The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-04-29

removed he examined wall that 1t was
 plumb and in good condition and he agreed that little time be given for It's
 use in new building: that they kept | promising to rehuids from day to day.| that if he had not been assured they
 were going to rebuild he would have
 had east wall torn down; that after debris was taken out he never made a
 detailed examination of walls other than | to look at them: that he had never used plumb or transit on walls that far
 in as brick wall Is burned by Ire 1t will
 shale off; that effect of fire on mortar is about the same: that he did not know offhand the relative ssfe--tlre of winds
 of different speed that he or nobody
 could tell what lightning will do when it | strikes: that MT. Allen was not working
 in building inspectors office, but was
 working for owner of building that he
 did not delegate Mir. Allen to plumb walls for building inspecsor's depart
 ment; that witness did this himself with l lis eve and his experiences" that he l had not read newspaper accounts of probe of Steele-Smith accident; that no records were kept in his office of exam ination of walls. that when wall Is un- l safe a report is sent to owner and l had never called his office complainng of
 danger of wall far as he knew that l MT. Mcleod right after the fire had stated his employees were afraid of wall
 and asked witness to assure them it was
 not dangerous, which he did. In asking witness a question. Attorney Martin said 1 he did not ask witness for MT. ullmans suggestion" Monte ullman,
 who was sitting near witness, said very 1 snappiy: "Mr. Ullman made no sug- 1 gestion to the witness. MT. Martin. I never opened my mouth"
 Notice to Agents
 The notice sent by witness to the W. R. Leedy company. agents for the building. soon after the fire asking 1 them 10 tear down Steele-Smith walls 1 which were dangerous or otherwise
 make them safe was read and witness , stated this was done by the Leedy 1 company through its contractor. Charles Allen Witness stated that lar l ger part of fire did not even burn off
 plaster on walls or paint on plaster; 1 that he considered wall would resist
 any normal wind for the season of the year; that time had arrived when the 1 accident occurred" at which he was lust about ready" to order walls l taken down: that he had not ordered such done but was considering it.; that l if he had ordered it down he believes | tried to find out something of insur- ance settlement on walls and building l hut had never been able to do so.
 l W S. Cooper who was candidate against witness for building inspect
 or some years ago. asked witness if 1 he or any man in his office had any
 technical Knowledge" of building or
 construction. Witness said he had not. Witness said that his training had l come from 80 years experiences that 1 when he worked on first construction
 of Steele Smith place he saw that
 Ham wall was mighty sorry wall that his "boyhood had been spent In | the sticks pulling a bell cord over 1 mules tail" Adjournment was taken
 until 2:S0 o'clock.
 Cooper Opens in Afternoon | w. s. Cooper opened the afternoon ses- sion; he stated he expected he was con
 sidered as a political enemy or MT. | Weatherly;" that he did not believe in | seeing Matthews made the goat of thfs
 affair; that he didn't expect to kick a
 man when he was down." that Matthews was 'just like Adam and Eve, his down. | fall came through mstake;' that he had written to Mir Ward about Matthews in- | competency, and Mir. Ward had never even answered them; Mr Ward replied he had
 told witness to make specific charges if he could and Mir. Matthews would be ] tried by hearing all evidence and that 1 nothing more was ever heard Of him.
 Judge Lane stated witness statement that he had filed complaints against Mat | thews with him was incorrect.
 | W. T. Warren, architect. went to black board and made diagram which is a- legged to have proven that there Is no in- consistency in facts that aN walls above 1 first story were regarded as total loss | for insurance. but at the same time were to have been used in rebuilding the place. AXF t.1 tlkat Ia atd tfttA
 because the question of safety of the wall was not involved in the ract that 1t l was a total insurance loss because in order that the wall might be reused there would have to be a ''four-inch veneer brick wall'' built on the face of it.
 and so bonded in that it would cost as
 much as a new wall. Carey Thompson, 1 who had made the statement that this l part of the probe testimony was incon- | sstent" stated after MT. Warrens expla- l nation that he was satisfied with the ex- planation, and that he now saw that the | wall Was safe for rebuilding purposes, l although 1t was a total insyrance loss, 1 but that the rest of the investigation | should now be to see who was responsible l for leaving wall there so long time
 without being used in rebuilding, for that <, was what had ''caused the death of Alex
 Mcleod Ruth Johnson and their com | rades." MT. Warren stated that if time
 were not consideration he would advise I building of a new wall rather than the l "veneering process" which he has de- | scribed that to examine the Steele-Smith wall in regard to it's safety he would
 plumb it. see if it was bent. cracked, burned or mortar disntegrated; witness 1 declined to state whether or not Steele | Smith wall was dangerous on grounds l that he had never examined 1t; he said 1 that "shalng off of wall. no matter whether the shaIing was half-inch or | inch thick" did not mean rest of wall was not safe; that deterioration l of wall was exactly in propor- 1 ton to thickness of wall shaled off other things being all right that his opinion or any other architects S opinion of the case in question was worth
 almost nothing unless actual exanlna- tion of wall in question had been made :;
 witness stated he could compute the re- 1 sstance the Steee-Smth wall. assuming it had not been damaged by fire; would have to wind and would work out this data and give to commission.
 Wall Weakened 50 Per Cent
 J. W. Ellison, briclSlayer, one of the committee which went after brick to pass
 on their condition and condition of nor tar, stated brick he inscpected was dam
 aged 20 per cent and wall was weakened 5o per cent. that mortar vas burned
 about inch and half from surface; that