St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-08-30
BUFFINGTON'S BARN.
Some of the Results of Our Capitol
Reporter's Investigations.

hcpOrLefS luVcSIlguUlOllSs
The estimated cost given by Burlington for the
completion of the state capitol, alluding to hi:
plans, was S120,000 but when it is completed
THAT is when the IS, 900 worth of stone steps are
built) the money put into it, outside of the
patchwork now going on, viii have been in the
region of $33O,00o. From these figures
! it would seem that the state
of Minnesota should have secured
a structure capable of holding itself up for al
least two years, and this fact certainly shows
that it not from lack of funds to build 1t That
the present condition of ruin and weakness ex
lists.
! At first, when the mysterious decision was
made which rejected the plans OF we'll known
! and skillful local architects for that of Buing-
ton, for his pay he was to receive the sum OF
2la or per cent. on the whole cost of the
struture, $1Sn000, for his remuneration. But
when the papers were drawn up for him to
| sign to this effect, he having get
the structure well started he refused to take
| that compensation, and was finally given double
that amount of percentage, which between $780,
900 and $500, COZ made very fat pile fer building
| a ''barn good enough for st. Paul"
| In order to finish up this structure st. Paul
| citizens contributed the sum of 900 aud paid
it. In the winter of 1888, Geo. Hubbard had n
bill drawn up to pay this $4,000 back to the
| citizens of St. Paul, and this bill was passed by
| the legislature, when w. Il. Morrison arose in his
seat and the part Of the business contribut-
ing this money, and alluding TO their decision,
refused this reimbursement. In view of this fact
and the now evident .'nigger in the fence in
the original construction of the interior of this
| building, the child of its supervising archetect
and contractors, it would that citizens of
st. Paul had some right to critcise this public
edifce commencing to crumble to pieces III
twelve months after its occupancy.
Now that ''whitewash' has been added copi-
| ously to other attemps to cover up the damages
| of poor calculation and worse construction in
this building, it might just well be noted
down for the benefit of the taxpayers and people
of Minnesota that after the official report Of
! yesterday to the governor that no one feels en-
| tirely safe iu the pursuance of his avocation in
| this binding. The fear is not
exactly that the building may come
| tumbling down from roof to basement about the
ears of The occupants before they can escape,
but that from the settling OF the trUsses weaken
ing in this settling other supports, such as
| timbers, braces and ioice, of cement,
composed fully one half of broken brick, dirt,
| chips, pebble stones and other debris, may sud
denly fall upon their heads from the cracked
and bullying ceilings and send them over the
hill to tn cemetery without chance for prayer
| or shrift
The opinion of every denizen of the capitol
| building in relation to that Mountain labored
| and begat mousse report was the same yester-
terday Though expressed by some in open words
and by others with gesticulatlon, not to be
| put personally record,) that it was an evasion
of the whole subject except as 10 the solidity OF
| the foundation stones and brick walls,
of which there had teen no fear OF
insecurity from the outset. From their
remarks it was evident that they had hoped for
| the pointing out of remedy for saving the
structure from ruin by the commission, and for
some plan which would insure permanent safety,
| instead of cake of architectural soft soap, yet
that they feared that professional courtesy would
rob them, as well as the public, of satisfactory
explanation the proposal of remedy OF any
more practical effect than dose of bread pills.
The GLOBE representative after hearing these
expressions of general disgust and taking an
| other look at the head cheese cement fresco on
the ceiling of the auditors office, repaired to the
stairs leading into the second story near the
Cedar street entrance, at the foot Of which a
croos- beam in the ceiling has recently "sagged'
several inches in its center. These stories were
covered with debris and on reaching the flight to
the third story a heap of chairs and
tables blocked up the way or
| which was a written notice, ''No admittance. -
At the head of these stairs the loose ceiling had
been removed, hanging with its weight of fire
proof, and men were engaged in fastening 9
Il ''sunken" beam with rods of iron to truss in
the roof. The mechanic in charge said that g
portion of the stairs supported by an iron rod
running up through a small wooden post to this
sick beam, which he doctoring, that
the fire proof too heavy load
for the trusses to carry by wood and nail attach
ments, and that he proposed to mend things VI
as far as possible with iron rod decorations.
An inmate of the building confidently asserted
that the trusses in the hall of representatives
had settled five inches in the center since the
work of disintegration had set in, and that the
policy of supporting them with iron columns was
just as necessary the Hubbard iron post in
front of the rooms of the supreme count jus
tees. He further asserted that an architectural
association in the state was looking into the
condition of this building on their own response
bility and that he hoped they would report be-
fore Burlington went to Europe to study archi
lecture and possibly persuade the Londoners to
unroof Westminster abbey and substitute there
for spiderweb of green Minnesota pine with
adobe anchorage.
A well posted fireman who looked
over the roof few days since
inquired if rats and mice infested the
structure, for said he. if they should gnaw of
the insulation from the electric light wires run
ming up through the light woodwork above the
hall of representatives and senate chamber, as is
sometime the case, and such unprotected wire
should be charged and come in contact with this
nest of woodwork, 1t would fire it, the cement
| would prevent the flames being reached and there
would be music in this building of the most
calamitous kind, especially if it was crowded
In the report of the commission, as far as the
foundations and walls are concerned, their state
ment is satisfactory. If the main trusses in the
| roofs of the north and south wings are made to
| "stand a breaking load of 34S tons, and will
safely carry 81 TONS (Which they failed to do,
and settled and5 would have fallen lower if they
| had not been caught in all iron rod swing,l why
did they fail to do it, and what business has
| Gov Hubbard iron column to be there easing
the truss in the south wing of nearly eight
tons of safe burden? II it is necessary for this
dragged truss to be furnished with this crutch
why is it not also necessary to furnish the
trusses in the other wings, showing that they
are tired of doing capable duty divided by -four
for safety, with similar supports.
| BY the natural settling of these trusses, Ito
| which is hung roof lined with heavy cement
and hanging garden of joist loaded with ce-
ment the whole depending sundry Dwooden
braces and attachments with wrought nail fasten-
ings, fitted together before shrnkage of the tim
Der commenced is not the whole mechanism
of structure weakened an thrown out Of safety
into danger? When timber says won't nails pull
out or break defective timber give way under
strain, and rents, fractures, and signs of general
debility make themselves manifest? With their
elephantine load of fire proofng, answering no
purpose of safety from fire whatever. then all the
| wings of the Minnesota state house are fearfully
i'll in all their interior arrangements above theiI
| granite ankles.
Latest Regarding the Nicollet Trag.
edy.