The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-09-30
THE CHICAGO CUSTOM HOUSE,

THEY RECOMMEND MATERIAL CHANGES IN
THE BUILDING-AND THAT WORK BE CON
TNUED-sECRETARY BRIsT0w ACTS ACCORD
IN0BY.
WAsHINeToN, Sept 25.-The report OF the
board appointed to investigate the Chicago
custom house, after recitiDg the circum-
stances of their appointment and acknowl-
edgiug the good Offices and couTtesies of all
with whom their duties brought them in
contact, arrives at the following conclusion:
The ground upon which the oun-
dalton Of the building rests was by
our direction thoroughly tested by
digging, boring and applying known
weights upon known areas, thus giving Us,
we believe, thorough knowledge OF its
nature. Your commissioners find that the
building is underlaid throughout its whole
extent with a cOmpressible stratum, coIu.
varying in thickness from twenty to twenty
five feet, below which Is hard blRe clay.
They are of the opinion, after much
careful deliberation, that the foun-
dation of the building should in
the first instance nave been carried to this
and that had this course been adopted there
would never have been any question con-
corning the safety of the building. As it is,
the building rests on a continuous mass OF
concrete, varying in thickness from three
and a half to four feet, covering the whole
area OF the building except the central and
corner spaces and some of the areas.
Concrete is excellent and distributes
pressure over an area materially
greater than the footing stOnss of piers, so
that the pressure per square foot on the
ground below will probably not be greater
than 1000 pounds. The result of the tests
abplied by the board shows that this ground
w 4 Tlnr
square foot without material disturbance.
Your commissioners is of the opinion too,
that the weight of the building can be much
reduced, and recommends that such reduC-
ton be insisted upon most strenuousiy.
They therefore report that in their opinion
the foundation of the building is
NOT ON FIRM GROUND,
but that with the notifications already
proposed, and the alterations of the founds-
ton hereinafter mentioned, the defects in
the foundation may be amended, The alb
sence of reliable bench marks and the conse-
Quent confusion in levels prevented the
board from determining whether the founda-
tons vary from the original level, but
comparison of all the levels taken by the
three. boards convinced them that
the building may be said
to be- really level in itself the
extreme difference OF level in the four
corners BEING less than one-hslf an inch,
while at three corners the levels only differ
by i've one-hundredths of an inch. The
greater height of the west side, when CON-
n >Ted with that of the other three sides is due
TO IA npheaval by frost, but on account of
the absence OF bench marks already
nsntl, Nned the board is unable to
state . ositively whether there has been
4 settien tent or not. They are, how
appearances ,f the building, well as from
the general uniformity OF land, that there
has been so far no maternal settlement al
thou0h some sttlement may be appre-
hended in the fut ure progress of the build
ing, II however, the precautions suggested
bv the board be- adopted they are OF the
opinion that sucG. settlement viii
be uniform anc VIII not mater
tally interfere wit the security
of the building. We ther. tore recommend
that wherever there are walls q" 'ne c1ncieIe
foundations inside the area OF the walls shey
be filed with uniform depth of TO- IeeI;
that the concrete under the building be ieiI
and that the entire surface u
covered with sufficient concrete to bring il
TO the level necessary TO receive flooring.
and that all the necessary drainage and sew
ersge of the building be completed as the
additional concrete is laid. 2, AS TO the
NATURE AND QUALITIES OF THE STONE
of which the edifce is constructed, and
whether it has durability. strength and the
other qualities desirable, the board is of the
opinion, after a careful examination, that
the stone is not that which they would have
selected for such building, had they been
designated to make a selection, for
cheaper and better stone could have
been obtained. But on account OF
the fact that q large amount of money has
already been expended 10 the purchase, cut
ting and selling of stone, three-fourIns eff
the whole quantity necessary having been
delivered and wrought, and that 1t has in
this building and in such structures as the
board has seen the apparent durability
OF ordinary sand stones and that its strength
is sufficient for the purposes of building,
they do not think that any change should
now be made in the stone. Third, as to the
other materials, the brick is good and we'll
laid. The concrete is well made and
faithfully placed, and the iron work
IL good and well fitted though
excessive in quantity. As to whether
any changes Sn the plans or material to be
used should be made, and if so, what, and
an estimate Of the probable cost of such
changes. The board are of the opinion that
the pier on the corner Of Clark and Adams
street anu the two adjoining piers on Clark
course of the first story, their sides being
out of plumb, that the stone cover
ipg5, on the roots of the porticoes
should be removed and iron beams and
brick arches substituted, and the ceilings
finished on the under side with iron; that
the stone work on Clark street should be
carried up to the level of the other work as
soon as possible, and in the further progress
OF the work the walls should be kept as
nearly level as practicable. That the
supervising architect OF the treasury
be requested to reduce the weight of the
building above the second story, and TO
omit all stone work above the line of the
horizontal cornices, which they believe can
be made without injury to the architectural
appearance OF the building or its
usefulness Tor the purpose of its cree
ton. In reducing tho weights the principle
OF equalizng the pressure per square foot
on the footing stones should DO adopted. The
board lay great stress upon this recon-
mendation, and believed that the money
saved DV the nrODOsnd reduction of vaiOht