The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-04-30

question witness on what he had read
 in the newspapers of the accident and
 from that to render his opinion on safe
 ty or Steele-Smith wall. MT. Bowie pro-
 tested against this Kind of examination
 Mr Martin insisted. Then Charley Allen
 Jumped up and declared MT. Martin had not stated question fairly and MT. Mar
 tin and MT. Allen had a sharp dispute MT Weatherly tried to quiet thin rs down. MT. Bowie then tried to raise |, question of the witness competencv and the wrangle between Attorneys Martin, Bowie. Coleman and Commits sioner Weatherly started
 Witness finally declared he had had experience in erecting large buildings and answered question of Mr Martin which started the trouble to the effect that he considered wall like the east Steele-Smith wall to be safe if if was plumb, not cracked and not bent. unless 1 o0-mile gale struck it
 l w. P. Beck assistant building inspector
 sald he never examined wall and knew nothing about it.
 E. E. Houghton, assistant building in. spector, stated he had heard no coplaints about Steele-Smith wall and knew nothing about it. statement from E. c. Horton United
 states weather foreeaster. was read re.
 sarding velocity of wind and time of light.
 ning' showing that lightning was at 5;2s
 o'clock and wind velocity about 30 miles
 an hour.
 Fire Chief Middleton stated the alarm
 for the steele-Smith accident was at 5.1s l o'clock e4 j. G. Giiehrist was recalled and stated I crack In east Steele-Smth wall, which Inc
 had telephoned to Matthews about. was
 not same crack as is there now, but was
 al aoout same place, as wall is now | broken off
 MT. Ward asked if anyone in audience
 had anything they wished to say. as probe
 was about to close.
 Charley Allen took stand and said tha, 1 crack testified to by Gilchrist was not in cast wall; that he plumbed every wall ir
 building with instruments: that he went
 to top of all walls and brick on them was
 exactly as they had been laid and to be loosened would have to have been nried
 loose with pick; that there never was
 crack in east wall; that none of walls ever had frozen: that he placed some
 brick as used in Steele Smith wall in water
 TOT 5o hours and they absorbed absoutel, l no water: that there were some loose 1 brick on east wall where joist had beer
 fastened and all such were taken down.
 that he examined mortar in all parts o1 walls and found it damaged only as ia,
 as brick in places were burned which
 was from one-quarter to half an inch
 that the statement which had been made
 that owner had received $10o0 to tear dowr walls but had not done SO was incorrect 1 as the actual amount spent on taarins down unsafe parts of walls and clearine out debris was S99.20; that now since acci dent S651 more had already been spent | and that $50 more would have to be spent that insurance is paid on an article wher l It is damaged and does not mean that ii l has been destroyed completely; that tho 1 first five-story building contemplated was l to be on entire concrete structure ant | brick veneer" if concrete was used would not have been necessary: that there was expansion when walls got hot ant l that was relieved by the shaling off oi | brick; that he had plumbed walls probablN 20 times; that hottest part of fire was al west walls and not at east wall, and thai 1 top of east wall was burned very little 1 that east wall and all walls vibrate ano | would not be safe if 1t did not vibrate that vibration would not damage a wal
 unless it was excessive under a higl pressure for a period of years.
 Mir. Weatherly stated it seemed every body had been heard who wanted to b, l heard, that the probe had been full ant
 complete and was now declared adjourned | sine die.