The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-03-20
BUILDINGS FALL WITH THGW,
-FOUR IN FOUR PARTS or CITY
WRECRED-NO ONE HURT.

Another BundlnE GOes-Ons Crash
Preceded by Collapse Of Floor Beams
Four buildings in four parts OF Manhattan
aud The Bronx were wrecked yesterday
and the building inspectors offered the MID
weather as the cause, explaining that the
foundations had settled with the tina " OF that
mortar which froze when put on had soft
ened with the change in the temperature
In each case the building was unfinished,
but not far from completion, and all will
probably have TO bsrebuilt In three the
walls fell suddenly, but In one it had been
noticed earlier in the day that beams were
Tagging, and IL was under the direction Of tie
Building Department when the crash came
Almost the entire rear extension OF six
story brick double fiat house on the north
side Of West l3jth street just east OF Lenov
avenue collapsed at O'Clock yesterday
forenoon. There was no one 10 the building
at the time, but there we're more than two
dozen pedestrians passing along the street
and two trolley cars directly in front.
People nearby were frightened at ths
noise, which they thought at first wus due
to the explosion OF the boiler Of hosting
engine.
The house was one Of six being built
by Palmer h Hogan, who have an ofio'
In East New York. The owners Of the build
ing the building inspectors said are Copper
4 Whitney,
The six houses are connected and
extend from Ienox avenue nearly half
way 10 Fifth. The workmen were in thu
ffth story Of the fourth house on Saturday.
The walls, all OF brick, fell in toward
each other, carrying all the timbers and
| framework in one big heap TO the cellar
| More than two hundred laborers have been
employed on the building and the majority
OF them were working on the part that
| fell.
The building was begun In December and
| the work has been rushed since that time.
Building Inspector Robert Aud Of the
| Thlrty-seventh district said yesterday that
! the only explanation he could give was
! that the frost had gone out OF the ground
under the foundation and the walls had
sottled so that they toppled over.
! Asked about the construction OF the
! building. the inspector said that he was
willing 10 have any investigation made az
! to the character OF the bricks OF mortar
! used and the method in which the walls
| had been put up He said the foundation
walls extended IL feet below the curb and
were built up on concrete.
Il have inspected the building every
| day since u was started said Aud, and
have never noticed a flaw in the material
used, nor q sign Of osrelessness on tho
part Of the worlunen. The building was
| perfectly sound until this morning, | am
| positive .-
\ me ground In that section OF Harlem
| Is sandy to a considerable depth. Not ten
| feet from the rear wall Of the building
| that fell was a deep hole where sand had
| been excavated and used in the mortar
! for the building il was said that Il had
been done contrary TO the advice OF the
foreman OF the building.
The inspector said that nearly all that
remained Of the house would have to be
torn down and reconstructed. Some OF
the walls in the house adjoining we're much
out Of plumb yesterday. and crowds stood
gazing in anticipation Of another crash.
No arrests we're made
One Of the rear corners Of a six story,
brick, double fat house. being built by
Samuel D. Davis at 1924 and 1929 Lexington
avenue, at the northwest corner Of Eighty
eighth street, collapsed at o'clock yes
terday afternoon. Almost a quarter OF
the entire building was piled In ruins in
the cellar The building was started last
December. II fronts on Lexington avenue
and extends nearly half the distance from
Eghty-eighth TO Eghty-ninth street The
workmen were putting on the tin roof
Saturday
Two painters were working In the build
ing at the time. but escaped unhurt. They
were locked up later in the East Eighty
eighth street station, charged with Vio-
lating the Sunday law. Cornelius Hayes OF
7is Fast Eighty-ffth street, the Waterman
OF the building. was also arrested as q sus-
picious person, but was bailed out
Inspector Peter Robb, who had charge
Of the job. would give no explanation Of
the cause Of the collapse, but referred all
10 Chief Inspector Bernard j. German.
German visited the place in the afternoon.
but could not be found in the evening.
Inspector N. j. Reville. who was present,
| said that he believed that the accident
was caused by the loossning OF the ground
and walls by the thaw.
Mr.. Reville said further that he had
come 20 the conclusion that many OF the
workmen employed in buildings in the
city could not be trusted. @On other jobs
he said Il have often caught them putting
In brick without mortar
IN EASl lbbtu blIbolt lust odsS VI boaeon
road The Bronx. the entire wall on one
side Of an airshaft In a FIVE story brick
Cat house collapsed with a crash at Q O'Clock
last night No one was hurt and thers
were no arrests.
The fat house where the wallfeu is one of
three going up In a row. The walls are up
and the roof nearly completed. The three
buildings front I2S feet on i6Sth street. and
run back i0s feet.
The wall that fell formed ono side Of
the airshaft bstween the fat nearest Boston
road and the next Cat east. Another big
fat Ia being built on the corner. There IA
| a twenty foot space between the two.
Tho only person around when the wall
fell vas Peter Benberg. the Waterman.
who was In his shanty on the street. Tho
crash was heard for blocks around and
brought hundreds Of persons 10 the streets.
BrenberE ran TO Boston road. who're he
met Policeman ZAnkel Of the MoTisana
station. Tho policeman hurried TO the
station houss and got half q dozen morn
men. They went TO tho building and saw
th,f 49, ,roNwd lraut ont of tha WaV. Tha