New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-08-22
THE BUILDING DISASTER.
MR.. IRELAND AND EX-INSPECTOR
BUCKLEY IN COURT.
SvoRKMEN OBSERVED SIGNS OF DANGER in
sTEAMPIPEs AND PLAsTERlNG-THE CESS
POOL AND THE CHANGE IN THE

General Sessions where Coroner FITZPATRICK 10 ho'u
ing the inquest IN the of the sixteen workmeh
who were killed in the collapse OF the Ireland ouu
ing at West Broadway and West Third-st DENNIS
T. Buckley. ex-nspector of buildings. for whose ar
rest a warrant was issued by the coroner ean' '
court just before the proceedings pesa''
moments later John Il. lre.anu' 'he o"'e' " ~
fallen building came In.
The first witness was Albert Dunn OF No 5U2 west
FYfty-ninth-st who worked in the Ireland ou'iuins
from May 81 to August g. and was III ciiaie , e
nod hoist. Dunn said he was on Inc seoo"' "o ~.
when the collapse occurred ''Ihe n'acn'"e e ~
Of Numb" said Dunn. "and was bracing the ways
irving TO get the hod hoist in running condi''oh'
Suddenly heard the ways crack anu "oN'.,'
later there was another crack. ana the gruer q" '
third floor came down with n crash
..Whcro were YOU standing when the grder came
dovnor was asked IL wasn't standing. said Dunn
81 was running hard as | could toward west
Thlrd-st" There was laugh at TINS
In ,enlv 10 Mr. Hitchings who represented Joseph
Guder the witness said the hoist was abe 10 CARY
.ix holds but there were never more than three hous
placed H. 49,, ,,,
"yas there any weight around the glrder that
,eu7', asked Mr. Mcintyre. II don't think tnere
was" replled the witness. Dunn denied tha' ne hau
ever said his machine stopped because OF the s'ss"s
OF the floors. $500,
Garry who excavated the cellar, testified he was
foreman for part Of the time while the cellar was
being excavated. ,.., 49,,
"At what time did you find the cesspoolY ask'u
Mr. MCINTYRE AS Ear as can recollect doh
,emomber finding any cesspOol, faid the witness
Mr. mcintyre 'r'Vu 10 ''h W., aoi h,, r,hov conld
ness 20 the finding OF cerFpoo p"' ''' ,,.',
not remember seeing cesspoo' % ,'.'," na'',,'
abe excavation lie couu no' ''".'',", ,. ,na,
- which they dus' nn' i'''"'''' - ,,.
were told 60 stop digging III "ru'r ""' wv '
tIon OF the depth might be settled
stispICIOt'S RAGIING or 4 sTEANPlPE
,,,,, ,,o,,.u a steamntter who lives IN Ruth
.r,o,a n l. testified that he worked In the build
sny the day Of the collapse "rwice before the col
sapse occurred" said he II noticed that the man
s,es,nplpe which / had put I'm the cellar had
..vped The witness said that the pipe was hang-
ing from the ceiling. belng suspended on has''7'
and that on two occasions ne observed thnt there
was a crap or downward curve on the pipe. Far
rcn said corrected this curve on the T"'S'"y ne
fore the collapse. .
How much had the pipe sassedf "rh'a MI W..
1nt,fc About nve-clyhths OF an n'h ""' '"'
reply. ,o,,,nn
The testimony OF this witness m'd' P'o''""'
Impression.
nrrrcTs ~ A CEILING
49,, a.. .c,,, ..,.,,hs, a
james h'ru' OF NO '' W. '''' 'o,,,o,, -, the
phSterer' teSthed 'h"t Tic M"H VIM" 1 ,, 81
''s"'" "'o' Wv ""' ~ 49,, a,a,,c. fran, the
saw water hrS' m"",,s ~, o on, door and
roof 'he" ,'" .hh carried the floor
,he" am VI. .atd hs iid no, see anv crack
-, ~. ill., nm, NAT one of the laborers on the
ooor soi1 - The nlasterers: you fellows ought to
do your work better-yoC are leaving cracks aiter
you"
.Did Won look TO see II there crack In the
plaster?' was asked. "No. sir, replied Bird lhe
man that said il always joking and we thoush'
Il was a Joke and paid attention TO what he
said His name Savage. He was the only man
on our moor me- 49, the witness said
Bird said that the day before the collapse he no
.,csd that there was sag in the ceiling THE sag
Noeu ,"o' 'e'S We" 80 " , . I'D 81
must have been nine OF ten incnes' anu ". w W
s,oon on the scafrod when working, the ceiling was
- n.ar our heads told nv partner that It
80 No. and - GOT on, OF il as quickly as
.rsn a,,nass cou,d NOT saw whether the roof was
not constructed sloping' or wnether 'hat "ou'u ac-
count for the sag he described. .., y.
EA.inspeo'oi pue" -. r,o.Oo' h,s oornse, oh
Tore ne was BueH~r sens called upon testify at
The present time.
Mr.. Buckley said coroner fl']pa'r'cA, nse'
not answer questions that may degrade or incr'ml-
.,a,o. r,s,,c, ,,tornev NcIntvre asked that
AssiS'an. r h,', NJ T,errev sngges,ed
that the examination of Buckley be postponed until
This morning
Will you be present to-morro" morning. III
Buckley" asked the Coroner Il gave you my word
that VIII, rep'ea DU'"'e'' anu "'' 'N''''''''''"
was
<r,,r rxc,v,rrOvc Avn THE CONCRETE
'"i@
Thomas Murray foreman mason for John H. Par
-. ,old ~ the construction of the piers OF the col
1apsed building The witness denied that he had
given instructions 10 JOSEF" "a'i9' '"e '"'o''
in regard TO the dep'h ne shouiu us' "' MY"
there was d oesspoo'' ou' ''' "'' " ' '
A. lie nrst sa" the m The r,ncrst INN an
The cesspooD The ground was dry when the
crete was put In, and the soil was undisturbed. -
Nv nat ana Nj Tai NJ. say aoous sIIe ~
Al don't know that ne said anything ABOUT the
CesspoOl | didn't tell MN ABOUT H.
Q-Was the building Inspector there' A-1es,
Mr.. Buckley came every other day.
Q-Wasn't the cesspool exposed when MT BUCK
ley came around. ana DIDN'T he see Il! Al can
see how he could fail to see It. saw 1t when
went Into the cellar
Inc witness sa.u 'nvls was '"''' "N"'' "a VII