Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury [Connecticut]) 1903-1917, 1908-02-08
CHATFIELD CASE
Building Mover DlDgwell Said
SilIs and JoIsls We're Rotten.


sumed to-day before the board OF
safety and Mayor Thoms in the SUI
perior court room. Every seat IN
the room was occupied and the
board sat on the judges bench.
Nelson M. Dingwell the house mover
was the first witness, ana the
strongest against Mr. Chatheld OF an
that have been heard SO far. AFTER
Mr. Dingwell told Of how the bulld-
ing on rarm street stood on It's Old
foundation and how 1t was to STAND
on its new, he said the cellar was
seven feet deep and about forty feet
in area. The stills were in rotten
condition, at least quite q Few OF
them, and many of the joists were
! rotten too. Some of the posts which
supported the moor We're old rail-
\ road ties, and some Of them belong
ed to himself, and were used by him
I, in his business. One post was notn-
fng more than the shaft OF cart.
IThe main post on which depended
the safety of the building on one
tide was nothing but an old railroad
lie which Dingwell had been using
on the job. 1t was his impression
that these posts were put in by men
employed by Andrew j Kenneally,
the one which collapsed, bringing
down the floor with it was put In by
Truman Buell. laborer for Ken
neally.
il Mr. Dingwell said he did not con-
psider this post a safe one, but - was
u all right so long as the house was
unoccupied. The entire building
was not in much of condition any
way, Mr. Dingwell said. He was in
the vicinity of the building the nigh,
of the collapse but he could not I'M
derstand what it was all about until
the next day, so great was the ex-
element and confusion caused by
the occurrence. Then he saw the
floor had collapsed entirely on one
side, while there was not enough OF
it horizontal in any place on which
a person could stand and retain his
balance. 1t was his opinion that the
lost gave way first and then the
,oists snapped and the floor fell
through to the cellar This closed
Mr. Dingwell's examination. He was
aot questioned by the defense.
The collapse of the Costello house
on South Leonard street was then
taken up, and Mr. Chatfield was re-
called to the stand. He said that
he found a quantity of brick was
frozen and wet and he notified the
contractor to not use it or his wall
would fall down. Apparently he
considered he had done his duty
then for ne did not see the contract
or after that or go near the building
until some time after 1t had fallen.
He heard the brick came from a lot
that was stored some place on Wash
ington avenue, exposed to the ele-
ments for about year. The DI...-
good, consisting of lime and cement
I'm proportions required by the or
Finance, that is, half barrel of
cement to a barrel of lime. After
The had warned the contractor not
to use the frozen and wet brick or
his walls would fall, Mr. Chatfield
saw the man undertake to dry tnem
by piling them up around fire.
That was one way in which to dry
them, but 1t was slow way. He
did not say what was the other way.
The side walls were up to the Sec
ond story, that is, eight or nine feet
high, and the end walls were some
what higher when the collapse came.
Both side walls and portion of the
end walls fell. Mr. Chatfield was
asked by Attorney Guilfoile what in
his opini"n was the cause of the COL
lapse, an he said there was hard
storm of rain and wind which 49,
eraIly soaked the building. Then
the brick were wet and frozen an
they could not stand any more wet
and the mortar oozed out and down
came the walls.