South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-01-07
CONTRACTOR AND
ARCHITECT TELL
THEIR OWN STORY

CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.)
carry the upper middle walls of the
remodeled building, should be able
TO support.
THE commission can have this in
formation for its own use, but not for
the public, or to be used in any law
suit that may grow out of this affair, ."
was the lawyers explanation. It may
be taken later by special commit
tee Of the commission
SoIarek is Also Heard.
The two important witnesses of the
evening were Schneider. architect, and
SOlarek, contractor, in the remodeling
of the Inflated structure. Solarek de-
clined TO produce his plans, specifica-
tons or contract, stating that on such
occasions a pretty good place for
them is in the safe. The architect,
however, provided duplicates, and fol-
flowing these a lengthy examination of
both witnesses was pursued, largely
by the contractors and architect
members of the commission.
The evidence adduced was largely
technical, but enough plain talk was
INDUCED in to specify that both
Schneider and SOlarek are agreed that
the plans were carried to completion,
with the exception Of a few non
strength affecting extras, and that
while the job had not been formally
accepted, it was understood that the
work was satisfactory to architect
and the Independent store people. the
latter having called for the final bills,
o. k them, and begun to move in.
About $1,000 has been paid of the
contract. The bond, which is for
1000 has not been released. There
is nothing TO the story that the arch
itect wanted to make better plans, or
hot hn fro. afrav- hnl Tor
supports for the middle wall, or that
the Independent store people would
stand the expense of neither. APP
parently all was harmony between
these three parties to the contract
The architect considered his plans
sufficient, but on advice Of counsel
would not explain why.
The contractor did not consider it
his duty to inquire as to the sufticiency
OF the plans, weight and strength con-
sidered, but only to follow them.
Commissioner Fassnacht took the
contractor slightly to task on this
point, and brought out that he had no
conception of the weight of the upper
middle walls that the iron posts en-
ployed were supposed to carry.
Several Discuss Noise.
Other witnesses heard during the
evening were City Park Superintend-
ent Herman Boyer, Ralph NJ Hutch
inson, associate editor OF the Tribune.
Fred Whitcomb and William Rubber
Mss, employees of the c., $. b. & y. l.,
A II. Heller, furniture dealer. y. +.
Faux, electrician for G.. III. Wheelock
! * Co, and Will A. Crabell.
The main point brought out by
these witnesses was their different
conceptions of the noise made by the
collapse, and whether there were two
noises or one.
-,
was in his store next door at the time,
and TO him the noise was one contin-
uOus crash Of breaking timbers. He
| set at naught a story recently told that
he had just moved a lot of extra
| furniture onto the second and third
| floors of the building, the south halt
Of which he used for a. floor room
On the contrary he pointed out that
on account of the holiday season, he
had moved an extra lot Of furniture
out, and that there was less of 1t in
| his stock room than there had beer
for a considerable time.
! He called attention to a crack in
| the northeast corner of his part Of
the second floor, indicating that the
| back wall and middle wall had sep
arated, this being discovered by hin
only a few days before the wreck anC
/ he brought il TO the attention OF
| Architect Schneider who said he would
have it seen to. Heller doubts there
being any explosion. He knows moth
| ing about the quality Of the remod-
| cling work.
AT the coroner's inquest Tuesday
afternoon d. NJ. Shively testified con
! corning the lease which was made
with the five and ten cent company
The terms of the lease, which he pre-
sented, provided that the remodeline
/ should be done by the lessees. Shive-
" said he himself had not inspected
the building during the time it was
undergoing remodeling.
81 might have gone in one or twice
! and looked around but only prompted
| bv curiosity" said he. Il never saw
ANYTHING that appeared unsafe"
S;hively said the building had never
been condemned to his knowledge bu
maintained that it was the structure
| in the rear which had been put under
the han. This. he said. was afterwarC
| reDaired and is still standing.