The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-03-29
AcCIDrNrs AND THEIR LESSON.

York q few days ago Is at least caus- ing much comment, and bringing out some exposures that may do good. It has also brought out some reminis- cences that should not be forgotten. Ons of these relates to contractor named Buddensiek. about twenty years ago, who used such poor materials and fiimsy workmanship. and srch undue haste that one of his buildings col lapsed while in course of construction and several of his workmen were kill ed. He was tried for manslaughter, convicted and sent to prison. and the justice of his punishment cannot be disputed. Another case is mentioned by The New York Tribune as having occurred only about one year ago. In that case the steel frame of an eleven story building collapsed when nearing completion and number of employees were injured some of them fatally. Naturally. there followed much excite- ment and some investigation, but there Is no record that any one was punish ed, although the accident was plainly due to faulty material or workman- ship.
 That incident shows that there has denseik was punished, but at all events the more recent Incidents are bringing out facts which point plainly to the cause of the accidents, and just as plainly to the continual danger in the future If present methods are adhered to. We are told by The Brooklyn Eagle that one of the inspectors who made daily examination of one of the buildings said that he had caught the l workmen laying bricks without any mortar at all. It is also in evidence that frozen mortar was used, or bricks laid in mortar that froze as fast as it was put down. The natural conse- quence was that when a sudden thaw set in the work gave way and the building fell to pieces. All this was criminal carelessness. and in the words of The New York Mail:
 Every ruined heap of bricks and lath Is a monument to the inefficiency of the Building Department. With proper inspection the hurried, dishon- est work would have been impossible. building, crumbled down into dust before it is completed. is an indict- | ment of the department that is sup | posed to inspect it which cannot be explained away. The ruins remain and stultify official excuses"
 The Brooklyn Eagle makes this sig nifcant comment:
 When we contrast the brick building | of last year with the wooden house .of l 150 years ago we are filled with aston | ishment at the f1imsiness of the one and soundness of the other. Something, | to be sure, must be allowed for the change in conditions, and for the con- | stant increase in population that de- mands housing at all hazards. The six story house of brick is naturally more liable to collapse than the two story house of wood unless there is a | strengthening of materials proportion ate to the increase of size, since the tenement imposes more weight on its | foundations than does the single dwell- ing. But in practically al of the old houses we find not so much of an architectural as ,s moral difference The revolutionary relics that are stiii | in use in this city are made of sea- soned wood with stout foundations, tight roofs. well laid chimneys. and If any jerry work Is discovered in them 1it3s iu recent additions. t I These are facts that The Advertiser has more than once called attention to. There may be some ground for the claim that workmen cannot now get lumber which is as durable as was that which was used century or more ago. and that in consequence houses built of wood do not stand as long as did those then built. but we suspect that the speedy decay of modern framed houses Is partly due to the to the fact that such as is seasoned is dried too hurriedly and partly to the further fact that the work is hur- ried forward too much.
 But whether any of the claims are or are not good. especially the one about inferior timber. 1t certainly does not apply to brick buildings. As good material for making bricks can now be obtained as could be obtained in the past, and as good brick can be made now as could ever be made. The same Is true of the mortar. and we suppose no one will claim that there are not as competent masons now as ever. In short, it all comes down to the point where the admission Is bound to be made that the fault is in the methods and in the carelessness or incom- potency of those whose duty 1t is tc supervise the erection of buildings The natural result is falling houses and human lives lost.
 And while we are on the subject we notice that the collapsing tenement
 flats has again called the attention of the authorities to unsafe theatre buildings in New York. and the state ment is made that after due inspection it is found that of ffty-eight play houses inspected by the Board of Un- derwriters no less than thirty-fve were found to be n0n-fireproof. What. if anything, will be done about 1t we can not say. but possibly the matter will be allowed to rest until there may be repetition of the Iroquois affair, and then there will be some action taken looking to the protection and preserva- ton of human life. That nothing will be done is hardly to be believed, but in the light of the recent past one need