The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-06-11
BUILDINGS OF THIS CITY
indianapolis Has Little TO Fear from
Such Catastrophes as that of Friday.
Of Condemnation - Experience in
Demolishing House.

The collapse of the old government
building at Washington. and the disaster
30 life which the accident entailed, very
naturally directs the attention of Indian
apolis people TO the buildings of this city and
their condition. Few buildings are being
condemned In this city, snd the inspector
states that none are standing that have
been condemned. unless the parts which
rendered them unsafe have been made sat
isfactory to Mr. Fitchey. MIR. Fitchey Is
the first regular inspector OF buildings this
city ever had. Before him the chief of the
fire department. often took exceptions TO
certain buildings which he deemed unsafe.
and was sustained by the city authorities.
but these exceptions generally related to
the buildings adaptability to fires. etc.,
and scarcely ever considered the real dam
gers OF collapse. The only buildings in
this city now standing that have been con-
demned are on Washington street, south of
the Statehouse. The owners were granted an
extension of time TO do the WORK in. The
only edifice in this city which has lately
been considered unsafe las the Ohfo-street
wall OF the new part of the Denison Hotel,
which was caused by the builders leaving
ont entirely certain necessary braces etc.,
but IL was at once bTaced, and has since
been put IN safer condition than ever. IL
is q settled fact. per mandate of Mr.
F1tchey, that tho colored u. A. *. Will do
no more dancing on the top floor OF the
Parker Block IL is believed that the vi
bTatiOns have already injured. the upper
part of the building. The George Ii.
Thomas Post was at the same time ADVISED
not 20 dance on its floor in the same block,
but has not been as yet prohibited.
Mohs's Hall, on Virginia avenue. had
kAn wxAA Anr hnl III -
Fltchey was forced to dIssppoint the
MANAGEMENT as he believes the building Is
not sale for large crowds. There are q
number OF people In the city who insist on
whose walls will not permit lt. and very
often MIR. Fitchey makes enemies who take
his refusal as a personal matter.
1.-The wallis of the old surgical institute
were condemned" said Mr. Fltche. before
nc burned. DIR. Allen desired TO build the
towers or cupolas higher &C the ends of his
new building. but before IL could be done,
an entire process or reconstruction would
have bad TO be gone through with and the
walls siren gtbened."
1T is an easy matter TO cause deficlen-
cies In buildings TO be corrected In this
city. The Board of PubIIc w orks generally
works punctnally 20 the necessities and an
order Is soon put in execution. L reInein-
Der only one case where the board delay ed
matters seriously by inertia. and that
was In the reconstruction of the
old building on Washington street near
Charles Mayors place. | have never yet
had to tear but one building down myseif:
that was q building in a certain part of
this city occupied By white and colored
people of an extremely vicious and de-
graded nature. IL was bad mixture. and
when those women got started the air
turned blue. The house was not safe. but
they would neither fix it nor tear 1t down.
and told them | would have TO have IL
done myself. Well. you ought to
They swore | should never touch the build
ing. To which oath several gentlemen of
elegant leisure who were loating about the
place. subscribed. i asked the police TO
meet my men there on u day. and work be.
gan promptly. The women yelled. and
cursed and flew abont like 30 many furies.
while the men looked on in O seemingly
dszed condition. The shingles were soon
OIL, the rafters piled ND and the sides and
ends of the house laid peacefully one
upon the other. and the women still ste w ed
and the men etIll sat near q little stove,
pipes IN hand. while all that Was lett of the
heritage was slightly elevated PLATFORM
An additional story was wanted OH top of
the Baldwin Block, Market and Delaware
streets. hut the walls were not considered
sufficiently strong, and the project was
abandoned. as Was Mr.. w. ii. EnglIsbs in
tention 10 add q story to the. Carbon Hol-
lenbeck Block. The Vance Block is SAID
TO be the best built of any
OF the older buildings in the
city. and would even now, at Its
already great height. stand two more
stories if it's owners cared to attach I'll em.
it has come TO be the regular thing FOL
block purchasers to see the building IN
spector before buying block. Stain Y
what they want the block for, the business
It will be- intended to accommodate. etc,
thereby finding out whether the building
will. after al. serve their purpose. Many
sale Is made or lost by the verdict
of Dir. Firchey in such matters. The sale
nf na RlseE nan q al RhaF
Bank. on Washington street, was spoiled
last Summer by the verdict of Mr.. Fitchey
who condemned IL for newspaper purposes
Thomas fsggart was about TO buy 10 fol-
the sentinel.
Two days after Mr.. FItchev had given
his verdict on the Vance Block IL passed to
the now Indiana Trust Company at a pre-.
MUM. AS rule the business blocks and
pnblic buildings of this city are we'll built
aud 81 bstantial. Even the older ones are
found on close inspection TO DO internally
str0ng and lifted TO last for years To come