Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-10-15
ANOTHER BIG BLOCK
Will Rise on the Present Site of the
Old Arbuthnot Building.
FOUNDATIONS WERE WEAKENED
By Workmen Digging for a New Structure
on the Next Lot.
HOW SOME CONTRACTORS SAVE MONEY

Building Inspectors Hoffman and Brown
yesterday condemned absolutely and or
dered to be torn down at once the six-story
Arbuthnot building, No 719 Liberty street.
The matter has been under consideration for
nearly two months and number of the best
architects and contractors of the city have
been called into consultation. A majority
Of them advised the tearing down of the
whole structure, while some advocated the
reconstruction of only a portion with
view to economy.
After critically investigating the subject
the inspectors came to decision yesterday.
The three sons of the late Charles Arbuth-
not and John S. Roberts, the occupant of
the building, were summoned to the in
spector's Office and the matter talked over.
The ultimatum was satisfactory to all. The
Arbuthnot heirs had previously agreed to
be guided by the judgment of the inspec-
tors and, calculating that their decision
might be to raze the building, had already
planned for handsome new 9-story struc-
ture similar to the new Harper building ad-
joining.
Mr.. Roberts has arranged to move his
store to Penn avenue until the new build
ing is completed. In two weeks the work
of tearing down the present building will
be commenced.
Imperfect foundations are the cause of
this great expense to the Arbuthnot heirs.
Their bui ding was only erected in 1871,
and until the present difficulty was re-
garded as one of the most substantial on
Liberty street. After the fire which
burned out the Household Credit Company
in the old Harper building, the Harpers
decided to rebuild. In the excavation for
the foundations it was found that Arbuth-
not foundations were only seven feet deep,
while the Harper plans were f r nine feet
AS the workmen exposed the Arbuthnot
built on the outside of small imperfect
stone although the inside of the wall was
solid and substantial as could
be wished. Building Inspector Hoff.
man passing the place one
day as the workmen were digging the earth
away from the bottom OF the wall, when his
attention was drawn to a grinding noise
caused by the wall settling down and crush
ing the small stones in the foundation.
Danger of a Collapse.
The top of the building had already
swung out several inches and there was i'm
minent danger of the whole side of the
building falling out He stopped the work
until the wall was braced to make it safe.
Ever since then plans for saving it have
been discussed, but without success.
Building Inspector Brown said yesterday
that if the city had supervised the con-
struction of buildings in 1871 as she does
now the present difficulty would not have
arisen. The Office of building inspector
was not created until 1873. Since that time
all foundations, particularly of large busi-
ness blocks. have been carefully scrutinized
by the inspectors so that repetition of the
Arbuthnot trouble, entailing Inconvenience
and great loss to the owners, is not likely
to occur to any structure erected since that
time. "Our greatest trouble" said Mr..
Brown, 'is to prevent the construction of
defective foundations We have caught
dishonest contractors frequently, making
nice, solid walls on the interior, but filling
in the center and against the bank with
rubble. We have made hundreds of con-
tractors tear down and rebuild foundations
for this cause and the owner gets the bene-
fito