The times., 1897-08-11
Col. Bingham's Report on the
Recent improvements.
MANY MINOR ALTERATIONS
Settling of the Floor Above the
East Room Serious Matter
Time Something Is Done TO Re-
lieve the Actual Physical Strain
Oh the Mansion.

the Executive Mansion:
1.-The usual care was extended to the
mansion during July and minor repairs
made TO its furniture as required. The
Improvements commenced in the small
reception-r0om, first floor, in June. We're
completed by putting in the new oak man
tel, trimming the fireplace, thing the
hearth, and refinishing the doors and
windows.
I'm the green bedroom and southwest
TSt1ressing room all the furniture was up
holstered and recovered with new ma
terial, new silk window drapery purchased
and made, new carpet purchased and
made up, new mating purchased and laid
one new couch purchased. and new mantel
iambrequins made and put up. Kew slip
covers were made and placed upon the
furniture and lambrequins.
New mating was purchased and laid
In the Lortheast bedroom; new window
shades put up, the frame of a large mirror
covered In plush, the furniture reuphol-
stored and recovered with new material,
one new couch purchased, new inantal
lamhrequins made and put up, new carpet
and Lew six wincow draping purchased
and made, new slip covers made and pus
on furniture, and a new white marble
hearthstone laid in the room
IN the blue bedroom and northWe est
dining room five Few window screens We're
made and put to windows; new slip covers
made and put on the furniture, manteI and
lambrequins, and new slat door put ia
doorway OF the dressing room. New
slip covers were made and placed upon
the furniture in the west end corridor
Four new window shades Were made and
put up III three rooms New lace curtains
were purchased for the Green Parlor All
the wlnGow screens in the basement and
those in the private dining-room and but
lers pantry were repaired.
Minor carpen try and plumbing re-
pairs were made and the work of strip
ping and cleaning the large crystal
chandeliers in the East Room was COM
menced. One STAT door and ten doors in
the office part Of the Mansion were paint
eG.
Considerable settling of the second
story floors over the East Room has been
observed for a long time. The increasing
records of the executive office made neces
sary the use Of increasing record cases,
which ale unfortunately very heavy and
also unfortunately they have to stand where
The flrGrs are weakest.
''At the east end of tie second story cor
ridors the center had sagged in all direc-
tons four inches below horizontal. As
this corridor is only eighteen feet wide
this meant a depression of the carrying
e
about eight times an allowable DETECTION.
This Is not a DETECTION, but permanent
set es this depression was measured after
the corridor had been cleared and tn,
floor taken up
THE two beams running north and
south, which hold the main weight OF
this floor, are tenoned into two large
built beams running east and vest, which
carry not only the ceiling of the east room
and the three heavy chandeliers, but also
the weights of the second story overhead
The ceiling of the east room is separate
from the floor of the second story, but, as it
is comparatively new. very expensive and
supported by the built beams referr ed to-
economy demands great care in the neces
sary repairs, and particular caution not to
injure the ceiling OF the east room while
repairing tie floor above. Hence the inser
ton of iron beams is excluded.
The beams OF this second floor are
theoretically nbundanuy strong, and yet
we find large permanent DETECTION which
is undoubtedly due to the heavy cases of
books and records constituting an unusual
and constant depression in the weakest
parts o. the flooring.
Without great expense and more time
than is at disposal 1t is also impossible
TO renew the floor beams No support from
beneath Is practicable. The only resource
left is to suspend the weak parts OF the
flooring from the roof eirders which are
fortunately very strong. These suspension
Tods can be concealed except in the second
story east corridor, where it is proposed 20
encase them in what Will look like wooden
pillars. 1t will not do to attempt much in
straining tie beams back 20 the horizontal,
hut the floor will be leveled up by addi-
tional flor girders nailed to the present
ones. This will also add consid era Bile
stiffness although it will increase the
weight.
The above only accentuates the fact
that the time has Come when something
is impera lively demanded to relieve the
actual physical strain now made on the
Executive Mansion.
Extensive repairs were made to the
stable OF public grounds in the rear of
the Presidents stable, necessltated from
the fact that the wood foundation blocks
OF the building and the timbers sup
porting the front platform had become
so rotted as to be in dangerous con-
dtion. The old platform in front was
taken Up, depressions in the ground unt,er
it, where water settled, filled with coarse
gravel, and the platform rebuilt with sound
material. The old wood blocks support
ing tho sills and floor-joists of the build
Ing Were removed AN replaced with thirty
one small stone Pillars. The granite curD-
ing on the side of the roadway leading
TO the stables was reset for distance
Cf rorty-eiglt feet, and a new cobble-stone
gutter laid along the cufbing.
"Thelow ground atthe back of the stable
vas filled In and graded and the rubbish
cleaned UP arc hauled away; new floor
was laid In the wagon room, new par
titions put in for a closet, 110 feet Of
z-inch iron sewer pipe laid to drain the
clostt and the floors and rain spouts
of the ..li,ding; new floor was placed in
one stall. the gas pipe was extended, the
water pipe changed, the front Of one stall
sealed up, one new manger and one ne "
hayrack put up, the partition between
two stalls extended, Hew wooden gut
ter made in the rear OF stalls and new
screen door made for rear entrance to
stable.
The usual care was extended to the
a