Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-12-24
Hundreds Throng Wreck
OF Machinery
Hall.
SEARCH Is MADE FOR
CAUSE OF CATASTROPHE
City Authorities and Prosecu-
tors Office Make Inspec-
ton of Ruins.

Hundreds of umbrella-ooveeed New
ar1xers crowded today about the soens
Ct the Machinery Hall collapse from
which ono dead and three badly In
Jured workmen were taken.
Inside representatives Of the prose-
.cutor's office. and of the city building
department, probed further into the
mass of debris of iron. brick and stone
to find the cause of the accident ana
to make sure that another body does
not still lie there buried.
The crowd outside were not allowed
too close. however, for some of the
remaining walls are weak and might
collapse, and Captain Ryan established
a strong Gordon of police around the
structure
Meanwhile family and friends OF John
Kalodziej buried him today from his
home. at 95 Livingston street. He leaves
wife and five children.
Man Suffers Aeonies.
John Lappey. of 1s Edwin place. the
most injured of the three, Is suffering
frightful pain from the thigh and leg
crushed by the falling truss. but at the
City Hospital 1t was said his condition
leg may be saved. At st. Barnabas's
Stephen Grimes. the travelling brick
layer. of Union No. TO- is rapidly re-
covering from his torn cheek and body
contusions. The third of the badly
injured, John Crooks, is already at his
home, n Third street. ready for Christ
mas, despite many bruises. contusions
and sprains
49,
Building Superintendent William P.
GRoufixe made this statement to the
5lvening STAR:
statement by w. p. oyRourke.
1T was Just one of those things that
will happen. Apparently the central
girder spanning the length OF the
building gave way. But there is no
evidence that there was more weight
upon 1t yesterday than at any other
time within the past three weeks. No
one is to blame-at least in my depart
ment-and have already said that the
inspection made by my man, Edward
Duffy, yesterday morning was thorough
and honest and showed no indications
of what was to come. Duffy had been
making inspections Of the building
right along"
County Physician william H. Mo-
Kenzie said:
There will be no inquest. We arc
thoroughly Investigating at the scene
Of the accident today and that is all
there is to be said at the present time"
william l. Blanchard, the contractor
in charge Of the brick-work said today:
'The accident is inexpiicable. That
zirder bore for weeks eleven times the
weight 1t bore yesterday"
The police report and the one gener-
ally accepted is that this central girder
was simply unable to hold up the f1ve-
!. ton roof and the fifty or sixty tons Of
brick mortar and other building ma
terial which depended upon It,
Sergeant Godfrey. Of the prosecutors
office. took complete charge of the In
vestigation this morning, and had q
photographer and several steel men
looking through the wreckage. In the
absence of Prosecutor Mott, who Is
out of town. he refused to make any
statement.
John H Eiy, an architect, and
Frederick Kilgus. a building contractor,
are the experts appointed by
Prosecutor Mott to work with Sergeant
Godfrey. Neither would discuss the
case after going over the scene. '1t is
a very important matter" said Ely,
"and until we have looked over the
contract, the specifications and the ma
teriais involved shall not be willing
to go on record as placing blame any
where for the accident"
Mearrwflile no arrests have been made.
Not until Monday will 1t be known
whether the case is to be taken before
the grand Jury.
Rescuer's story OF Accident.
graphic story of the accident is
told by Charles Henning leader OF the
rescuers. who was standing at Wash
ington and Court streets when he was
startled by the crash He looked up
to see great gashes In the top OF the
walls appearing, as brick and cornice
were torn from their places. A second
later a great white cloud Of mortar and
san d arose from the debris inside, ac-
companied by groans and yells for
help and by rush Of dozen un-
harmed laborers from the scene. Hen
ming was Mortified. He knew that less
than ten minutes before twenty work.
men had been at work within the build
ing.
Henning ran TO the entrance and
dashed in with Roundsmen Schreiner
and Durkin and Patrolmen Cleveland,