An investigation of the fatal collapse of the roof of a building under construction by the Edgerton Concrete Products Company was held this morning by city building authorities and work was ordered stopped until they were able to hold another investigation of the accident with state officials.
On Saturday morning the roof collapsed, causing the instant death of Alphonzo Watkins, 21 year old local man, and injuring of another white man and three negroes.
The building authorities stated that the building was about 80 feet in length and about 40 feet wide, with outer walls about eight inches thick. There was an inner wall half way between the two outer walls. The roof was of a vaulted type, with a solid cement roof curving from both outer walls to the inner one.
The roof had been placed over one side of the building and not over the other, and the men were removing the frames and supports form the one side to the other, in order to place a roof over that, and when the frames and supports were removed the roof caved in from the top, the weight of the cement pushing the one outer wall and upper wall over, this allowing the roof to fall upon the men.
The roof was made entirely of cement, with the exception of a sheet of wire placed in the center of the cement when it was poured. The building officials stated they thought that the cement had frozen instead of hardening.
Work on the building was ordered held up until State officials could be brought here to view the building and the method used in constructing it.
From the front page of The Wilson Times, Tuesday, January 29, 1924.
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