Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-08-29

BuIDINos-orHHR MATTIRa
THERE IS HARDLY A SUBJECT THAT
l. SO arouses public opinion as that Of de-
fective building. While there are . great
many buildings put up every year in the
various cities Of the country that are defective,
yet it is only occasionally that one falls down.
When the unexpected happens then the storm
of indignation rises and everybody connected
with the building is denounced from the archi-
tect down to the Waterman. The fact Ii that
few buildings are so poorly constructed as to
give way to an extra strain. This however, II
due to no virtue in the workmanship, but
rather to the cohesive qualities of brick and
mortar. Besides, one wall braces the other and
the beams and joists bind them all together,
so that it usually requires pretty bad workman
ship to bring about the collapse Of . building
simply because it is too tired to stand up any
longer. In this city, owing to the wise
building regulations and their pretty thorough
enforcement, it is rare that accidents OF this
kind occur. When they do occur 1t is easy to
know the reason. Broadly speaking, build
ing falls down because the man whose money Is
building it wants the work done as cheaply as
possible He gives the contract to the cheapest
bidder and then perhaps scales the bid down
before finally signing the contract He e1-
poets the contractor to put up the building for
the sum specified. If the contractor can do it
with q fair profit to himself, he probably will.
Otherw wise he will skin his work. He has,
however, given the owner the worth Of his
money, and when the building proves to be .
failure it is only an indication that the owner
tried to put up better building than he was
willing to pay for. The owner, however, does
and the contractor. The only case where the
owner Of a collapsed building can escape
blame is when the contract price is evidence
that he was willing and did pay out enough
money to put up q good, substantial building.
1t is, however, certainly unjust to allow the
rich man who is trying to squeeze out dollar
to escape, while the poor man who is simply
endeavoring to earn his livelihood is made to
bear the brunt Of the blame There are. Of
course, INSCRIPTIONS architects and contract
ors as well as owners. Innocent people fall
into the hands OF the latter because Of the
ambition to build something finer than they
have the money to pay for. A irst-class builder
in q competition for the contract OF q building
will, of course, make a higher bid than some
man who has no reputation to lose. The differ
ence in the bids very frequently represents
the amount of Sinking and cheap and defect
i've work which will be in the building when
constructed It is OF course, natural
to want to get a thing as cheap as possible.
No one can be criticised for that But there
are cases when any intelligent man having an
contractors can say almost with the positive
ness of certainty that the difference is not con-
sistent with the same grade OF material and
workmanship. contract is often given out
when the owner knows that the contractor, If
he does what he agrees to do will lose money.
But the owner for the sake Of saving money,
will 60 on with the building, trusting to chance
that nothing will happen. As rule nothing
does happen and the building remains standing.
sTR1orER INSPECTION.
It is claimed by some that the inspection
ought to be stricter. If it is meant public in
spection, anything like q constant oversight Of
all the buildings going up in a large city would
practically be impossible, because OF the army
Of men required and the great outlay OF money.
II private inspection is Intended by clerk OF
the works or other competent person, that would
of course be possible if tine individual owner is
willing to spend the money. But after all
hardly any amount Of inspection will induce q
contractor to do work at a loss to himself The
requisites Of honest building, not only in this
city, but elsewhere are. first honesty on the part
OF the owner, and, second, honesty on the part
Of the contractor. What public laws and public
inspection can do to compel owners and con-
tractors to be honest and to do honest work
ought to be done. Public sentiment, however,
in awarding the blame where a disaster occurs
should be careful to select the persons in guilt.
INaENUIrY IN BUILDING.
The increase in the value of land IL power
full incentive to the exercise of ingenuity in the
construction of buildings so that every foot Of
land can be made available. One solution Of
this problem, and the commonest, is the erec-
ton of high buildings. But that requires more
money than ingenuity. Reference was re-
Gently made in these columns to the utilization
Of deep residence lots by constructing the
house in two parts, the court between furnish
ing the needed light and air. Recently an old
building in the business section has been re-
modelled and fitted up for offices. Fronting ON
the street it was two stories high, and an addi-
ton was built continuing it at the same height
all the way back to the rear line Of the property.
With the exception Of an area of about ton feet
on one side the building when completed
solidly filled up the entire lot. The problem
Of how to supply light and air to the interior
ter OF the back building. The ceiling Of the
hall was formed of glass set in the roof, with
sashes which can be opened or shut at will.
The rooms on the first floor have doors and
windows opening on this hallway and the sup
ply of light is ample. A gallery extends along
one side Of the second story. giving access to
rooms OH that side, while light bridges pro-
tected by ire n rails stretch across the hall and
furnish the means OF approach tc the rooms on
the opposite sile The area running along one
side OF the building is utilized tc supply light
and air in part to the back rooms which open
onto the tier Of rooms facing on the hall The
double Offices, however, are confined to the one
side Of the hail. all the rooms on the other side
being single.
ANOTHER DEVICE.
In the case. Of another building where the
owner has extended it solidly back to the rear
building line the air and light are obtained by
reducing the width of the back building above
the first story. The rooms in the first story,
which is on o level with the street, are lighted
in the rearby skylights in the roof, which
forms . POI ton Of the ceiling in that story.
This provides an area into which the
windows Of the second and third stories
of the back building open. By this happy
arrangement the owners secure rooms in
the first story having the entire width Of
the building, and only the rooms on the second
and third floors suffer from the disadvantage of
the narrow width Of that portion Of the build
ing.
IN ALEXANDRIA COUNTY.
In speaking Of real estate in Alexandria
county, Va, Mr.. James E. Clements, who has
had, as q dealer, considerable to do with this
class Of property, said to STAR reporter that
''real estate transactions have been more active
in Alexandria county the last twelve months
than ever knew them to be- More sales have
been made than in any previous year of the
history of the county. Par ties are coming here
from different states of the Union and invest
ing, and some of them are making large invest
ments. But what seems to be improving the
county most is the fact that mauy persons de-
string to live short distance in the
county and work in Washington city are
buying small tracts of from five to ten