The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-03-05
a cirr BurLr ON MUn
Chteseo's Tots.rise Baiidinss sua what
They siantrr.

CHICAGO, March 4.-The undeniable inss.
eurity and decrepitude OF many Of the large
buildings Of this city IL a subject which is be.
ginning to agitato and alarm builders and
business men. The Post ONCE and Custom
House has been settling upon It's soft clay
foundation for years. and Ia now generally
spoken OF as the ruin" This IL not alons
because tho city wants a new building but
besnuse the structure Is absolutely unsafe
Its floors are uneven. its walls are crumhllng,
and the drainaRs pipes are so broken aud dis.
connected as to ill the building Frequently
with noxious Rasaa
II this we're the only case OF the kind In the
city IL might be laid TO the door Of the Govern
ment Architect But here Is the Board OF Trade
building. whose 325-foot granite tower il the
pharos OF the lake mariners, leaning badly to
one side AMI threatening to fail over and de-
stroy the entire building. The walls on botn
sides OF tho tower are cracked by its settling
and the string courses are badly out OF level
1t has been decided to take down the tower as
soon as possible and finish 1t at a level with
the roof OF the main building.
Only fow days aao the ceiling fell In OF
Judge Stems court room in the County build
ing. the east wing Of the great granite CITY Hall
The court escaped humiliation under the
$4,000 pounds OF debris only because It was
not in session. All the adjacent walls and CELL
ings are dlsl0ured with meandering cracks,
and Il has been decided to take down all OF the
ceilings In that part Of the building aud to re-
place them with lighter material. A month
ago owing to some sudden moyemsnt Of the
walls, the stone lamb OF one OF the windows
was dislocated. and a frsR nent weighing 100
pounds scaled OF. fortunately lodging on tho
the pavement, as did q fragment recently from
the Board Of Trade tower. The County build.
the piles being driven as close together as they
could stand. and the building was supposed to
When such accidents are happening to these
comparatively solid aud su bstantial stru rtures
ar;hi tie as well az tenant ,s are asking What
form ChicaRo's pride. The settlement OF tho
Auditorium tower and Of the great Masonic
lations; and some fear that the fate OF the
former will be similar to that OF the Board OF
Trade the weight being more than twenty
The foundation Of. the Chicago structures 10
mud. Beneath the ten or twelve feet OF sand
10 bard pan clay, eight or ter feet In depth and
sot m.ss nto mich an nG pos
rod will sink TO an unknown depth. Builders
adopt two methods. pile foundation. with con
fashion and filled with concrete, making a sort
Of raft upon the clay upon which the structure
ditionai load merely increases the depth OF the
hard pan by driving out tho water but other en-.
that when once the hardpan is penetrated or
broken the settlement Is continuous. 1t lisa
IhcI Wen KNOWN 70 tho Duliuers OF sky-Bcrhperg
that there is o constant and uneven notion
going on throughout the whole structure.
called by some molecular vibration to an ex-
tent which can be measured with the naked
eve. Girders will move an inch or n ore. and
then come back into place. The causes OF this
their extent and duration. Another peril
which menaces this GLASS Of building is
frsproofng and beyond the reach OF exami.
nation or the application OF preseryatiyes. The
come. so say good authorities. when the great
buildings must succumb to rust and ruin.
unless they are sooner toppled over By un-
equal settlement into the mud.