Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-09-27


of Washington.
ed and he knew that Linthicum also work
| ed there that day.
| Lieut.. SeveIrs Testimony.
Lieut.. John Stephen Sewell in charge of
| the construction of the building. was sworn.
| and he testified that the defendant. Frank
NJ. McVaugh, Is employed as superin-
| tendent for the Phoenix Iron Company.
Witness produced letters he had received
| from the Phoenix company to show that
Mr.. McVaugh is foreman. The building,
| he said. will become the property of the
government when 1t is accepted. On the
| 18th Of September the building had not
| been accepted.
Witness read from the contract para
graphs to show just what was expected of
| the contractors. Witness is known as
resident engineer" at the building. He
| drew the plans for the building and told of
| his connection with other works. among
| them the Fnrd's Theater building after
| the disaster.
When Mr.. McVaugh was introduced to
| him as superintendent of the work the
work was very much behindhand. and he
| so told the superintendent. He said that
| he regarded 1T a matter of great import
ance to get as much of the work done be-
fore winter as possible, as it's use was
DaQly neeQeu because OF the COnulIlOn OF
the government printing Office. Witness
went into detail about the building and said
he would hate to be held responsible for
the safety Of the H street wing.
A Death Trap.
This testimony proved interesting to
Judge Miller. and Lieut. Sewell, in an
swer to the judges inquiries, denounced
the old building as death trap"
rs the BUILDING in danger now?"
Il think it won't fall today" answered
| Lieut.. Sewell, but every day adds to the
danger"
We've had one instance of it already"
remarked Judge Miller: land you think the
emergency arises here?"
Witness, continuing, said that the danger
to the old building Is due TO the thinness
of the walls and the vibration Of the ma
chinery. In the present building, he says.
every inch of space Is occupied. and when
the present building Is finished as many as
pt ssible of the employees in the old build
ing will be put there.
This old building" said Judge Miller. lis
death-trap. isn't it?"
Yes SIR
I'm. glad to see you so frank about the
NATTER said the Judge. This matter de-
serves more attention than does the charge
against the defendant.
Then you consider the building unsafe
for human habitation?" queried the court.
II do"
HAS the building ever been condemned:"
Il think not, but Col. Wilson reported
that the only way to make it safe is to
tear 1t down.
Witness then went on to tell Of the work
that was necessary in doing some under
pinning about the west wall of the old
building.
Haven't we had Illustration of this kind
OF work here?"
Yes SIR
Crumbling Walls.
Witness said that in the investigation he
and mortar had been destroyed by the vi
bratioH.- The public printer, he said, did
not want this west wall taken out, be-
cause it would interfere with the work,
hut he did move the employees back from
the wall
Witness was then questioned by the court
as to the location of the presses and other
heavy material in the building. The
presses, he said, are on the ground floor,
and If they were on one of the upper
floors he (witness) would not stay in the
building. Witness said that every possible
precaution to prevent the falling of the
building was taken. The presses that We're
stopped for a while, he said. are again rum
ming, and he considers the building as safe
now as 1t ever was.
Judge Miller said that the testimony of
Lieut. Sewell, so frankly told. was an in
tereSting revelation.
II think the condition of the building
shows that there was an emergency from
the very start" the judge said, land in
the interest of humanity think that some
thing should be done, and that should lie
done without delay"
During the examination of witness he
said he thought it impossible to get men
to work six hours q day in order to have
two sets of men. but he found no trouble
in getting men who We're willing to work
more than eight hours.
Judge Miller returned to the question of
the Insecurity of the building in which
several thousand persons employed,
md xx-itn n
imminent danger, and so far as he Is con-
cerned he is satisfied that there exists
such an emergency as requires extra work.
Counsel for the defendant produced sew
eral photographs taken of the building and
exhibited them for the benefit of the
court.
Judge Miller looked at the photographs,
which show the condition of the building.
and a recess was then taken.
Immediate Danger.
After recess Lieut.. Sewell resumed the
stand, and pointed out in the photographs
where there are cracks in the wall, and ex-
planned how, in his opinion, there is an emer-
gency. The brickwork and masonry, he
said, cannot be done until the columns are
adjusted. The delay, he said. was caused by
the contractors, but the present status of the
iIonwork,. he said, prevents the doing of
other work.
The changes in the building by it's occu-
pants, he said, have brought the building
to put in q press there was cast-iron col
umn. in the way, and this column was
moved. When he first made all inspection
of the building he found the superintendent
of the building cutting a hole through the
wall, and this he considered very dangerous,
although the work was successful. 1t, how
ever, necessarily weakened the wall. He
found it necessary to do some wind bracing.
Now, he said, the various alterations had
been made, and strong wind not necessar-
lily hurricane, would strain the steel fast
enirgs beyond their elasticity and would
mean the ultimate collapse of the building.
Time of Finishing.
Questioned by Mr.. Mullowny witness said
he could not use the old wall to support
any more weight than it now holds. as the
steel being used will hold all the weight of
the new structure, and perhaps make the
old party wall little more secure.
Lieut. Sewell said he told Mr.. McVaugh
of the condition of the old building when
ne asked to have more than eight hours
work done in a day.
when do you expect to get the building
ready for occupancy" asked the court
IF the work goes on it has during the
past few days." answered witness, ut will
be year.
Then" said the judge, that means
2,7OO human beings being in terror 1863
days, and If the longer hours are worked
it means that the chances of these people