Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-12-23
NOT YET SAT- E.
Clerks Will Not Be Quartered in
the Old Theater Building
UNTIL FURTHER CHANGES ARE MADE
Secretary Lamont Will Refer the
Matter to Congress.
THE OPINIONS OF EXPERTS.

There Is no purpose or disposition on
the part Of any officer OF this department
to quarter any Of its clerks or employees
in any building not determined to be alb
solutely safe. On that point there is no
question for uneasiness. The $1,000 ap-
propriated by Congress for repairs to the
old Ford's Theater building has been ex-
pended under the direction of the chief
engineers Of the army. as directed by the
law. and the building has been restored
to the condition 1t was in before the COM
mencement Of the improvement in pro-
gress at the time of the accident, with
some consequent Strengthening Of its foun-
da tions. While 1t is probable that it would
serve its former purpose, the commission
of experts appointed by the department
to examine and report as to the safety OF
the building find that certain additional
work should be done before it shall be oc-
cupied by clerks. This report will be re-
ferred back for an estimate for the cost
Of this new work, and when returned the
matter will be submitted to Congress for
its direction as to further alteration"
The above statement was made by Sec
tary Lamonr tc Star reporter today in
response to an application for permission
to see the report OF Col. Elliot, Maj. Adams
and Capt. Knight of the engineer corps
In regard to the stability and safety OF
the Fords Theater building.
Declined to Give Out the Report.
The Secretary declined to give out the re-
port or to say anything more In regard to
its contents than is embodied in the above
statement. He considered that a complete
statement Of the situation. telling not only
what the experts had reported. but what
was proposed to be done in the future. AL
though ne did not say SO to a Star reporter,
III ia knO-vn far T.Qmnnf "a dis
pleased that Col. Elliot should have said
anything about the report before he the
Secretary had had time and opportunity Of
reading 1t.
MIR. Entwisie Emphatic.
Yes. it is true that the old Ford's Thea
ter has been condemned by the commission
Of army officers. the supervising architect
Of the treasury and myself" said Building
Inspector Entwisle to a reporter Of The
Star this morning. TT was a unanimous
verdict, and. strange to say. although the
examinations OF the building by the army
officers and Mr.. Clark and myself took
place at different times and neither side
knew how the other was going to decide,
yet both Of the reports were substantially
correct. Within the past two weeks have
personally made two thorough inspections
Of the building. going from the roof to the
cellar 1t only took one inspection. how
ever, to satisfy me that the back wall was
unsafe. Why. we found 1t had sprung four
inches and a half and the floor beams were
detected from fve-eighths to three-fourths
Of an inch apart. And this. 1t must be re-
membered. without any weight upon them.
So it was decided that before the building
should be occupied the back walls would
have to be taken down and the floors re-
constructed on new beams. The trouble
with the floors seems to be the enormous
weight of the concrete upon them. The
underpinning in the basement was an ex-
cellent job and no fault was found with 1t.
i have no hesitation in saying that con-
slider the building at present unsafe and un-
fit for occupancy by human beings"
Col. Wilson Won't Talk.
Col. Wilson declines to discuss the Ford's
Theater matter. Il have put the building
back In the condition 1t was before the ac-
cident, according to the law" said he to a
star reporter today. 'and that's all care
to say on the subject at present"