Evening star., 1923-09-26
SIX ARE |MPER|[ED.
IN HOUSE CAVE4N
Wall of Brick Dwelling Col
Iapses - Woman, ~82,.
Among Those in Ruins.

The rear half of the east wall of
a three-story brick dwelling at 713
I street crumpled 60 the ground early
last night, the six persons under the
roof escaping injury through freak
of good fortune.
The cause of the = collapse was
listed by police as due to weakened
foundations occasioned by an exca-
vation for a new building on the
lot adjoining. ..t
Those in the house when the wall
dropped were Mrs. Elizabeth, C. War
rem. eighty-two years old, and her
daughter and son-in-Iaw, Mr. and
Mrs. Leonard G. Barron, and their
three children.
!. Need More Men. ~
That the building department of the
blSlflct Is still operating without
suncient men was brought to light
aSaIn t.eIi To-Day In connection with the
Building Inspector John p. HeaIy.
VINO carly this morning began an In
Vestlgauon. stated that one field in
spector has been covering the ter
whose territory the building fell H.
on leave. Mr.. Healy said. and the in
spector assigned to the adjoining
area mas mad 10 look after both sections.
or the wreckage this morning the
building inspector returned to the
D1Strlct building and began prepara-
iron OF repart for the Commissioners.
Leave Earth Shelf.
Mr.. Healy explained that In exca-
Old structures the practice Is to leave
shelf Of earth extending out from
each of the adjoining walls until the
work. reaches the point where the
aoutting walls are to be underpinned.
The Inspector stated that he found
such a shelf extending out two feet
SIX inches from the wall on the east
sloe or the excavation, Because of
the debris he could not see what shelf
existed on the side where the wall
fell, he said
According to Mr.. Healy, a steam
shovel was not used in making the
excavation. because the building Of
nee informed the concern doing the
that job.
In March. 1922, an accident almost
Identical with the present one oc--
CURED In the southwest section OF the.
City. The side wall of the house at
1855 ID street southwest fell out. An
excavation had recently been made
on vacant lot adjoining the house.
After reading the. report on that
accident. Col Keller, former engineer
Commissioner, wrote a notation on
the bottom of 1T. expressing his
opinion that In such cases no permit
should be issued unless the character
OF the neighboring structures is
known and proper provision made.
An excavation also was being made
at the I street site for a sewer, near
the wall that fell, and Mr. Healy will
inquire carefully into this phase of
the job as well as the digging of the
foundation for the new building.
All OF the persons In the house hap
pened to be In positions where they
luckily escaped injury when the wall
caved away. Mrs Warren had re-
tired. Her bed was in the cornef with
head near the west wall OF the room.
and the foot of the bed about six feet
from the wall. When the wall COL
lapsed the flooring of the second floor
sagged to marked degree and the
bed with the occupant starting slid
The feet of the bed stopped on the
very brink of a thirty -foot-drc into
the excavation next door.
Mr. Barron rushed in as sool1a he
heard the crash, and got his mother
n-law downstairs In safety. -,
Mr.. and Mrs. Barron" were in the
front half of the house when the wall
fell. The three children were in the
third floor rear bedroom getting
ready to go to bed. The wall dropped
/ u
the side and left the flooring of the
third floor Supporting the bed hori-
zontally. This position was almost
unexplainable to experts in building
looking at it today. The youngsters
escaped by running down the staira.
which were intact.
Household Goods Scattered.
When the wall collapsed IL brought
with 1t a miniature ayalance of furni-
ture, furnishings and household
goods, which piled up in a chaotic
leap of debris in the excavation gap
next door.
The house ia owned by John and
Joseph Guiffrfda, who were planning
the building next door.
Police threw lines around the
wrecked building, outside of which
the family stood, scantiIy clad, for
sometime wondering where to find
shelter for the night. They were
taken into the home of Hubert Mills
of SIS G street.