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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