The following are affidavits taken soon after the collapse

"On this tenth day of september 1863 before me Philip S. Brown a Notary Public within and for the County of Jackson in the State of Missouri personally appeared Solomon S. Smith who is of lawful age and who being my first duly sworn on his oath says that he is a brick mason by occupation. That he has been engaged in that business in Kansas City, Missouri since the month of May in the year 1857, and that he built the walls of the 1st and 2nd stories of the Brick Building No. 13 in the Metropolitan Block in McGee's Addition to Kansas City, Missouri belonging to the heirs of Rev. R. S. Thomas Decd. and also the walls of the Building adjoining on the South side belonging to Mrs. Elizabeth Cockerel. That said building were erected in the year 1857, that the outer foundation Walls of the said Revd R. S. Thomas were eighteen inches thick and the partition walls thirteen inches thick. That the said entire Metropolitan Block was built in the same manner, the Walls being the same thicknesss. That this affiant states that the foundations of said R. S. thomas were firm and on solid clay bottom foundation, seven foot deep. The Walls well constructed from the foundation up of a good quality Merchantable Brick, that this affiant was careful in selecting the hardest and best quality Bricks for said entire house out of a lot of good quality Brick and specially the hardest for the said foundations. Between the said Revd R. S. Thomas Building and the Mrs. Cockrell House there was one common partition Wall. These joists met in the partition wall between Mrs. Cockrell's House and the house belonging to the estate of the Revd R. S. Thomas Decd. and the other ends rested upon girders extending the entire length of each house running East and West sixty feet and length of the Building, these Girders were supported by Wooden Posts or Columns placed in (the) first story. After these Post or Columns should be removed, then the Girders of the course would bend or sink until the ends would Come off the walls which then would be their only support, and then the joists having been Securely nailed and fastened to the floor would operate as a lever extending the entire length of the Wall dividing the two houses and necessarily cut the Wall half   into the entire length beneath the joists into the basement of the Adjoining House, and cause the upper Walls to fall over into the house from whence the Posts or Columns had been removed  and the girders and the joists give way in. The affiant further states that he has been engaged as Contractor in the business of Building Brick Buildings of all sizes and classes in different sections of the United States for Nineteen years past. That he is competent to erect substantial Walls and Buildings and to decide their capacity for the different branches of Service. That a building may be used for and that the Walls of said Revd R. S. Thomas House were Sufficiently thick and Substantial to support Six Stories therein, that under no Circumstances of occupation for Stores whatever weight might have been placed therein and for Dwelling and any other ordinary use and occupation Could said building belonging to the heirs and Estate of Revd R. S. Thomas have fallen on the adjoining Building. Except undermining the Supports aforesaid. This affiant further says that said Building, that the adjoining Buildings were also good and Substantial Buildings and Could only given way by removing the Columns aforesaid or by Cutting the Walls or Undermining the foundations in some way.
/s/Solomon S. Smith"


"Sworn to and Subscribed before me on this 10th day of September 1863. Witness my hand and the Notarial Seal.
/s/P. S. Brown
Notary Public"

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