The Detroit times., 1909-06-15
BELIEVES FLOORS
WERE OVERLOADED
Most Probable Cause of Accident at
Peninsular Stove Plant, Says
Coroner Burgess.

The real cause OF the accident In !
the Penmsular Stove works. Satur.
day. when one man was killed and
two others seriously injured, may
never be known. Coroner Burgess.
after a thorough inspection OF the
premises, Monday morning. confessed
that he was wholly in the dark on this
point. The theory that one or more
OF the floors was overloaded appeals
TO him as being the most plausible,
out this is a matter OF expert knowl.
edge, which may or may not be de.
termined at the inquest in the ease
of William c. Hollar, the dead trans
portation superintendent. which will
probably be held next week.
Coroner Burgess declares. however.
that he will make every effort 10 de-
termine the cause. II IL was overload
Ing. the fact will be determined II
that is possible IL can be figured out.
I theoretically ar least. how much
weight the joists were capable OF sup
porting This done, the coroner will
| try 10 find out from employees and ON
Gals OF the company Just what weight
vas being supported
But even though il should develop
/ that the floors were carrying a great.
er load than expected OF them. il
would be a difficult matter 10 fix the
| blame. The company considered the
! building safe. although a report has
/ reached the coroners ears 10 the ef.
/ feet tina; a portion OF one of the floors
came near collapsing four years ago.
| J. NJ. Dryer. acting manager OF the
tp1ant IN the absence of his father.
James Dwyer. who is in Europe, says.
however that III such thing occurred
ne never knew anything about it.
Warehouses Never inspected.
Coroner Burgess says there is no
record in the Office OF the building
commission OF the Peninsular ware
house ever having been inspected
This is another feature Of the case
/ that will be looked into at the inquest
If that is true OF the Peninsular
plant, how many more factory BUILD,
ings In Detroit are In the same cate
gOry?" asks the corOner.. ---
Tie disaster, which mighA have cost
many lives had 1t occurred on any
other day may prove an eye-opener 70
the community. and steps undoubted-
~ will be taken 10 see 10 what extent
inspection Of such structures has been
neglected. if il has been neglected
The peculiar feature Of the collapse
is that no rotten timbers have been
found in the wreckage Coroner Bur
CESS searched the debris carefully for
such evidences. but without result
He found the joists all IN good condi.
ton. Most of them are a good quail
ity OF white pine. better than is used
IN construction work nowadays as
rule.
Building Commissioners al Scene.
At the request of the coroner, mem
bers Of the building commission and
their inspectors. visited the scene OF
the disaster during the afternoon TO
look over the ground and incidentally
- give tfI6 enTiTe building a thorough
inspection The coroner has not do.
cfded whether 10 swear the building
commissioners as experts or secure
the services OF others He viii consul.
the county auditors and The prescott
ing attorney on this phase Of the mat
ter.
The company Is not prepared. "a
vet. 70 give any definite estimate Of
the damage done The plant is not In
operation today For the present the
company is giving its attention 20
clearing away the debris. Stoves and
broken timOers are piled up in open
space where the break occurred from
tho fret floor To a nninL midway be-
tween the second and third floors.
II has not been determined as yet
iust what floor gave away first Some
of the aremen who worked on the-ais--
aster believe that II was the third
that started AL the trouble and thai
the floors above gave away afterwards
owing 10 weakened support