The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-04
FOUND THE WALLS IN GOOD CONDITION o. w. Fidler Writes of His Examination of Steele
 Smith Walls

O w. Fidler, another member of
 the special committee of five named
 by the city commission to investigate
 the condition of the steele-Smith 4 walls, says he found the walls in
 good condition. He writes:
 To the Editor of The Age-Herald: A statement in your issue of May on page 6, is that a full report of the com mittee has not reached the public and that in a spirit Of fairness to all con cerned a member of that committee will state that one member writing in your issue of May stated that he had fixed opinion for several months with out ever having made an examination of the walls from as he says. a, scien- tific standpoint. which he decides nec- essary before forming correct opinion. Such being the case 1t seems only a matter of safety first and then a sol- emn duty to have notified the proper authorities of that fixed opinion, which he failed to do. When the committee entered the building. the material tools and everything were turned over to their use, as might be necessary for thor ough examination of the building through the courtesy of MT. Charles Allen. who was in charge of workmen. Each man selected a portion of the building 10 work out his part and I noticed several badly warped iron window frames on fifth floor and went to top of southwest corner where four workmen had picks and steel bar in use to loosen bricks in walls. They found no loose bricks on walls where they were working and nor tar was good to fthe extent that bars and picks were necessary on each taken off walls, while I was there during a taking down of about 20 courses jof brick
 l also noticed workmen on oher parts of walls using tools to loosen the brick. l also noticed the man who wrote the statement in your issue of May ?, with machinist's hammer using it to loosen the brick on each wall. While two others of the committee were lining up wall on account of statement of one member of committee stating before wall was lined that east wall was he thought, about eight inches out of line. but after line was put on wall acknowledged that wall was not out more than half inch Which Iact was not brought out in ns testimony aIter work was completed
 fair expression of several of com mittee while in the building was that mortar was good and brick also, excep. where water struck walls and brick were shaled off one-half to three-quarters of inch.
 Brother Holt states in his statement of May that the wall collapsed from the first wind after wall got dry, fail ing, 1t seems, to remember there were several severe winds during January February and March, and if only wind is to be considered cause of damage il must have been very severe wind or April 2l, according to conditions as found by the committee examinations
 Several witnesses stated from thei, point of view on the sidewalks on Nine teenth and Twentieth streets and on Second avenue that wind was not very swift, but consider five blocks of tvc and three story buildings west and south west for five blocks that would brea |, the wind for 30 to 40 feet from the ground up.
 What man can say what the velocity or volume of the wind might have been against the walls of a five story build ing 60 feet above the ground. and nearly mile away from the government weather bureau. where the observations were made. Cyclones and hurricanes are often not more than POO or 900 feet wide Tn their path and normal conditions 5J feet or less from the travel of storm.
 believe 1t proper to state that two other members as well as myself are members of labor organizations. wha composed the committed but that fact should not be permitted to have any part in forming an honest opinion as to facts. Respectfully submitted,
 O. W. FIDLER.
 Birmingham. May 3. 1915