Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-08-12
TEMPORARY PLANK FLOOR
Probability That the Supervising Architect
Will Lay One at the Post Office.
The Employees All Want 1t, but Hest.
tate to Express a Desire to
the officials.

The universal opinion of officials con-
nected with the construction work of .he
city post office building is that If the men
engaged on the top of that structure should
ask that temporary plank floor be laid
Immediately beneath them to catch them
in case they should fall, their request
| would be at once complied with. While
the men at work on the building have
taken no concerted action on this matter,
there Is no doubt about their wishes
| Star reporter talked to nearly all the
men who worked on the top Of the building
| and they were all earnest in expressing
their hope that the supervising architect
would order that a temporary plank floor
be laid on the seventh story Of the build
irg, to be moved up as the work advances.
But every one hell back and hesitated in
| making the demand formal and united,
| though the reason for this inaction was not
evident. The men were all free in saying
| that the floor should be laid, but they SEEM
| power to act are we'll aware of their senti-
| ment, and that 1t is unnecessary for them
| to give an expression of their wishes by
holding meeting and formally adopting
resolutions.
1t was learned today that Supervising
| Architect Akin is now considering the
question of the temporary plank floor. The
contractors cannot be made to lay this
| floor, and the expense will be borne by the
Treasury Department. To floor the entire
seventh story with two-inch planks will
cost $500 or 5000. These planks would be
| placed about six inches apart, and would
| SO form a network that 1t would be impos-
sible for a man to go through were he to
| fall from the iron girders above. 1t Is
generally conceded that this floor must he
| laid on the eighth story when the roof is
| put on the building, and it is considered
| advisable to put 1t down at once, SO that
| 1t may be drawn up to the higher stories
when needed.
The most dangerous part of the work on
! the new city post office is that N connec-
| ton with the roof The great court, one
| hundred by two hundred feet, in the center
of the building, is to be covered with
glass roof. The chief danger in connection
| with this work will be met in putting the
| iron Orders of the roof in place, and If
| there is no floor provided there is little
likelihood that the work will be completed
without the cost of at least one life. Then
| the plank floor will be needed for moving
| iron girders to be Used in the construction,
as they will have to be taken from place
| to place OH trucks, and to provide merely
| a plankway for the wheels of the trucks TO
run on would prove slower work, as well as
| dangerous.
Up to this afternoon the workmen on the
| city post office had taken no action IN le-
| gard to any meeting to be held for the
adoption of resolutions asking for the tenn
| porary floor. They all want it and hope
| that Supervising Architect Akin will pro-
vide it, Mr.. Akin has the matter I'M
| der consideration, and Instructions from
| him are expected at the building any time.