The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-09-18
BUILDING HUMBLES;; 7 HURT.
BAD BRICKS AND POOR MORTAR
THE TROUBLE, POLICE SAY.
Half OF an Unnnlshed Six. Story Tene-
ment Caves In While Workmen Are
NJ Dinner--FOur Arrests Made-Fire-
men Praise DR.. Emily Dunnlng.

~ Ulnnef-tOur ATTeetS N6uV-Ehe-
men Praise DR.. Emily Dunnins.
A six story double tenement house which
was nearing completion on the northeast
corner of Madison and Rutgers streets
caved in yesterday between IL and o'clock,
when the fifteen workmen were eating
their dinner pail meal in the basement
and on the street floor. Seven OF them
were injured, but none fatally.
There were four arrests. The prisoners
we're Benjamin Rubinsten, the owner, who
was experimenting the construction; Frank
Becher of New Rochelle the general fore
man; Philip Jacobson OF 1891 First avenue,
assistant foreman, and Appolino Calabrosa
Of % Chrystie street, the mortar mixer.
The last named was arrested after the
police had made up their minds that the
bricks had been laid without reasonable
amount of mortar.
Fully one half Of the building fell. and
both Rutgers and Madison streets we're
blocked with heaps Of brick and broken
floor beams The Madison street cars
were held up all the afternoon.
II was the front Of the building that
fell. and scores OF floor beams shot
end down into the street, remaining in
slantinp position as a sort Of shield for the
men caught In the wreck. Nobody was
actually buried. but the firemen who were
called had two hours Of work saving away
timbers and digging out masonry before
the last man was rescued. This work
was done at the risk Of their own lives, be-
cause the partition wall still standing and
holding up the rear half OF the building
had bad bulge and there was danger OF
the rest OF the building collapsing.
DR.. Emily Dunning Of Gouverneur Hos
pital had three patients as her share OF
the seven victims and she went into the
wrecked building to superintend their
removal.
Just say for me-" will you, said Assist
ant Foreman Fitzgerald of the hook and
ladder company, that that little woman
ambulance doctor is corker. She's az
nervy as a man and twice as quick at doing
the right thing
| Inspector Schmittberger and Capt
Hold gkin of the Madison street station were
in command Of the police. They both
said that the building had not been prop
erly constructed and called attention TO a
lot Of broken bricks in the wreckage that
had precious little mortar on them.
And what mortar there is" said
Detectives Howe and McGee, who made
the arrests, isn't any good. We have
scooped up a poxful Of it for evidence.
It's Just a lot Of sand.
Another critic Of the construction was
Heary Kempel of sOe East Sixtieth street
a bricklayer. He said that he had had a
lob on the building, but left three weeks
AGO. because he didn't like the way the
work was being done.
"The mortar's all right he said, "but
the brick isn't TT to build country road
with. They would run up ten or fifteen
courses without putting in any good whole
bricks for headers to bind the wall,
threw up the job to save my life"
Greenblat 4 Weinstein, the contractors
who are furnishing Rubinsten the money
for his building venture, said that the bes
of materials had been used. Rubinster
said the same thing.
Supt Thompson OF the Bureau of Build
in "a, Assistant Superintendent Jordan anc
the bureau inspectors who examined ths
wrcckage all declared that the mortar
and bricks were good and that the worl
had been inspected and found to be ac
cording to specifications.
MY opinion u.s." said Supt. Thompson
that the corner pier settled, letting tn,
whole thing cave This is sandy soil her.
and there may have been a cavern as TIN.
result of the rain yesterday and to-day
The mortar Of course, was green, and that
too, may have been affected by the rain
Moreover the structure may have beer
weakened by yesterdays gale"
Assistant District Attorney Garvar
vent to the wrecked building in the after
noon and heard a lot OF contradiction,
reports as to the quality Of the morta
, and the thoroughness OF the work HI
will have experts examine the place to-day
The four prisoners were arraigned befor
Magistrate Flammer in the Essex Marke
police court. Becher was held in 81 50
, bail and the others We're paroled unit
tLnrs. Ill L.