Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-10
TO MAKE IT SAFE.
The Report on the Ford's Theater
Building Sent to Congress.
REPAIRS CONSIDERED NECESSARY
The Upper Floors Unsafe and the
East Wall Bulged.
THE VIEWS OF ENGINEERS.

Inc House committee on appropriations
has received communication from the
secretary of War pronouncing the Ford
Theater building as still unsafe, notwith-
standing the recent repairs made to it. The
sta tement is conveyed in an official report
made by Col. Elliot. Mai. Adams and Capt
hnisnt or the corps of army engineers
forming a board appointed by the Sacre-
tary OF War to examine the building.
The report of the board upon each part
OF the building separately is as follows:
The masonry foundations have been
thoroughly repaired and. in the Judgment
of the board. they may now be considered
as safe. Both the Orders supporting the
floor beams of the second and third floors
and the columns on which these Orders
rest will support loads in excess Of those
that viii fracture the iron floor beams and,
in fact. any load that they are likely to be
called upon to bear, and they may be con-
sidered snfe.
The first floor, which is of wood laid on
concrete over brick arches, supported by
the piers In the basement, may be consid-
cred as safe.
The Upper Floors.
In considering the safety of the second
and third floors the maximum fiber strain
| allowable for wrought iron beams has been
taken at 1900 pounds per square inch
and the maximum fiber strain allowable
for steel beams has been taken at 1900
pounds per square inch. The beams of the
second story floor are all of wrought iron
The maximum allowable load on these
| beams. including the weight of the beams
themselves, is 104 pounds per square foot
OF floor surface. The actual dead load now
on the beams of the second floor including
the weight OF the beams themselves. Is
80 -2.pounds per square foot of floor sur
face. The greatest allowable live or nova
BILE load on this floor, Including clerks,
furniture, &c, is therefore Is 1-2 pounds
per square foot of floor surface, and the
floor is safe for this load, but as 20 pounds
per square foot is the usual assumption
made in good practice for superimposed
loads OH floors of offices the board pro-
nounces the second floor as not safe.
The floor beams of the third floor are all
of wrought iron. except that steel beams
were used for the repair of the compare
lively small portion of the floor that fell,
and the greatest allowable weight on this
floor, inclu-'ng both its dead and it's live
load, is therefore as in the case Of the Sec
ond floor. 1O4 pounds per square foot of
floor surface. But the actual dead load
now on the beams of this floor is 1877
pounds per square foot of floor surface: so
that, without providing for any live load
whatever. there is already on this floor an
excess of 80 pounds per square foot over
what Is considered safe rule in such cases.
the third floor is not safe.
The Bulged East Wall.
The north. the south, and the west walls
Of the building are safe, but in regard to
the east WALL the wall facing the alley in
the rear. the vertical section of 1t exhibited
in tine blue print herewith, shows that the
wall is very much bulged outwards, the
maximum displacement being at about the
level of the second floor 1t has been COM
ter OF gravity of the section intersects the
plane of the base within the base, but the
point Of intersection Is but four inches
from the outer edge Of the base Of the
wall. Although the wall has stood for
many years in its present condition 1t
should be condemned for the reason that 1t
does not comply with the good engineering
rule that all constructions should not only
look So AS seen from the alley 1t certainly
does not appear stable. Very naturally 1t
is regarded with distrust, and the COM
putation just referred to leads the board
to the conclusion that this feeling Is we'll
founded; that the wall is in fact not stable
and is not safe.
brick we'll in the southwest corner of the
building extends to the third floor with a
communication with each floor. There Is
also communication on the first and second
floors with the adjacent building on the
south by means of a small door on each
floor. but the stairway and the exits are
insufficient In case of fire, and fire es-
cape should be constructed at the north
ern extremity of the rear wall of the build
ing.
The existing facilities for these purposes
are deemed entirely inadequate If the build
ing is to be occupied for clerical purposes
as heretofore: in fact. it may be said that
there are no facilities whatever for sys-
tematc ventilation.
The Building Unsnfe.
In conclusion the board reports that 1t
has examined the old Fords Theater build
ing. and is unable TO pronounce the build
p:, safe
At the fna. meeting Of the board held
this day Mr. Clark. the architect of the
Capitol. and Mr. Entwisie, the inspector of
buildiny s of the District of columbia. were
present as per the invitation of November
~ before referred to, and after the fore
going conclusions of the board had been
read to them they were invited to make
any suggestions thereon they might deem
proper
Air Clark stated that in his judgment to
make the building safe the rear wall should
be taken down and reconstructed: that the
load occasioned by the concrete, brick and
tiles should be removed from the third
floor, or. in view of the fact that the beams
have detected. they would be supported by
intermediate posts and Orders at the CEN
tiers Of the present bearings, the posts to
start from the foundation Of the building.
Mr.. Entwisle stated that he is of the same
opnlcn as MIR. Clark, that the rear wall
should be taken down and reconstructcd
that to make the building safe it will be
best TO remove the floors and reconstruct
them with stronger beams, and also on ac-
count of the limited space for exit two ire
escapes should be constructed ir rear of the
building.
Mr.. Clark and Mr.. Entwisle further
stated that, in It's present condition, the
building is not considered by them safe In
the preceding part of its report the board
has considered only the subject referred TO
the building as il now stands is safe. If it
Is proposed 70 make use of the building
and it is to De occupied by clerks the rear
wall should be taken down and recon-
structef: the beams of the second and
third fioors should be supported at the CEN
tcrs of the spans by posts and Orders the
posts to DE supported from the foundation
OF the building: fire escapes should ne con-
structed. and defects in ventilation and
lighting should be renedied.
Cost of Milking the building Snfc,
After making this report TO the Secretary
of War the board was called upon 10 sub
NIT plan and estimate for making the
building safe. whi@h it did. The total cost
Of the proposed changes is about sf2OO
------------,-1c ~------
To Command the Petrol
Lieut.. Commander VIM. IL. Emory, Ia te
naval attache of the United States en-
baSSV London hos