Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-05-06
TIFF TOY FACTORY ACCIDENT

IN. colaose OF the E!cag toy factory /
MonSay and the k:l':rs CT two spec 4.
,ntors VITO were star ding OF the sidewalk |
~ front of the structure after The first !
cali Of the fire department tc tho build
i,g by still alarm, is unfortunate In !
very respect. and vet the wonder Is that |
there was not a greater loss of life. The !,
accident occurred near the c.ose Of the
noon hour. and but for the change IN
limo for daylight saving. the employees
would mostly have been in tho factory.
AS II was. all Of the employees were saw
I'd. although several were injured. Tho
,oes OF life was due entirely to q ven
iurcsome disposition on the part OF spec
tators. who are always prone to approach
too near structure which is on fire or
otherwise in suddenly unsafe condition.
The factory was erected % years ago.
and it goes without saying that Mr.. Hoag
would not have purchased the building
several years ago after fire destroyed his
other factory on Church street If he had
ture has collapsed we know for a GER
tainty that the building was not safe for
the uses to which it had been put at diff
terent times, although it was built for a
carriage factory. Previous to the purchase
Of the building by Mr.. Hoag. part Of the
building had been used as a garage and
many automobiles had been gathered
therein at the same time.
1t now transpires that the building was
structuraly weak in more ways than one.
In the first place the timbers which held
up the floors were not what they should
have been. In the second place 1t now
transpres that the brick were not held to-
gether by mortar that would pass test
at the present time. The mortar cleaves
from the brick clean. whereas first class
mortar with plenty of good lime would
have to be broken from the brick II any
support was weakened in the process of
changes in the interior of the structure
cause for the collapse. Further investga-
ton will probably serve to clear up some
Of these points. Buildings which are not
Of mill construction should he carefully
examined by engineering authority before
machinery is installed that will cause the
floors to vibrate.
The unfortunate killing of people by tho
falling of the toy factory walls outward
lie
parallel case in connection with
the burning on Saturday Febru-
airy 7, 1885. of the Holt spool and bobbn
factory. on Pine street, north Of the plant
Der company, now the Robinson Edwards
Lumber company.
Edward c. Parker clerk for B. Turk
e. Bro, and first assistant Of the Ethan
Allen Engine company was killed instant
ly by falling wall while in the active
discharge Of his duties In speaking Of the
sad event in his annual report, Chief En-
gineer l.. c. Grant of the fire department
said that this was "the first instance since
the organization Of the fire department
of the death Of fireman while In active
service"
While one Of the cty's fire trucks was
destroyed by the collapsing walls Mnn.
day We should be grateful that none OF
our fire loddies while in the service met
the :at~ cs the lamented PARKER, az nigh,
very aas'ly nave been thA cnse. II Is too
ste TO phi!osophize abou, th!s particular
building. but It's co,lap,e srould warn
ownsrs OF other buildings which NAV b.
bearing pnusueli, nSavy BURDENS to AZ.
re.Gin w.ia;ber they arc NJ To staaa IN,
strain