Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-01-02
AGAINST CHATFIELD
Safely Board Committee Finds He Broke Law.

Barring the mayor and Commis. sioner Andrews, the board of safety was fully present yesterday when t was called to order by Commissioner Minor to hear the final report. on the complaint of the building organisa- tions against Building Inspector Chatfield.
 The following is a copy of the full report:
 Waterbury, Jan. 1, 1908.
 The undersigned having been ap- pointed committee to investigate complaints concerning certain acci- dents in the faulty construction of the following buildings, to wit.
 The collapse of the building in South Leonard street, the falling of portion of the wall of the LiIley, Swift & Company building, the all leged faulty construction of the new freight station of the New York, New Haven & Hartford railroad company, of the building belonging to the Wa terbury Paper Box company, and of a certain building on Columbia boule- ward, beg leave to report as follows:
 I. Having examined under oath various witnesses in the matter of the last four subjects of investigation, we find no evidence of any negligence on the part of any person or persons in relation thereto.
 2. In the matter of the collapse of the building on South Leonard street. having examined under oath the building inspector of the city of Wa terbury, and various witnesses who had worked on the buildings, or were familiar with the work, we believe from the evidence submitted that the following were substantially the facts in relation thereto:
 On the Sth day of October. 1907, one James Costello filed an applica- tion for a building permit, which ap- plication is hereto attached In ac- cordance with said application and plans and specifications filed there with, a permit was issued by the building inspector.
 Under Section 3f of the Building Ordinance are the following sub-sec- tions:
 (a) All brick walls of dwelling
 houses not exceeding fifteen feet
 in height shall not be less than
 eight (S) inches thick
 (b) All brick walls of dwelling
 houses more than fifteen feet in
 height and not exceeding fifty feet
 in height shall be not less than
 twelve CPD inches thick.
 The application shows that the building in question was to have walls twenty-one feet above grade, was to be occupied as two family dwelling house, and that the walls were to be 8 inches and 12 inches thick, both on the first and second stories. According to the testimony practically all of the walls were built only inches thick.
 3. We further find that wet or frozen brick and mortar not properly prepared in accordance with the Building Ordinance were used in the construction of this building, and that the fact that such brick were being used was known to the build- ing inspector; that he told the build CT about one week before the collapse of the building that the brick was improper, but made no further effort to stop their use, and did not visit the premises in question again until after the collapse. about week af- ter he had given the builder such mo- tice.
 4. We are of the opinion that the permit issued to James Costello on his application of October Sth. was an unlawful one, in that 1t empow- cred him to erect brick structure 21 feet high with wall less than 12 inches thick. in violation of Section 31 of the Building Ordinance. and that the building inspector violated the ordinance in issuing such permit and that said Costello also violated said ordinance in erecting said build ing; and we are further of the opin- ion that the building inspector failed to properly inspect the building in question, and was negligent in failing to again visit said building after his discovery that improper material was being used in the construction of the same, and in failing to see that his instructions for the use of other and haffar material uarQ rarriad 0rtf