Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-09-14
DR.. ThOmp,On's PIastar.

COL. LUDLOW ORDERS IT'S REMOVAL, AND THE
DOCTOR THREA7 EMS SUIT.
DR.. j. Ford Thompson Is having q large house
erected on the west side OF 18th street
northwest, between III and /, few steps north
OF the Metropolitan club house, and in a very
fashionable quarter. A portion of the roadway
In front of the new house has been occupied by
building material. Last Friday afternoon y
train Of twenty carts, belonging to the District
and driven by District drivers, appeared on the
scene. The men shoveled the sand and plaster
lying in front of the house into the carts and
drove away. Since then building operation
on the house have been practically stopped.
DIR. THoMpsoN's COMPLAINT.
Dr. Thompson, speaking 10 a STAR reporter
to-day, denounced the action of ,ol. Ludlow In
peremptorily ordering the material removed as
an outrage. He said no law had been violated
and only SO much of the street occupied AS Was
been delayed, first by a S dinieaity "In in
Dor strikes The maIerial moved belonged
TO the plasterer, Mr.. Hughes, who told the man
who came to him Friday to order its removal,
that he would have IL all carried into the build
ing by the close of the next day. DIR. Thompson
said he went TO the District buildings, but was
told nothing could be done because Col. Lud-
pying the house, said DIR. Thompson, II will
begin personal suit against Ludlow tor dam
ages Mr.. Hughes will sue tor the cost OF his
Material. think l have a right to build a
house, and lawyers tell me that had right to
occupy portion of the street while building" !"
WorkDen on the building, DIR. Thompson
said, stated that some members OF the Metro
polit;sn club, of which Col. Ludlow is a men-
Der, had stumbled into the plaster, and it was
supposed that the complaint against the OBJ
struction proceeded from tnem.
COL LUDLOW s ORDER.
Building Inspector EntwisIe said that the
order to have the material removed was given
him by Col. Ludlow. Notice was given that the
material should be removed in seven days. The
"A al had nat
moved carts were sent to take 1t away. The
complaint was that the street was blocked an
1t Was narrow street, aud the roadway was
made still narrower by the railroad tracks. The
permit TO build was issued January l6Lh last,
and the roadway had been Obstructed
nearly ever since tnat date. Two months ago
the contractor was ordered to remove the ma
terial, and did SO, but subsequently the street
was filled again. Mr.. Entwisie said the build
ing regulations gave the inspector ample power
in sucn cases. He quoted section 26, which,
after providing for the occupancy of streets by
material, says: "All materials and rubbish shall
be removed by the contractor or owner OF the
property whenever SO directed by the inspec-
tor" He thought that a suit brought by DIR.
Thompson might result in good ii II broug Ia t
about a judicial decision upon the question and
established beyond dispute the legality Of the
building regulations.
COL. LUDLOW SAYS IT WAS LOADED.
Col. Ludlow, who returned to the city to-day,
smiled when STAR reporter spoke to him
about q threatened suit by DR.. Thompson, and
said: II thought the builder was responsible
He is the person to whom all the notices were
sent and who acknowledged them. 1 did not
know that DR.. Thompson was building his own
house." Col. Ludlow said that the contractor
had been notified repeatedly Of violations of
the building regulations, and the thing had
continued. He finally directed the building
inspector TO have the material removed at u
certain time it the contractor diu not remove.
mo attention was paid to this said" said Col.
Ludlow. "They evidently Thought it was in
tended only 10 frighten them-that it was a
blank shot fired in the air. But it was loaded
1t is the duty of the Commissioners to main
tain the building regulations. There are
900 900 people IN this city who are not espe-
ciaiiy interested in the erection OF that house,
but who arc interested in having the streets
which are the feature OF the city-obstructed as
little Us possible. They would have just ground
for complaint against the Commissioners ii the
latter failed to enforce the regulations" Col
Ludlow said he had received many verbal com.
plants OF the obstruct lion, which had continued
an intolerable length Of time, but IL was the
duty Of the Commissioners To take cognisance
of such things without omplaint.