The evening times., 1896-10-06
BEATTY BUILDING inquest
Continued from First Page.

way that was unexpected to him. The
| effect exhibited indicated strain of
| 22,0o0 pounds. lie would have expected
| the brick wall TO give way rather than
the iron bolt.
Mr.. Brown then gave his theory OF the
| accident. He said he thought it was Dot
| the direct force of the wind that caused
| the wall to fan. He believed that a
| vacuum had been formed over the build
| ings ON the west, forming n suction. The
/ air on the insi lie rf the building expanded
and burst tbe wall outward. 1t fiade
| little difference whether the windows were
open or the wind blew in at them.
As Il matter OF fact the bagging was scat
tered over the debris, showing that the
windows We're closed by it that night.
THE THEORY.
The report OF the Weather Bureau, show
ing a velocity of sixty six tn eighty miles an
hour. was submitted. Mr. Brown remarked
tnat ih- rate OF the wind bore no special
relation TO the damage done If his theory
was correct. The vacuum formed On the
west OF the building would create an ex-
pansive fore. from the air inside the build
ing, many times greater than the power
of any wind. This pressure would run p
To 1000 pounds to the square foot.
In reply to Mr.. Thomas, he said he had
no special theory to explain the fact TINT
the east wall remained. 1t simply seemed
to stand the pressure. OF course, with a
vacuum beyond the west wall, the force
against The east wa!l woIld not De nearly SO
great against the west wall
Mr.. brown explained the difference be-
tween The anchors used and the star anchor.
Tie said they were five or six times as
strong as the star. He had n line put
across the wall at one time and he found
ii was ont Of line, not out of plumb. about
two inches in | 90 feet.
Mt David T. Cissel, the brick contractor
on the building, said he had been here
forty years az bTicklayer. The building
WAS constructed properly, the anchors were
put in firmly and were amply strong. He
explained how the anchors were putin.
Mr.. Cissel said he WAS almost Continu-
ousiy at he building during its Construc-
ton. lie had seen that the plans were
olowed strictly. The storm was such as
lie had never seen here. Buildings that
he knew had been solidly constructed had
gone down like a chicten under Il ba wk -
The wind seemed TO go like Il sii OF out OF a
gun.
He noticed the baEgnG out of the win
dowS when he passed some days later, but
could not be sure about it.
The wall he considered a green wall. He
Thought a new wall remained green for a
year after it was built.
a mortar made of ordinary mortar with
cement. He told his men not Ia spare the
cement; quarreied with them To make them
use it; also he said. he put in an abundanceof
lime, too much OF it. IN fact.
Would that make the mortar weaker"
asked Mr.. Thomas.
No: stronger" WAS the reply.
THE BRICKwoRK.
Mr.. George W. Corbett, WHO had the con-
tract ror wOodwo ork on the Alert building,
said Ec had contracted for hrickwork Oh
buildings here. He considered the brick
work very good. The anchors Were Ger
tainly i'll place and apparently surfi-
cicnUly strong. He had noticed the building
on the evening OF the storm. The bagGing
had been IefG ont OF the windows on some
evenings and he had warmed Mr. Ahertthat
the windows must be Kept stopped, as the
rain would wet his floors The next III orn-
ing the bagging was torn from the windows
in shreds and scattered all over the build
ing.
In answer to Mr.. Thomas he said he had
lived here all his life: never saw such a
STORM nor dreamed ii possible.
where were you the n g-iI OF the Storm
In my bedroom"
You were not asleep, were you?''
There was a smile about the room, but Mr..
Corbett answered. cravely.' II was not"
He told ho W the wind shook ms house, car
RED away his chimney and alarmed his
family.
He could not compare the plans aud speci-
fic;ltionS for the Albert building with the
building regulations unless he had the book
but he thought the work was all first
class.
Charles Schneider of the iron works at
Twelfth aud Ohio avenue. said he furnished
The iron for this building. He had had coll
siderable experience in that line. and WAS
familiar with buildings and brick work.
He knew The anchors had been put in the
Albert building. They were such as are
usually employed her
The whole work he considered a very good
lob. lie explained the details of the iron
work. and said it was carefully and salts
factorily done.
Charles l. Beatty was then called Il gain
He said he was engaged in the wholesale
and retail liquor business next door to the
\ bert huiiding and saw the work Of con
struction going on nearly every day.
He told how the storm came on He
Went to the cellar, as the wind was blow
ing furiOusiy, and SAW his brother down
there He asked what he was doing and
wa : told that a brick had come through the
tranSom into his room, and there was lot
of glass fallen on the floor, and he thought
he ought not to stay up there.
Two gentlemen came in and told him
something was heing carried away, and
when he sent his brother down to get
some nails the crash came. lie did not
think any injury had been done ~ his
building up TO the falling OF the Albert
wall.
MR. BEATTY ON THE STAND.
He said he was not a building expert,
but he knew and was prepared to prove
that the Albert building was not put up
ha y
the District
The regulations called for anchors every
10 feet. but the anchors in this structure
were only put every % feet and inches
Also. the ends Of the leans. according to
the regulations, should rest on iron plates
The beams IN the building were not
put on iron plates, but on Mortar Fur