The morning times., 1896-10-07
Albert Building Inquiry Brings
Out Some Feeling.
EVIDENCE is CONFLICTING
Half Dozen Builders Give Testimony
Which Is Offset by Others-Ques-
tion of Proper Anchorage of the
Walls the Point on Which the Mat
ter Seems to- Rest.


contest has developed, in which the Dis
trict office or building Inspector comes i'll
for censure, with tie possibility that the
District may be called on to pay dana gcs.
For this reason Mr. Thomas made Il
vigorous fight 10 show that the accident
was not the result of negligence, but was
unavailable by reason of the tremendous
force of the storm. With him were Mr..
bert. owner of the building No. 12ll
Peunsy ylvania avenue, whose west wal fell
upon BeaLty's and kelly's and left them IN
ruins: Mr.. Brown. arChItect'for MI. Abert,
Building inspector Brady. Assistant lnspcc-
tor King and :, humber of others TN the
other side We're Mr.. Beatty, Mr.. Frank
Finley. Treasury Expert berlc, Architect
james Henderson, Builder john ii. Howielt
and Others.
Messrs Henry E Davis and C. A. Bran-
tienburg. representing Mr.. Finley and Mr..
Beatty. were present at the beginning OF
the inquest but retired upon Objection by
Architect Brown supported by Mr.. I Thomas.
Messrs. Eeatty ard Finley stood their
ground and Mr. Beatty took Il large part
i'll the Questioning. Ate! MI Thomas had
worried Builder Huwlett unmercifully ard
asked E j. Brown. the young contractor,
whether Mr.. Eeatty did not still owe him
fer work. Mr. Beatty blazed forth in a
protest against such a way of conducting
The examination. Mr. ThOnias said he
was asking proper questions.
MR.. BEATTY WAS INDIGNANT.
You are insnuatins that Mr. Brown
would testify falsely because i owe hin!
and he is interested to see me get in
deunity for my loss. 1t isn't right, and
l can upon the coroner for protection
One OF the Jurors spoke up, saying 1t
was not fair tu the witnesses. Mr. Thomas
after this modified ms IN lalrics In marked
degree. He abandoned the vein or s.,r-
CdSnl whiCn had clara acteriZed ms cNani-
nation Gr witnesses for an hour and a half
CORNER Hammctt conducted the inquest
II began at / Il. III. and continued without
Il moments recess To 3 30 y. IN. DR.
Eamimet. then adjourned till : p. IN. to-
day. The jury Will u.et prior 10 that
time to inspect the wrecked building for
themselves.
MeSsrs y Dcrt, Brown. Contractors Cisscll,
CUrbe;t, Schneider, M. Beatty Mclaughlin,
Emmert Harvey and SnlitiImyer Were cX-
amined UP to 3 p. IN. At that hour Mr..
John u. WUwlett, the builder, was on the
sta nj.
Nj. Hewlett said his statement that the
western wall OF the Albert building was
built on a old, insecure wall OF tir.
Realty buiiD nr was based upon a mistak.
as TO the exact character of the wall he
was locking at. He still thought, how
ever, that the wall was Insecure.
Mr.. Hewlett said he knew Messrs. Cisscil
Brown, Corbett and others interested in
the work and regarded them as honorable
men. When he said there seemed To be n
disposition To suppress the true state OF
facts in the case he did not refer To these
men. He WAS vexed by the difficulty he
had in getting an opportunity To see the
building. and he made the statement with.
out having auy particular persons in mind.
He talked with the policeman, Mr.. Pear
son, Mr.. Henderson, and others and could
get no satisfaction. He concluded that
there must be some effort To- keep the thing
quiet. He did not refer To the building
inspectors office.
He gave instances OF contractors who
failed to put in anchors when the plans
called for them. lie had made them take
down the wall and put them in.
Mr.. Thomas questioned Mr.. Hewlett a
great length and very closely. The same
questions We're put over and over in slight
ly changed form without producing mucl
result
EFFECT OF FORMER STORMS.
Mr.. Hewlett said he had lived here fifty
wears He had known two other storms
about a Dail.
. Mr.. Thomas askel if the two storms Were
as destructive us this. Mr.. Hewlett SAFE
not He went To- sleep, however, while
this was III progress.
How could Il nan SO phlegmatic as
that become So eXC->--. next day?' asked
Mr.. Thomas S;irCastically.
Mr.. Hewlett, answering other ques
tons, said his son had been, employed by
Mr. Beatty. He was now out OF work, hu
was seeking employment at the saloor
again. He had advised the boy not to re
turn to the business.
Albert Gleason was called, and said ht
was not an expert builder He was ashc'
il it could lie his brother Andrew who Wa.
meant He thought not, Andrew hld don,
less building than he had.
Mr. Langley, OF the jury, then sug
gested tina, it was O'Clock, and asSet
if it was the purpose to complete th,
Investigation today. The jury was tire,
aud hungry. Mr.. Thomas said they wer'
about done; but Mr.. Beatty, when aske,
| hy the coroner, said he had submitted tn,
names ora number ofother witnesses, whom
| he would like TO have examined.
Mr.. L. j. Brown. for thirteen years
| contractor witt his father. said he had la,
much experience lD building. and Will
not an expert hricklayer. had tcmpere,
mortar, carried 4 nod. and laid brick
He considered the brick work on ti.
Albert building very bad. 1t was no
| properly tied. and the mortar was Yer,
| poor. He ha a sample Of the mort ,r. w hicl
| he took from hrick on the fourth foo
| of the ALERT building.
He said it had nothing hut sand and lin,
] in it. mostly sand; there. was no cement
| He knew Mr. CiSSell. the brick contractor
| and had heard him spoken Of very highly
/ Nevertheless, even if Mr. CisseIl sal.
| the mortar had cement in it, lie though
there was only sand and lime.
Mr.. Brown. in answer to Il question a.
| Mr.. Thomas. said he had been employed b,
Mr.. Beatty To put in the front OF the Beatt,
building.
HAS he paid you for bis work." aske,
Mr.. Thomas.
Yes" was the reply. THAT was som,
tine ago I was in PENNSYLVANIA at TIN
timc of the Storm
Then it was Mr. Beatty protested tha
| such questions W ere uncalled for and who'll
unfair. He did not intend to submit t
them IL he could help 1t.
OTHER EXPERT TESTIMONY.
William II. Oliver, all inspector at th
new pOstoffice, said he had been "a fire.
| man" at his trade for twenty-eight years
He is a bricklaycr and had built 800
buildings In Baltimore. Hewent over an,
locked at the building on the morning afte
| the storm and he saw no anchors in tn
| beams. If the building had been anchOre
| the bolts certainly must have been ther
| still when he examined the ruin
He could see no reason why anybod,
| should have taken the bolts away tina
time in the morning. There had been n
repairs or changes made at that time II
| noticed the lack of anchorage because MI
| Otto Simonton OF the Treasury Department
| called his attention to it. He said tn
| work was not properly done. He did nc
know the building regulations here, bu