Mr.. Nrc"lard from his own rv-
doncc is in no hah Of signing important laIerf ana
building permits in wholly p"rfuuctnrN mann"i
upon the check Of MS subordinate ~lth0h' 40 m1rn
as giving them a curs0ry examination. W" mo thit
Timothy j Ormsby the Inspector IN whose iisf.c
thcsr , 6q'5dnst y TfI .oga'' KIM Was F '' CHM
CONTRACTORS AND OWNEr GUILTY
w find ,nat the contractors Peter Comes sHl
were criminaly guilty IN having wifu.ly Violated
m. law for the evident purpose Of saving expense
Their violations were 50 numerous ana hdgfahi tha
they could only have been carried ont 10y COLLISION
with the inspector II IN" district III" hr'ck WORK
was laid without propo: lmc. great number 81
broken brick were used walls wer" hu'lt thinner
than shown IN the plans. templates w"r" omitted
Under beams and others were used of insufficient
sizc. the sand was dug on the premises. was 81
poor quality and not clean. one rowlock arch VAS
used over windows instead 4 Two. moreov"r beams
rested over such openings. walls W"r" hilli ont OF
plnmb and bricks laid IN freezing weather.
These and many Other similar detects proc CON
c.usivey that the owner ana contractors ""r" mon
q the most unscrupu.0ls character ana thht thrl
were crimnally negligent IN the c"hm"h"s' re-
II is the opinion Of the jury thar the most efficient
check which could be pace upon pra1,iGeS 81 me
which have lei 20 his d'slairT "0ui he IN, nc's
ing Of all architects. who should hr"t he required I"
undergo a thorough examination as 10 thclr qud.Hl
cations TO pracls" upon which the lives % SO
many people depend
DRASTIC MEASURES NECESSARY
In conclusion II f. opinion. based upon the evi-
d.nco which we have heatd. that tn" building De
| parm ent needs thorough reorganization. The eT-
animation OF plans should be- more thorough and
the district inspectors should he OF different
class from those now employed. Moreover, more
efficient eystem OF supervision ana check should b"
pnt he rossibie for interruptions builders owners
and architects by corrupt!ng the responsible in
spectors 10 violate the law with IMMUNITY
oRMsBY PUT UNDER ARREST.
The verdict was signed by all the jurors.
Mr. Mcintyre then asked the Coroner To issue
a warrant for Inspector Ormsbys arrest.
Abraham Levy. who represented Ormsby. said
his client was in court and was prepared TO
give bail
Il ask" said Mr. Mcintyre that bail be
fixed at $500
Mr. Levy said that he thought $1,000 was suf-
ncient. Mr. Mcintyre. however, insisted, and
Coroner O'Meagher fixed the bail at $500 Mr..
Ormsby's friends, who were In court speedily
supplied the bail.
Superintendent Brady was asked what ne
| thought about the verdict.
Il think" said he. that the verdict is "A
| very sweeping one"
do you think it Is too severe" the reporter
| asked
| Il prefer not to talk about that, said he;
"the jury is the best Judge.
Mr. Mcintyre will lay the verdict Of the