The Wilmington morning star., 1940-04-20
PURCELL BUILDING
RAZING ORDERED
HALTED BY CITY
Continued From Page One)

brick of the sidewall and the press
ed face brick of the front III. In
my opinion, the new cracks have
occurred within the past fifteen
days.
due to this condition, and to
the fact the front wall is not ade-
quately bonded to the sidewall be-
cause Of difference in size Of the
face brick and the common brick,
I consider the front to be danger
GUS to the public using the street
and to the tenants using the build
ing. I, therefore, recommend that
the city order all demolition opera
lions to the adjacent building to
the south be stopped Immediately
and not resumed until the city is
assured that the hazard has been
removed"
After a study of the report the
city commissioners adopted an or
der which was drawn up by City
Attorney William B. Campbell. The
main parts of the order are as fol
lows:
Whereas, the commissioners of
the City Of Wilmington, North
Carolina, heretofore ordered g sur
vey and inspection of the premises
above referred to, and pursuant to
said order the appropriate officials
directed to make said inspection
and in vestigation have filed their
reports; and
"Whereas, in addition thereto,
the building inspector has filed an
additional and supplemental re-
port, and from said reports it ap-
pears that in addition to the haz-
ards and dangers referred to there
in it further appears that the work
of demolition upon the front n
north walls of the structure ad-
joining the premises at numbers
% and "a North Front street is
constantly adding to and increasing
the public hazards and daily en-
} dangering the public, and that If
} the demolition work continues the
front wall of the premises at num-
bers % and "a North Front street
will be so undermined and weaken
ed that the same is likely to col
lapse upon the sidewalk and the
!, public street; and upon due con-
sideration of the subject, the COM
missioners of the City of Whining
ton are of the opinion and SO find
that it is necessary, in the interest
of public safety and to prevent the
increase of a public hazard, to re-
ouire an immediate cessation of the
work of demolition aforesaid.
"Now, therefore, it is hereby re-
solved and ordered that Henry B.
McKoy and ]. E. Sternberger, and
any and all other persons now en-
gagged in demolishing or taking
down the front wall and the north
side wall of the premises abuttlng
and adjoining the building and
premises designated as numbers ~
and "a North Front street, Will
mington, North Carolina, be and
they are hereby required to stop
Immediately all work of demolition
of that portion of the front wall
and that portion of the north side
wall of the premises adjoining the
property at numbers % and "a
North Front street, which portions
of the walls of the property being
demolished are adjacent to and
abutting on said North Front
street and which support or brace
the front wall of said premises at
numbers % and "a North Front
street; and the said persons are
further ordered to do no other act
or thing with respect to said demo-
lition work which creates, adds or
contributes to the dangers n
hazards to the public using the
sidewalk and streets on North
Front street in the City Of Will
mington."
The order was ordered served on
Henry B. McKoy, Of Greenville,
S. c., contractor for the theatre
/ building, and j. E. S~ternberger,
t contractor on the demolition work.
l sternberger said last night that
the order had been served on him
/ by Chief Of Police Joseph c. Rourk.
7 McKoy is out of the city at pres
l ent.
Sternberger stated that he will
go ahead with work on the south
wall but that he will await other
action before going further on the
job.
The building next to us is abso'
lutely dangerous and should be
; condemned and torn down." he
said.
! He stated further that the build
> ing might fall down even if they
: do not tear Out the walls of the
Purcell building.
i've expected any morning to