New-York tribune., 1922-03-16
McAdoo Urges
F0urBcTl'ied I'm
TheaterCollal,s
Brooklyn Builders and In
spector Blamed by Chief
Magistrate for Deaths Of
Seven in Crash Nov. 20
AsksManslaug ghtcrCharge
AssaiIs System Of Inspection
as Careless and Danger
Gus; No Approved Plans

Chief Magistrate NlcAdoo announced
yesterday that a result of his in
vcstlgation into the American Thcater
collapse IN Brooklyn last November
he Is ready to receive complaints charg-
iug manslsughtor against four men
whose names have been involved IN ;hc
inquiry Samuel Moskowtz and Syl-
Nester Roscrthal builders; jacob Gay.
dlca, steel constructor, and James Fin
lay, building inspector. Under the dc.
clslon tho District Attorney may pre-
sent evidence to the grand jury without
further magistrial intervention. The
ch'i magistrate said he WAS prepared to
receive complaints against the individu-
ais mentioned without going further
into details OF testimony stll to be
heard from other authorities.
a. ter rccl'na that RoscnthM aod
Moskowltz acquired the Bedford Avc
nuc theater property to erect p theator
ia scat 1850 persons, Chief Magistrate
McAdoo's report continues:
Report Of Chief Magistrate
They employed Charles A. Sandblom
as architect, who drew up general plans
these were presented as required by
la" to the Superintendent of Buildings
IN Brooklyn and were approved. After
That Sandblom's connection with the
building ceased. These plans did not
relate TO the construction Of the struct-
ural steel on which the roof was to
rest. steel construction plans were
drawn by the firm OF Magnuson &
b,r l,,
Building Department.
With these plans approved Roscn-
thai and Moskowitz asked for bids
from steel contractors. They eavc the
work to Joseph Gaydica. It is assumed
Gaydlca made his bid on the approved
plans. Consequently Gaydica. through
his own engineer, filed an entirely new
set OF plans for the structural roof
lhcso plans wore filed September l9.
The official examiner Of the Building
Department made twenty OBJ jec-
tlons. With these objections filed. the
Gaydlca plans we're not approved until
September ., 1921
Plans Never Approved, Charge
"Meanwhilc Gaydica furnished q
working plan which hc gave to Pluck
ham & kavanaugh. steel contractors.
These plans were never pa asscd on or
approved by thc Building Department.
10 give large seating capacity the
owners and their employees followed
pian III which there was but ono iron
plllar sustaining part OF the roof.
This pillar was so situated that it was
subject to great strain. When this pill
la1 had been put into place Gaydica
notified Pluckham & Kavanaugh that
II was out of plumb. Pluckham &
kaVanaugh theroupon drove tho base Of
hc nil ll..,, ,,,k.,
the space where the column ovcrhuNg
the base plate they drove four chiscl-
shaped wedges to tighten up plates
which appeared to be loose The base
of this pillar was not anchored into
the masonry below, but rested unat-
tached upon the large plate and several
smaller ones. Depending on the sup
port Of this one pillar was heavy load
of roofing
"On November %, when The roof was
completed. while men were at work on
the ceiling, tho pillar slipped from its
place and the roof collapsed Seven
men were killed and seventeen injured
From evidence brought out at the in
quiry it appears that there was no
architect in charge and no responsible /
engineer; that there was no approved /
plan for the steel work and no official |
permit for its erection. The testimony
of James NJ. Finlay reveals condition |
OF affairs with regard to inspection that
requires immediate remedy There was
no supervision of Finlay himself. lie
says it is customary to permit build
ings OF this character to go on until
completed and have changes made later,
if the plans arc disapproVed Meantime. |
those engaged in construction arc in
danger Of death
"Without going further into details |
l. am prepared to receive complaints
Of manslaughtcr against Moskowitz.
Koscnthal, Gaydica and Finlay.'