Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-23
BEAMS SFA[L;;MANO DEAD
Iron Work CoI|apses on New
Structure.
MECHANICS HEAD BROKEN
Tumbles From Top of Building With
Falling Girders.
MECHANICS HEAD BROKE'
A THOROUGH INVESTIGATION
Material From Old Penns ylvania
Station-No Permit on Record for
Setting Iron Work.

BY the collapse of irOnWork on new
warehouse In course OF construction near
| North Capitol and NJ streets Raymond
L. Hibbs, twenty-seven years of age. an
ironworker who lived at 1916 Az street
at work the top of the structure, was
hurled to the ground and his skull
crushed
Hibbs was hurried across the street to
Sibley Hospital. Life was extinct.
4 message to police headquarters gave
the startling misinformation that a build
ing had fallen and number of workmen
had been buried In the debris. Patrol
wagons and reserves were rushed from
the second sixth and ninth precincts.
ready to assist in rescuing the supposed
victims
They found nothing to do other than
make an investigation and assist the
coroner in getting testimony for the in
quest. Later in the day Coroner hewitt
went to the scene of the accident with the
police photogra pher.
He had photographs made. saw persons
who were working upon the structure.
and directed that witnesses be summoned
to appear and tell the facts to Il jury.
The inquest will be held at the morgue
at IL o'clock Wednesday morning.
Investigation to Be Thorough.
Commissioner Macfarland visited the
scene of the accident shortly after 10
o'clock, in company with Capt. William
Kelly. acting engineer commissioner. They
found Coroner hewitt upon the scene.
Commissioner Marfarland personally re-
queSted him to do all in his power to
make the investigation as thorough and
far-reaching as possible.
The coroner was urged to procure as
many witnesses as possible to the acci-
dent so that the inquest may bring out
all of the facts.
1.-The deplorable accident will be thor
oughly investigated and the responsibility
for it fixed" said Commissioner Macfar
land. II have asked the coroner to make
the inquest exhaustive, so that we may
have all the facts with view to what
ever action may be necessary"
Not until the testimony in the case is
all heard, 1t is believed. will the exact
cause of the collapse be determined. Rep
reSentatives Of the building inspectors
office and others went over the ground
today. 1t is believed that the witnesses
will give different explanations Of the ac
cident.
The iron used in the construction was
old iron from the train shed at the old
Baltimore and Potomac station. The
heavy beams were set upon concrete
bases. On the east side of the building
the concrete base was broken while that
on the west side remained intact.
No Permit for Iron Work.
The permit for the iron work had not
been approved, it was said at the office
of the inspector of buildings. The only
permit in connection with the work that
has been approved is for the cement
work.
The application for the permit and spe-
cifications were still in the office of the
building inspector this morning. Tie ap-
plication, it was stated. did not carry
the approval of the building inspector.
Two buildings for the storage of mer-
chandise are to be erected upon the lot
Each is to be 30 feet long by 1O3 feet in
width.
Walter F. Donaldson GIL 14th street.
IS : in the applications as owner,
east, is the builder. The cement work
was done by the firm of McMullen L.
McDermott more than ten days ago.
This morning six iron workers and an
engineer were at work when the accident
occurred. Hibbs was where he was IN
able to help himself when the break
occurred. When he reached the ground
a heavy piece OF the arch crushed his
skull
Peter Morgan, foreman in charge of
the work, was on the ground. Narrowly
escaping being caught BY falling grders.
he ran to safety before the broken and
twisted iron reached the ground. He
went to the assistance of Iibbs, but
found him dead.
1t was thought by some spectators that
the building would have fallen later had
the roof been put on and suggested tnat
more persons would have been killed had
1t occurred later.
Il am unable to account for the acct
dent, said Foreman Morgan to d Star
reporter. Il had used all the precautions
l thought were necessary and there was
an inspector here to see that everything
was all right. The ironWork came near
getting away from us Saturday but we
managed TO prevent the accident by the
use of single line
Inspector Ashford Explains.
Snowden Ashford, inspector of build
ings. late this afternoon issued state
ment following the report of Inspector
Curtis upon the accident
I'm view of the fact that the building
regulations require that permit must be
issued in advance of the erection of any
building the statement runs, "the in
speCtor of buildings was considerably
surprised to hear this morning that one
of the roof trusses on the building on NJ
street near North Capitol northeast had
fallen. Inquiry was made at once, and
the permit clerk and principal assistant
knew of no building in course OF con-
struction in the neighborhood referred
TO.
"On investigation. the only reference
TO any work in this neighborhood was
permission TO put in some concrete
foundations. and not to erect any work
above the level of the grade This per
mission distinctly states that the permit
may he revoked if any work other than
that authorized was put in place"
1t therefore appears that without the
knowledge of the inspector of buildings.
the contractors proceeded to erect columns
and roof trusses without having had per-
nit or authority. The accident. however,
is what should be designated as a build
er's accident, due entirely to the method
of putting materials in place, and not to
any weakness of the materials or design
THE application for the permit is still
under consideration ha