Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-04-15
AN OFFICIAL AT IT.
The Great Cracks in Pittsburg's
Highest Business Block
DRAW BUILDING INSPECTOR OUT.
Mr.. Martin Frank Talks of That $500, 900
Nine-Story Eminence.
TIE NEW WESTINGHOUSE BUILDING

house Dulldlng, on the corner OF Penn ave-
nue. and Ninth street, to which attention
has so frequently been called, are now un-
dergoing thorough official overhauling,
and, if the result of the improvements and
notifications now in progress shall in the
end fail to prove satisfactory to Building
Inspector Frank, there is no knowing what
the fate of the building will be.
Mr.. Frank has been paying a good
many official visits to the Westinghouse
building lately. The result of his investi-
cation is about to be embodied in a report,
which the Building Inspector will make
public as soon as he has it finished. To Il
DISPATCH reporter Mr.. Frank said, at his
home yesterday afternoon:
'Of course there are some defects in the
building that should have been noticed by
the architect during the process of construc-
ton. The principal defect is the work
at the corner of Penn avenue and Ninth
street. If you have noticed it the building
goes up to the second story and there the
corner is suddenly discontinued, and kind
of balcony ornament is made.
THE WEIGHT ON THE ARCHES.
"The discrimination of the corner throws
the entire weight Of the succeeding seven
stories away from the corner and puts it on
the side walls. Now in these walls are
those big arched windows, which are totally
out of place, for that kind of struct-
ure, for two reasons: First, they are
too close to the corner, and second, the
arches were not strong enough to act as a
support for the colossal structure above.
''This is about the substance of the
trouble in the whole building, and, as I saw
yesterday, Architect PEBBLES has come to
the conclusion that the only way to get the
building in shape is to remedy the defects
in that corner. They are putting in some
enormous Improvements, which I would
estimate to cost at least Sc, ,000."
"Do you think that the present improve
ments, or rectifcations, when finished, will
put the building in such shape that there
never need be any fear of collapse? ?''
"Well, that is a pretty hard question to
answer as yet. But my investigation is not
finished, and it will not be until the present
improvements are complete. Then I shall
be able to say more about it. 1 can say
now, however, that the pig iron work which
is now being put into the walls is very SER
viceable in its place, and have the fullest
confidence id Mr.. PEBBLES desire to do all
in'his power to make the building what it
should be"
NOT AT ALL DANGEROUS.
Secretary J. R. Mckinley was seen at his
East End home by DISPATCH writer, and
in his usual urbane manner consented to
enlighten the visitor to the extent of his
knowledge in the matter first made known
to him by the reporter. But" said he,
hat
be almost infnitesimal, from the fact that 1
am ignorant of the goings-on of the archi-
tect and contractors and workmen, further
than that of causual observer who goes
and comes out of the building daily. I
have repeatedly deferred saying anything
about the defects of the Westinghouse
building, for no other reason than that of
one who knows nothing about them.
SIT is presumably known that did not
concur in everything suggested by one per-
son prominently connected in this matter,
and since then have not paid the slightest
attention to it practically"
In response to the reporters question,
"Who will defray the $4,000 or $40, 900 of
expense in making the improyements?'
lsMr. Mckinley said: The Philadelphia
Company, of course, as the architects work
is at an end when his plans and specifca-
UNDER PRACTICAL OVERSIGHT.
''I would further state that Vice Presi-
dent Paine, aside from the Board of Di-
rectors, has had full supervision of the
work now going on; but the plans were. sug-
i gested by Mr.. Westinghouse personally.
| Mr.. Paine is practical man in this capaci-
ty, being former civil engineer, and, of
course, is eminently capable of successfully
carrying out the work.
"The erroneous impression prevails that
the entire edifce is defective. This is en-
tirely wrong, however, as there is only the
one crack in the northeast corner, and over
the arch way. The foundations are as fine
as any have ever seen, and the talk of the
building collapsing is the idle prattle OF
| narrow minded men,
Mr.. MCKINLEY expressed regret that he
| could not be of more service to the writer,
and added; 'Ifyou wanted to know any
thing about our pipe lines, gas wells, etc.,
I would willingly talk to you at length, but
| you approach me with something that is, for
reasons of my own, entirely foreign to me,
and as 1 said before would respectfully re-
fer you to. Mr.. Paine, who is perfectly
familiar with every detail in the matter you
are looking up"
Mr.. Paine, when called up by telephone,
said it was Sunday, and he couldn't con-
sent to be interviewed on his day of rest,
even if a reporter should come out. When
told of the subject matter he yet more en-
phatically said he didn't want to be inter
| viewed.
Architect PEBBLES was not at home, so he
could say nothing to reporter about his
| great nine-story structure that is making SC
much talk.
BLOWN IN THE ROTTLE.