The record-union., 1897-10-17
Not Only Was the Construction of
the Building Faulty,
But the Work and Material Defective, the
Timhers Being Rotten.
Only Good Fortune That There
Was a Small Audience Present,
Prevented What Might Have
Resulted in One of the Most
Horrible Disasters in Years.

CINCINNATI, Oct 16.-The common
expression to-day with reference to the
disaster at Robinson's Opera house is,
What good fortune it was that the
house had so few people in it"
From a ca;-eful examination, 1t ap-
pears that not only was the construc-
ton of the building faulty, but the
work and the material were defective.
In word, the timbers were rotten.
The walls, which are not more than
eight inches thick, were dry and parch-
ed with age There is a space of ten
feet in the center between the ceiling
and the roof In order to support the
roof and ceiling, trusses were run
across from the west to the east
walls.
There We're four of these trusses. All
were made of wood and We're connected
out of joint by pieces of joist by bolt
holdings. Between these We're joists
of the ordinary kind.
Between the two trusses in the mid
die was hung the dome, nine feet tall,
fifteen feet in diameter and about for
ty-dve feeti n circumference. From
the center of it hung a chandelier, con-
taing forty or fifty incandescent lamps.
The dome was made of heavy timbers
and bolts and nails, but there was no
iron about it's construction.
The space between the ceiling and
the roof might be called an attic, but
it was never used. The only time any
one visited the apartment was to let
down the chandelier, but that has not
been done this year.
After the accident an investigation
showed that the trusses and timbers
holding the dome were rotten. They
had been in use so long that they had
warped and parted. This caused the
bolts and nails to loosen. The entire
construction was thrown out of gear,
and the weight of the dome brought it
down. With it came mortar, bricks
and rafters.
The huge rafters composing the truss
that fell in were as dry as punk, and
the pieces of joist that connected them
were worm eaten and rotten. The
nails and bolts were rusty, and every
thing went to show that the entire part
of The building was in such a danger
Gus condition that it is strange that the
fact had not been discovered long ago.
Another theory advanced to account
for the falling of the dome and trusses
is that the building had been injured
by the jarring of the heavy machinery
of an electric light plant in the neigh
borhood. The high walls had no floor
supports, except such as were used in
constructing the dress circle and ball
comics across the front of the building
opposite the stage.
The walls were not massive. and at
the time the house was built there were
criticisms of the workmanship. Resi-
dents in the naighborhood say their
dwellings are seriously shaken and in
jured by the jarring machinery, and
suits have been brought to recover
damages.
It is argued that these high and not
especially well-built walls have been
injured in this way A lineman who
recently went about the dome, putting
in wires, said the structure shook per-
ceptibly under his movements.
The name of Lucy Cohen was includ-
ed in the list of the dead furnished at
the City Hospital. 1t has been learned
that this was a mistake, growing out
of a mistaken Identification of Mrs.
Kleeuan. The dead man whose iden-
tity was not established last night was
to-day identified by his wife at the
City Hospital. He is Isaac N. Neigh
bors, aged 40, 1874 West Sixth street.
OF the injured at the hospital, Mrs.
Mary Haas, Mrs. A. Scudder and Mrs.
A. G. Weiss are not expected to recov-
er, while Miss Pearl Hall and Mrs.
Kate White are in a critical condition.
Mrs. Lucy Cohen had almost a mirac-
ulous escape, having been made uncon-
scious by the confusion and panic. but
was observed by Mr.. Proncairn. who
rushed in from the outer door and.
grasping the insensible form, bore her
safely to the sidewalk. Her husband.
not knowing where to find her and half
frantic, mistook the dead body of Mrs.
Kleeman for his wife