Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-09-01

Inspecting the building AZ
plstely every des4il Of the vori,
everybody was ready to enjoy the h seshments
served by tbs hosts Of the oeeasiar. Messrs.
bevfne and keenan,
During the reception hours q section Of the
hIArine Band rendered . program of music.
what has been done in the building since the
seeident IN April last and how thoroughiy the
handsome interior finish has been restores is
very clearly set forth in a report made at the
fsquees OF Vice President Morton. the owner
OF this building. by heard consisting Of
James II. Windrira, architect. director Of de-
partment OF public works, Philadelphia; Ber-
nArd r. Green, civil engineer. superintendent
and engineer of the building for Library of
Congress, and Thos. D. Entwisle, the inspector
OF buildings for this city.
WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY.
The report is as follows:
The board selected by you to advise upon
the plan and method for reconstructing the
interior of the Shoreham apartment house in
THIS city and to maintain a constant overnight
o. the materials and workmanship with which
mat object was accomplished, having performed
that duty, now have the honor to present the
Following report:
The occasion for this reconstruction arose
almost solely from fundamental and unusual.
manner of constructing the floors, but in no
way affecting. even temporarily, the strength
or stability of the walls. interior supports or
partitions Of the building. all of which are rs
good as is usual in such structures. and have
moreover never exhibited any sign OF crack,
displacement or weakness
The Shoreham erected only two years
ago, being completed in the fall of 1889. but,
proving 1t once TO be one of the most desirable
apartment houses in the city, it was immedi-
r.a1v full a
tinued, with all Of its machinery and apparatus
IN active operation The temperature thus
maintained throughout the house from the
start exerted baneful influence upon the pc
culiar nature Of the flooring, Fastening its
decay.
DESCRIPTION OF TEE BUILDING.
The building is Of eight stories, with front
age OF l25 feet on 18th street and no feet on Ii
street, to which an extension of twenty-eight
feet was added during the past year, but with a
safe and double flooring instead of the perish
able kind in the original building. Standing
upon good ground, with concrete and stone
foundation, the superstructure consists entirely
of brick walls and iron columns. Orders and
plates, which carry all OF the light partitions
and, with the brick walls, furnish the bearings
for the wooden joists of all floors. AL parti-
tons not formed by the main brick walls ex-
tending up through the building from the
cellar consist Of hollow fire-proof block. The
stsirways entirely of iron, with marble
treads, and the building contains two first-class
passenger elevators in ire-proof shafts With
the exception of the floors therefore, all struc-
evide,tIy nronor,io,a1 ,1J NJ to,o,har %
cool nri,cs.nIas M rs,,,;rino 10 oitsratio, o.
1s,,,dr.a,oa, N -
THg PATENT ASH FILLING.
II was quite otherwise, however. with the
floors Of the main building, which were sup
ported, as stated by the iron beams of the main
.,- -, ,,
e "viA GIN tHs u,ioh Walls Ing Jo.sts
ie VI sieei s,1e' seheiny INV inenos, ,te-
~ yirsi,;a r;ns TLis e 60 - ~ -. i
ferior building pines in the country. omen
grained, chiefly sap wood, and it generally
somes 70 lnis marx MARIE, unseasoned ana ready TO
In M III h,. Al 9rs s,'ua. n anu
30 - l. ;.i;I ~ -; - N 80 JUS.
was HaeI on eacH
nSS-; ~ " 40
a,d cast - d. nrsr;.aa I.I -oueu
a~,Sa~aS d;-ai,i' Is g. ,II ~, was
it "a $500 on mes pioeAs' 1u. Gio not
- % nc. OsSeu ~. VI uS,aeneu III
49, 49, 1870. o- 'oP y. SIC eta IN oioSA 'ne
49, 81 Jois's :, vac ii WIN ioose
~. 80, 81 .h,,h e.I aIou'
So,b,,.,. ro-.ain;.,, paL to. asn ,s.s
hs,axoos,oons =. ,ho saoralsbos Th;. sti,ns
NM, ~ has No. or -. Sa,s,,a,,a, - rs
hn;jSing onsrat,ons ssnac,aIlv xbs-a , ~,
~. 0n ,Sa s"lss 49, 5r aors al
-
49, =; -, a.. ,,,,-hIs ,;i;nS "~
~. Ar-Saa -. s.e . ne. ~
&c., ar ,.;.b ar - - IL VI
P,Ia.g ha.,t.. % .nG JoiI, mus
-. 49, 'a4en -, ~ 'oI4u asnes, anu
~. .-is m NC nooi ooatu Us VI ines we're urecuy
stiH Inc unnecessary ueau "eisht OF such
HvOl Vac euouen 20 Conuei IL; even Ii al
Otner e,eheh's oi sel-ues'fucuon hau oeen aD-
SEM Al apartments anu minor passages, ex-
eept prNAte Daths above the nrst story. were
,nus nooIeu Win "oou- anu Al puonc rooms,
49,, an -. ~ - ~ - "isr "nie
vac bath aoo-s were nnderlsid With asnbalt
nvc.x N ruv ,o,s-s
Tim. with the usnaI r.r,;fca,;or. y, s,s.,,
.,,ho,-,-a,ar r;r., q. a. hr;la;,,, -. g.,
isneu ANU US eA'ehs'e apparatus put 10 iinMe-
date service, so continuing until the 18th of
last April On that day. hardly two years after
the foors were laId- an alarming decay in the
joists was revealed by the sudden fall of a small
section (about four by six feet) of the stair hall
floor In the fifth story. The accommodating de-
6ris, striking similar sections OF the several
hoors below, knocked them out until the mass
-ested on the ground door. Providentially mo-
cody was hurt. and the warning, through your
prompt action and the immediate examination
of the building. served to forestall an imminent
calamity. because the building was quickly
Gated and its repair and reconstruction entered