Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-04-03
DESERET EVENING NEWS.
April J, 1890.
Thursday.
SHAKING DomN A DWELLING,
IFYEcT ON HOUSES OF THE vIBRA
TIoSs CAUSED BY PASSING
TRAINS.

The examination Of n house built
about six years ago on one OF the
uptown streets, between Fourth and
Madison avenues, shows how sem
sitive q structure can be 10 the effects
OF vibration when its competent
parts are small and the structure Is
unprovided with safeguards against
this unusual agent.
The serious injury about to be de-
scribed can only be attributed to
vibration, because the house-a five
story double fiat-was well built OF
bricks and fair mortar, with brown
stone ashlar front, the whole having
n hubble foundation resting on sound
reck, and interior track piers sup
porting the timber ginders, which
carried the main stud partitions, in
the usual manner. 1t is then reason
able to suppose that had the struc-
ture not been subjected to unusual
forces differently applied TO its
foundation, the settlement would
have been uniform, and the interior
would not have shown the follow
ing evidence Of unequal settlement
and strain.
Commencing the examination in
the cellar, the foundation wall
evinces no sign OF exterior fracture,
but il is depressed in several places
from front to rear, showing that the
bed on which it rests has been dis
placed. The eastern wall next to
Fourth Avenue Is about six inches
lower on the footing in the center Of
its length than the west wall, and
the piers supporting the partitions
are bent about two inches in the
height, about five feet six inches,
seemingly from the pressure OF the
beams as they subsidized with the
eastern foundation wall. The floor
concrete, however, is unbroken
round the piers, though it is broken
at the wall and sunken in many
places throughout the entire sur
face.
The consequences Of this are
shown throughout the PARTITION
walls, set at right angles to the east
ern wall, and on all door jambs and
window frames. Having settled 50
much ut the foundations, ii follows
that all square openings are thrown
out by pulling down the eastern
side to n more or less degree; for in
stance, some are 1t inches out of
square, some one inch, three-fOurths
of an inch, and 30 on. Needless to
say, the doors and sashes have all
been pieced and cut to suit and fit
into the present shape Of the open
ings. All the joints are open, and
il is n fortunate Circumstance that
the walls settled plumb, or the doors
and sashes would have required
more fitting.
The plaster is in n worse condi-
ton, being parted at the functions
and traversed over by large cracks
running diagonally from the top
eastern side TO the bottom on the
western side, and in many places it
threatens to fall of. So distinctly
is the settlement shown, that the
picture mold in the dining room is
bent into a curve and the floors are
sagged TO such an extent that when
n table is placed against the west
wall n ball Of wool will roll of its
top TO the floor.
Summed up, the building is in a
roor condition and shows too early
dilapidation. AS TO the cause OF
this, il is evidently attributable, as
stated before, to vibration eOmmu-
nicated, in this case, by the fre-
quent trains on Fourth avenue and
by the conclusion in blasting out
cellars on the adjoining street The
perceptible effect Of the vibration
caused by the trains varies with
their different speeds and weights,
but is always so noticeable that n
glass OF water placed upon the floor
when the train is passing will raise
a wavelet on the surface Of the
water, and the heavier trains often
rattle the sashes in their frames.
This vibration is felt all along the
avenue, and the buildings suffer
more or less.-7he manufacturer
and Builder.