Thought this tiny bit of building history of New York might interest some
on this list.  Ruth

Vermont Tribune, Ludlow, April 17, 1885

 A Row of New Tenement-houses Shoddy Built, Fall and Injure Many Workmen

Eight five-story tenement-houses on West Sixty-second street in New York,
built on criminally cheap principles, collapsed, Monday, and tumbled down,
the wreck being complete.  Some 30 workmen were busy about the structures,
and a part of them were buried in the ruins.  A large loss of life was
rumored at firs, but now only six workmen are unaccounted for.  At least 18
were injured but none fatally.  Charles FRANCK, the master brick-layer, was
arrested, but the builder, Charles  BUDDINSEIK, who has frequently been in
bad odor with the authorities on account of the "skin" structures he has
put up, drove rapidly from the scene to his house on East Seventy-seventh
street, and disappeared; finally, however surrendered himself.

Charles FRANCK and Charles SWAGER, bricklayers, say the houses were built
during the cold weather of the winter "imitation" mortar being used and the
walls filled in with timber, left by the carpenters, to save bricks.  When
the recent warm weather began, the walls began to weaken, and steps were
taken to brace them up from both ends so that they would stick together
until the roofs could be put on and the end walls rebuilt.

Monday morning it was seen that three houses at the west end were in
imminent danger of falling.  The foundation had bulged noticeably, and the
walls were shaky.  Builder BUDDINSEIK's attention was called to this and he
set men to work to fix up the walls and foundation.  Four stone masons and
18 carpenters were at work on this when the crash came.  There were
roofers, painters, lathers and plumbers numbering perhaps 30 at work about
the premises at the time.

About 3:15 p. m., a shout of warning went up and the end building toward
Eleventh avenue was seen to totter and then fall, with a noise of thunder.
Both foundation side walls had fallen out, and the body of the house,
deprived of its support, collapsed.  The building adjoining fell next.
Then the whole row followed like a line of card houses.  There was a
continuous roar, that seemed to last many minutes, as one after the other
the tall buildings went down.  In a very short time an excited crowd had
gathered whose threats of vengeance on the reckless builder filled the air.

When the heavy cloud of dust had cleared away, the people looked upon a
heap of broken bricks and timbers which was piled only a few feet above the
level of the street.  Men with broken limbs and bruised faces were
struggling out from under the wreck and dragged themselves painfully away.
Shrieks and groans were heard from one or two places and to these spots the
people rushed.  Firemen, and all the available ambulances in the city were
summoned to the scene.

Transcribed by Ruth Barton
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Ruth Barton
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Dummerston, VT

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