The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-04-29
Probe of Wall Disaster
 Fails to Accomplish
 Anything At All
Continued from Page Five)

the east wall except small one at top of front corner which was not dan gerous and is still there; that exara- ination did not last more than 20 or 20 minutes; that part of west wall was dangerous and he ordered it removed. which was done; that he cited with his eye the east wall and it was not bulged or crooked; that after Charles Allen had taken down all parts of walls he considered dangerous witness again examined walls, which took about 30 minutes and pronounced then, safe; that he had ordered Allen to plumb all walls and Allen said this had been done that by his past exper- fence he was able to walk up to. walls and by appearance of brick and mortar tell whether or not it was safe; that he considered this wall safe; that brick TOW there would tell whether or not brick and mortar had been damaged by fire.
 Asks for Committee
 Mir. Weatherly then asked crowd to sug- gest names for committee to go to site and examine brick and mortar and S. A. Holt, J. c. Gam, J. w. Ellis and o. W. Fiddler were named it being stated that they were experts and would give un- biased opinions.
 Examination of MT Matthews was re- sumed and witness stated that he had not examined building since Mir Allen fin shed work on clearing out debris, which was about latter part of February that wall was supported at both ends by end walls and for three stories by Ham wall and he considered 1t safe: that he con sidered wind ''to certain extent In passing on safety of wall; that he was in place every few days from time of fire until accident; that Wheelock conferred with witness from time to time regarding n nap for rah,1itdfDp. hat no paid it was his duty to pass on safety to pub lie of walls after fires, and to pass on plans for all new buildings; that In his opinion he could not form conclusion as to what made wall fall; that he was at home when wall fell and 1t thundered and wind blew; that he thought wall was struck by lightning; that nobody had ever complained to him between time Allen had completed his work and time of acci . dent that walls were dangerous, but that there had been complaints right after fire; that he had never told any one com plainng of walls 10 mind own business;' that he realized he was working for the pubic and was being paid by the public that Mr Allen always willingly did what he told him in regard to making building safe; that he could not say as to whether he had heard MT. Gilchrist testify that witness had told him to mind his own business as he had been so worried since accident that he could not remember any thing that he had had disagreements with both Allen and Wheelock on matters of business, but that no disagreement came up over Steele Smith place; that he mad been connected with building actvi- ties for 30 years that in all his experi- ence as builder and city official only one man working under his charge was ever seriously injured and that was when ditch caved in on negro. On request of AT-- i. .1r.. <<A t& contractors and architects of city when he ran for office was read.
 Extensive Experience
 Witness stated that as foreman in em- ploy of contractors before he became building inspector he often had occasion to estimate strength of walls: that every wall whose construction he had charge of he always kept figuring on their strength; that firemen did not throw water on brick walls to put out fires and Steele-Sm walls were not necessarily weakened by water and fire; that the east Steele-Smith wall. as 1t stood, was not as strong as a new wall with all the floor joice and inside structure in place. Attorney Coleman led witness through long. series of statements regarding wall in New Orleans about 20 years ago which witnes did not consider safe, but witness said 1t was green wall'' and was in no way naDle 10 comparison Wltn Steele Smith wall.
 Witness stated he did not use transit or plumb line on east wall first time he examined it at request of MT. Mcleod; that east wall was not hot then; that he never went to top of walls to examine them; that fire will expand brick wall and that heat and water will deteriorate brick and mortar if sufficient that top of walls were not in hottest part of fire. Witness complained about Mr. Coleman asking questions which he said were not "based on facts"
 Witness stated that walls five stories high were not considered in regard to wind pressure if they were in building that a wall four stories high and not in building would not stand 30 pounds wind pressure that wal nve stories would not stand such wind pressure; that wall like east steele-Smith wall would stand about 10 pounds wind pressure; that weakness of wall against wind in- creases as wall increases in height and length; that he was told Steele-Smith building was to be reconstructed within week after fire: that he consented that east wall be used in new structure. and 1t was for this purpose wall was left standing; that after all debris had been