The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-04-04
CALLS FOR AN INQUIRY
No STEPS YET TAKEN IN TNyEsTI-
GATIoN OF INSPECTOR BUNTING.
shaky Buildings Braced Up-Mr. Leo
poId Mayors Further Charges
Against the City Official.

There were nc further steps taken in the
investigation of the office OF Building In
spectOr Bunting yesterday. Mayor Taggart
was out OF town. 1t is understood that in
addition TO an investigation of the charges
Of Leopold Mayer relative TO Mr.. Bunting
having used his influence TO procure a con-
tract as supervising architect for his son
there will be a sweeping Investigation as to
the. collapse OF the Harrison building Fri
day. when a number of women and girls
employed in Knox's . and l0-cent store
luckily escaped death. Mr.. Bunting says
that the Board of Public Works issued a
verbal order permitting the building to
stand until spring, while the record of the
board shows that only such buildings and
walls were permitted to remain as the
building Inspector might allow.
All sorts Of rumors were afioat yesterday
in connection with other buildings in the
immediate vicinity of the Harrison build
ing. which collapsed. 1t was said that
Sloan's drug store building 10 the east had
been ordered closed on account of its dan
gerous condition. This is untrue. Friday
night Mr.. Sloan had a competent architect
place strong timbers on the inside of his
building next the wall adjoining the Knox
building from the basement to the roof, so
lildl II II UidCtu lAIOQ5HOul. oGOA6C W.
Sloan, ir., said last night that there was alb
solutely no danger, as Mr.. Scherrer, the
architect, had pronounced it safe. Since it
was lacked up no harm can come to 1T, even
if the wall next the Knox building falls, as
it must fall outward, leaving the store in
tact.
The building next west Of the vacant lot
where the new Mansur building is to go up
was carefully yesterday by the
building inspector and pronounced in a safe
condition. Yesterday morning some quak-
ing was felt on the upper floor of the build
ing and a crack was visible on the outside.
The building was braced with long poles
leaning from the excavation at the east.
falling of the Knox building caused the
precautionary steps 10 be taken.
Leopold Mayer yesterday explained
further his charges against Building In
spector Bunting. He says that the trouble
first began between himself and his brother
in-law, Adolph Kahn. Kahn owns the
building at 24S and go West Washington
street. To the east of this building Is the
building owned by Mayer, numbered 24 and
246. Mayer says hat he wanted to make
some improvements in his building several
weeks ago, the principal improvement being
the building of a new front. This was done
and then il was noticed that the west wall
was not true. 1t leaned outward about ten
inches at the top. The attention of the
building inspector was called to this and the
wall was ordered torn down.
Inc Mayer DulIQlllS Is TWO SUITES ulSHs
The Kahn building is q two-story frame.
The beams supporting the first floor or the
Kahn building were supported In the wall
of the Mayer building. In fact. the west
wall of the Mayer building served as the
east wall for the Kahn building. Mr.. mayer
says he proposed TO his brother-in-law that
a joint wall be erected. but that Mr.. Kahn
refused TO bear any portion or the expense;
Mr.. Mayer then went ahead, he says, and
put up a new wall as required by the build
ing inspector and cut off the Joists OF the
Kahn floor, leaving that building without
support. Mr.. Mayer says that he at first
expected TO tear down the entire rear part
of mis- building under the pro-
ceedings, but arranged with the building
inspector to escape with building a new
wall, the building inspectors son TO De en-
ployed as the architect. Mr.. Mayer says ne
had no need for an architect, but employed
George w. Bunting, jr., thinking 1t would
be cheaper to pay an arch1tect than 10 tear
out the entire building. When Mr.. Mayer
informed Mr.. Kreitlein that he was about
business room Mr.. Kreitlein had some
go into the basement or his build
ing and temporarily support the floor: Mr..
Mayer and Mr.. Kreitlein say that the Dulld-
ing inspector informed Mr.. Kahn that he
would nave to build a side wall extending
from the foundation up to the second floor.
According TO the building ordinance the
foundation wall up to the first floor OF such
q building would have TO be eighteen inches
thick. and for the first floor "A twelve-inch
was employed as architect for this small bit
OF work. and the result is that the wall eX-
tends only as far as the floor OF the first
story and is only nine inches thick. Above
the first floor a girder was placed In to sup
port the upper floor and n wooden covering
was nailed on TO the very thin scantling
which make the strength of the east wall
of the Kahn building.