The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-04-25
THINKS DISCUSSION
 WILL REVEAL TRUTH
J. $. Brown Comments on Certain Features of Steele
 Smith Wall Disaster

To the Editor of The Age Herald I want to congratulate you for giving the prominent space which you have for citizens of Birmingham to express their protest and views on the frightful dis aster occasioning the collapse Of the Steel-Snith building in this city.
 One of the greatest blessings that a great daily may confer upon a com munity or nation is to permit it's columns to he used by citizens in discussing ques- tions pro and con affecting the interests of the public. The privilege of the lay man to appear in print over his own sig nature constitutes the broadest interpre- tation of the oft spoken of term freedom of the press.
 The city commission proposes to inves- tgate the causes and to locate where to place the blame for what it calls an fault. how can it give impartial iudg- ment? Why term 1t an accident The only accident connected with it was that those burned walls stood as long as they did which was more miracle than anything else Calamityi Woeful, willful and out rageous expresses the stuationl
 
 hind a bush. but this is the only time have ever heard of lot of officials try ing to hide behind a bolt of lightning Ii is human nature and always has been to lay our faults upon somebody else s shoulders. Adam laid it off on Eve for eating the apple, and Eve laid 1t off on the snake. So this tendency 10 shift the blame is a family complaint. However, they should have chosen something bet ter to conceal their faults than that of lightning.
 Two citizens of Birmingham were looking at the building the instant be- fore the crash and they report that the walls rocked far once that they gasped at the spectacle and then back to place. and second time oscillated back and forth before toppling over In corberation of this fact. l was on Nineteenth street between Second and Third avenues looking toward Red mountain and the building crashed and the rain began to pour before there was any flash of lightning or any sound of thunder
 The walls of the Steele Smith build ing fell because the fire had burned out the mortar between the bricks and il no longer cemented them together. No building inspector, no expert, all that was needed to pass upon the danger of this building falling down was a boy 10 years old or grown man with an ounce of gray matter in working order.
 The city commission may probe till doom's day and it will never acquit the public mind of the belief that this dis aster is chargeable to the city govern ment of Birmingham; If not directly, Indirectly, because this palpable death- trap apparent to every observer has been common street gossip since first 1t was left to the fickle hand of fate to topple over and wreak horrible de- struction to innocent persons
 Aside from the criminal negligence on the part of the responsible parties, following close upon its heels has oc- cured the most unforgivable of crimes the most unprovoked outrages to which this community has fallen heir.
 A poor unfortunate negro who was unable to pay his city license and who had been convicted and fined $5 in police court without the price of the fine and unable to make an appeal bond, had been put on the streets in chains to satisfy the exactions of justice This man was put to work clearing away the rubbish. Hobbled and handicapped by the shackles and chains on his legs. he was unable to get about with any degree of ease. and as a result a part of the wreckage fell in on him. break ing both legs, cutting and bruising him up in a horrible manner
 Is there any wonder that there Is in dignation among the public at large?
 The citizens and not the commission CTS. 1t appears to me- are the proper ones to make an impartial probe and to place the blame where it of right be- longs.
 Thanking you very kindly for giv- ing space for my views, respectfully,
 J. s. BROWN.
 Birmingham, April 24, 1915