The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1916-02-08
CAUSE OF HIGH SCHOOL AccI.
DENT AScERTAINED BY
BOARD OF EDUCATION.
Another Special Meeting TO Be Held
in Attempt to Place Blame on
Right Parties.

At a special meeting OF the board |
OF education last night. called TO In /
vestigate the cause OF the fall of /
part of the balcony during a basket
ball game last Friday night in the |
high school gymnasium. injuring sew
eral persons. the question was dis
cussed at some length and further in
vestigation was deferred until another |
special meeting shall be called within |
the next few weeks. when the con-
! tractor. architect OF the building and |
the city building inspector can be /
present. that the matter may be set 1
tied as to who is to blame for the acct I
dent. General Alfred Caldwell was 1
engaged as the attorney 10 represent /
the board in the investigation.
In the course Of the arguments as to 4
the probable cause of the accident. /
Architect +. +. Faris. who designed ;
the building. was called upon. and he j
declared that he was not responsible /
for the balconv's giving away. that he I
had simply sold the plans and speCi- |
hcauons for reconstruction of the ]
building. and that II was the general /
contractor who should have seen that /
the work was carried out Mr.. Faris |,
said that he had talked with the out |
side contractor for J. W Beltz and /
Sons company. general contractors OF ,
tho building. and that he asserted I
that the place used for the balcony I
was not built for that purpose. nor [
was H. intended for gallery. but for a
running track. that had ~ been used !
only for such IL would not have fallen. I!
4 Beard Inspeets Gallery.
i Immediately upon the boards con- I
Ncning last night. a recess was taken I
and the members inspected the fallen /
gallery section.
Robert II. Mckee moved that the /
press be excluded from the meeting I
He said that he meant no personal re- /
Election. but that there were persons I,
injured in the accident from outside !
OF the state and that some matters I
should no be made public.
! Dr. Andrew Wilson was quickly on |
his feet. declaring that the board rep |
resented the public. that IL was their T,
building in which the accident occur I
red and IL made no difference II there I
were persons from other states IN /
iured. that the public had RICH; 10 /
know what was done by the boacd. I
Mr. McKee's motion was lost
Rods Not Securely Fastened.
Il was brought out that had the }
several supporting rods 10 the section 4
that fell--which was the new part Of /
the gallery -been screwed into the |
I-beams Is inches TO . feet as was |
the old rods. instead OF being attached ]
with a hook over the beams. that the /
section would not have fallen. MI /
Faris stated in reply TO questions by /
several members OF the board. that I
II the clamps had not slipped out the
twoinch hole in the I-beam due to the I
rythmatic vibration OF the sections /
caused by the spectators cheering, that I
the accident would not have occurred. /
Theodore Wagner stated that the /
rods were the last thing finished about /
the building when u was constructed.
that the rods for the new section OF /
the running track or balcony were !
hung after the building had been fur !
nished. He said that he called the =
contractors attention 10 the fact that 3
the hooks had not been put properly F,
B. into the holes in the I-beam and that
after a few weeks the contractor
completed the work but that he evi-
IDENTIFY failed 10 clamp the hooks. Later
he called his attention TO IL. and was
told that they had been Clamped
Mr. Rogers said that Beltz & Sons
company. the contractors. should settle
/ the matter with their sub-Contractors
who put up the rods that the board
was not responsible for what the sub
contractors failed 10 do but held The
general contractor responsible. II
was brought out during the discussion
that the school board still owed Belt
some company $4,000 on the contract
for reconstruction Of the buildinE.
which amount was 90 be held back
until the building proved satisfactory
in settling and so forth.
Mr. Mckee stated when q motion
was made 20 employ expert contrac-
tors 20 look into the cause 81 the ac-
oident that the board knew what caus-
ed 30 bat the question was who was
responsible Tor the accident
. ON motion OF Nj Mckee the matter
a. ascerfaiuinE the cause of the mis-.
hap was deferred uutH the special
meeting shall ba called when tho CON
tractor. architect rity building inspeC-
tor and Attorney Caldwell are present.
Upon commentator OF the build
ing and grounds committee the iusur-
arce or tro Heh school building ami
furnishings was renewed. which cN.
pire- lu February The insurance on
tho FURNISHINGS was increased from
100000 fo g.. 900 while fhc 10000
original amount on fae building re.
mauoI OBJ. e.mr. making total of
$4,000. fo hr divided among 20 local
aFpu..ea
Dol tio ab.srr. lf u- D. D. ARM
hreshf. president VS. p -foeu presided. I
WITH Ihe f1uoVuE members present.
tuwm'H- II...r. tINUrr. Hare h'.u-
field. Iukor.. krrrnr Ianr. Mckee. .
I'.sf'r. h.erf- 5'aHrah. Wagner
and Wilson