Part 607: The Wonderland Disaster Investigation in Detroit, 1898, third section
While researching the Temple Theatre in Detroit, I encountered an interesting article about an 1898 theater roof collapse. The testimony in today’s section is from John Scott (1850-1928), a well-known architect in Detroit, Michigan. He practiced there in partnership with his brother Arthur H. Scott from 1889 until after 1914. Born in Ipswich, England, he and his brother were the sons of the Detroit architect William Scott (1821-1889). By 1874 John joined his father in a formal partnership – William Scott & Son, renamed William Scott & Co. by 1875. After the death of their father in 1889, John and Arthur partnered with Louis Kamper, as Scott, Kamper & Scott, Architects. In 1891, the firm was renamed John Scott & Co. in 1891, remaining active until after 1920. John Scott retired in 1926 and passed away in 1928.
Here is the third section of the Wonderland Disaster Investigation published in the “Detroit Free Press” –
The Roof Contract.
Attorney Conely then took up the matter of the roof contract. Mr. Scott said that when the original specifications were being drawn for the roof, he understood that it was to be fireproof. He also understood that the DeMan system had been used to some extent on the Detroit Opera House. Witness then said that when the roof bids were first opened, John Scott and himself were in favor of giving the contract to a Cleveland firm, as Mr. DeMan’s bid was not complete. The later was so told, but wanted the matter reopened so he could fix his bid to meet the requirements. This was done and Col. Wood recommended the adoption of the DeMan bid. Mr. Scott stated that his bid was about $400 lower than the next lowest bid.
Attorney Boynton – “Who sent for Col Wood to consult him about the DeMan roof?”
“I did not, personally. Technically, I do not know who sent for him.”
Mr. Scott was then shown a longitudinal section of the roof beams, in which the brace on which he contended the beam running from the front wall to the truss rested, was missing. He admitted that the size of the roof beams was decided on before the details were worked out. He said that he took them from the opera house plans and standards, as far as possible, and worked the rest out himself.
Prosecuting Attorney Frazer asked the witness who arranged for the inspection of the steel, and the answer was that the inspection was determined on the advice of Col. Wood, which caused the prosecutor to remark that if he was not careful he would get the whole truss over on Col. Wood and break his neck. He then said that he wrote in the clause in the specifications referring to the inspection and said that he got it from the specification of the opera house, which Col. Wood told him to use as far as they applied.
“The clause called for the inspection of the steel at the mill?”
“It was optional.”
“Do you know enough to tell us how you drew them up?”
“I can’t remember the exact wording, but the clause stated that the architects had the right to appoint an inspector at the mill.”
Had No Inspector.
“Did you employ anyone as inspector of the steel put in the Wonderland building?”
The witness first tried to evade a direct answer and then said that no inspector was employed, outside of the one at the mill.
“Who inspected the steel at the mill?”
“The people who made the material had it inspected.”
“You paid the people who made the steel for inspecting it?”
“We did not pay for it.”
“As a protection for the owners of the building you had the steel inspected by the people who made it and did not pay the men they employed? Is not that a fool arrangement?”
Mr. Frazer had first made the question more pointed, but changed the form when Mr. Conely objected. Mr. Scott finally said that in his opinion the steel should be inspected by an inspector not connected with the mill.
“You had the authority to order an inspection of the steel at the mill?”
“Yes.”
“You did not have it inspected in Detroit?”
“Not to my knowledge.”
“There is also an inspection to see that the right sizes of steel are placed in the trusses being built?”
“Yes”
“You did not employ an inspector there?”
“I don’t know. I suppose the man on the building inspected it.”
“Who?”
“John Scott.”
“He had no inspector?”
“No.”
Witness added that he believed John Scott knew enough to see that the steel work conformed with the detail drawings. He said that he could not swear that John Scott had inspected it. Mr. Scott admitted that to have the steel inspected as the work progressed was the only safe way to see that the specifications were carried out by the contractors. Witness said that an engineering company could have skimmed the job in many ways, had it set out to do so. Mr. Scott stated that he had received strain sheets for all the steel made at the mill, showing the results of the tests made on the different pieces. He didn’t know whether Col. Wood saw them.
To be continued…
