Daily Republican., 1885-08-22
The Unsafe Tower.
THE OPINION OF OrHER BUILD
ERS OF THE NEW HIGH
SCHOOL.
USELESS ORNAMENT

uO COtD l5StOh ohSdkOo III AnNObbh
eating the differences between Build
ing Inspector Chandler and f L. Rice,
Jr., the architect of the new High
School Building, held another meeting
last evening to hear further testimony
by experts in reference to the safety
and stability of the building. President
Baird of the BOARD of Education, and
other interested parties were present, In
addition to number of builders and
contractors.
The proceedings were opened at 1875
o'clock by President II. II. Taylor, who
stated that the commission was ready
TO hear testimony on behalf of Mr..
Rice, and the examination of witnesses
WAS begun.
Washington Cox testified that he had
visited the building at the request of
Mr.. Rice and examined the cellar walls !;
he found them first rate in every respect,
being built of good stone and we'll
bended. He did not examine the brick
work and could not have told much
about it il he had.
j. Il. D. Seeds stated that he is the
contractor for tho building and is well
acquainted with everything about 1t.
The walls were constructed with view
of sustaining the tower, and he thought
it would carry all that could be put
upon it. Mr.. Chandler had stopped
him once, from building a 0 inch sal.
mon brick wall, and obliged him to put
Iup a13 inch wall of hard brick. Mr..
Rice spoke TO him about building pier
and puttir & column under the girder
| to support the tower; the pier could be
built substantial enough by usin
cement, and but little of it, but he could
| not say that the ground would not settle;
in that case he would not say what the
effect would be. He could not say that
the ground would settle, but if it did, 1t
would throw the tower over and it
might lean 3 inches, but not fall. Mr..
Rice spoke to him about the iron
column and pier before the Building
Inspector bad made any objection.
| If he was ordered to proceed with
the tower he would do 90, and .build it
as strong as possi bic. He thought the
tower could be constructed 30 that 1t
wou id be safe, unless it was struck
with Il cyclone such as wrecked the
very few buildings in this city that
would stand a blow like that. On
cross by Building In
lspector Chandler he said that he did
not think there would be sufficient
Vibration caused by the children
moving oyer the floors to cause any
damage. He would not give any
lguarantee that the tower would stand
but it was his Impression that 1t would ,
under ordinary circumstances.
He would not take the responsibility
of the per not settling, and If it did he
he would not give much for the tower.
Il In answer to Mr.. r. FL Taylor, the
witness said the tower should be con-
tstructeu so that 1t would resist the
force of any wind, but he did think that
Ieven the tower on theCourt house would
stand cyclone.
II Mr.. Moore asked him what the tower
, was intended for, and If it was the in.
tention to have class rooms in it. He re-
piled that it was not for any use at all,
except to go up in aud look around.
He supposed that it was intended for
an ornament
In answer to Mr.. Rice he said that a
wind that would blow the tower down
would take the entire upper part OF the
building off.
Mr. Grubb asked how IL was that the
specifications called for g iron in the
lgirder, and Il inch was used, and he
replied that it was full half inch,
and that the Is could not be obtained.
A. S. Reed testified that he had not
examined the walls, but he considered
them safe. 1t was imposs ible for him
to examine the walls, but they looked to
him as though they were good valls.
He thought it possible TO constrct q
pier that would not sink, but they
would have to 90 down TO hard pan for
a foundation.
Joserh Hyde had visited the building
[ Ii and went up to the third floor, but did
not make much of an examination. He
thought that IL a column was placed
under the girder it would be strong
enough, but he thought the ends of the
: girder should rest on stone or iron
r pilates, and be Clipped off to fit exactly.
, 1t was his opinion that the building
f inspector acted wisely in stopping the
construction of the tower under the
t circumstances. Even If an iron column
. and pier were placed underneath, and
g 1t should settle a little, the ends of the
9 girder, resting on wood, would be apt
, to crush the walls.
VI Unless there was a pier and iron
8 column underneath he did not think
0 1.-The girder capable of sustaining a
lgreaIer pressure than seventeen tons,
t but with an iron column twelve inches
in diameter he thought it would stand
/ a pressure of two hundred tons. He
did not think that any vibration caused
}, by children passing over the floor
i would cause any danger. He thought
r the girder could be rendered safe by
lplscing column under it, but if he
8 was constructing the building he would
, throw the girder away altogether, and
] substitute iron beams. He had no
, doubt but pier would settle some.
II John G. Haddock testified that he l..
| lsuperYising the construction of the
. building, and had been there continu
| ally since the windows were set on the
t first floor. He considered the walls safe
& and well built.
al Mr.. Chandler has visited the building
. at least once day ,and never made any
objection except in the case of the nine
3 inch salmon brick wall, VIII jch he bad
Q changed to thirteen inch hard brick
: wall.
ell In answer to Mr.. r e. Taylor, he
said that he thought the tower could be
made perfectly safe, by supporting the
a girder with a column resting on a pier
+ built in concrete.
In answer to Mr.. Chandler he said
that he, Mr.. Chandler, had condemned
f walls about the building three months
8 before the accident happened over Third
n street bridge. Mr.. Chandler said his
: object in asking this question was to
Y show that the report which had been
, circulated by certain interested parties
was false.
{ Mr.. Rice asked the witness if hi
: thought Mr.. Chandler could reada plan
3 and he replied that hs did not know
l Iabout that, but be did think that hi
o asked some very funny questions for a
0 Building Inspector.