Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-09-21
CLEARING THE SITE
Removing Bricks and Girders From the
Burned Area.
The Strong Building and Its History
Was Hurriedly Erected-The
Alleged Weak


| inson & Cherry structure this morning,
which was occupied by johnson Bros, coal
| dealers, brought a detail of firemen with
| hose to the place and a strong stream of
! water vas poured into it for some time.
! The work of clearing away the debris on
| the sidewalks and streets is rapidly pro-
| crossing, under Contractor Henry w. King,
| supervised by Assistant Building Inspector
| Somerville. Building Inspector Brady look
| ed over the ruins this morning and ordered
| his assistant to see that the front and west
\ walls of the Little building, No. 1910, be
| taken down during the forenoon. This will
| complete the demolition of that structure,
| although the furniture in the rear office on
| the second floor, used by the agent for
! ffsher Sons d &C.. has been discovered
| under the debris in a comparatively fair
| condition.
The portions of the east and west walls
| of the Robinson & Cherry building left
| standing will also be pulled down during
| the day. Search among the ruins for the
| safe and other property of the firm will be
| commenced at once.
Will Resume business.
| Mr.. Bushrod Robinson, senior member of
| the hrm. Is authority for the statement
that they will resume business as soon as
| their insurance accounts are adjusted and
| they can select a suitable location They
'A"' iNs'iiicu IL IlSy stewart, VINO
! placed the insurance on their stock that it
| carried $4,000 worth and 5000 on the
| hrm fixtures, making their estima ted loss,
| above insurance. about $4,000. All the
| other losses and insurance, as stated in The
| Star yesterday remain unchanged by pres
ent Developments
Il have spent my life behind the coun-
| Ter, SAID MIR. Robinson today in the
| l1oughton building where they moved this
morning by invitation of Geo E. Emmons.
the agent. Il feel like a fish out of water
now All you see around me is ali | have
| now, sald he. waving his hand toward a
| couple OF desks and chairs. We shall re-
sumo business as fast as we can | have
received great kindnesses and courtesies at
! me hands of my friends and acquaint-
temporary quarters have been taken by
| u. w arfeld Simpson at No. 1905 G street
Dr. Weber at No. 914 New York avenue
| ing. 'N
Still Mystery.
The origin of the fire is still a mystery.
Assistant Building Inspector Somerville in
cllnes to the opinion, also held by MANY
others, that it was due to spontaneous
| combustion.
Ihere is always cotton waste used
around an elevator and changeable wealth
er, such as We have been having, will cause
ignition know of dozen cases, like this
one, where fires resulted from cotton waste
around or at the bottom of elevator
| shafts
Two small black and tan dogs and a cat
Were buried in Turner'S oyster house, No
"a l2th, under the falling walls of the
foblnSon & Cherry building. Yesterday
evening the Whimperings Of a dog were
heard coming from the ruins, and a num-
Der OF boys set to work and finally brought
10 hSht one of the dogs, still alive. The
other dog and the cat could not be located
and it is believed they were killed The
rescued canine IS under medical treatment,
but the lons-cOntnued inhala ton of smoke
and dust will probably lead to its death
much-prized article of furniture lost
by Johnson Bros. in No. 1906 F street was
| an office desk once the property of Daniel
Webster and long used by the ceIebrate ed
jurist.
The Burned Building
The history of the Robinson & Cherry
building is reliably stated by a gentlemen
| connected with its construction as follows:
1T was what l call Chicago construc-
ton. That is to say, only the material alb
solutely required 10 pass the building in
spection was used. The architect was VIM
Bruce Gray. He wanted iron Orders used
all through the building, but the owner Mr.
Henry Strong of Chicago, acting under the
advice of the then building inspector, Mr..
EntWlSle, contented himself with wooden
girders. The building was a brick and
wood affair. 1t was begun in April 1890
and was rushed through to completion in
order to hold the tenants, Kaufman &
Sickle, who leased ii with the condition that
it was to be ready for occupancy October
l, 1880 After the third floor was reached
by the bricklayers it was found that the
outer layer of brick on the 18th street side
at the second story had cracked and buIged
out. 1t was not due to any defect in the
structure, but Simply because the outer and
inner layers Of brick had not been properly
joined. A hue and cry was raised, how
fal-a fi,,l,@
covering a width of yard perhaps, We're
taken out and replaced. That was all. and
October /, 1890, kaufman & Sickle moved
in. For reasons OF their own later, the
firm alleged that the building was unsafe
and vacated it. When Robinson & Cherry
rented they required the Strengthening
of the upper story Orders, in order to quiet
popular clamor, and then they moved in
The plans of the building We're submitted
to and approved by the building inspector.
there was nothing illegal about the con-
struction, and its only fault was that it
was cheaply and hurredly put up"
The building was all right" said Mr.
Emmons. the agent, to The Star reporter
today The best proof is that Robinson
Cherry paid SlO,oT rent yearly for it, and
paid every penny promptly
The talk of weakness is all bosh" said
Assistant Inspector SomervilIe The outer
layer of pressed brick separated from the
inner layer and bulged out until removed
1t was badly joined; that was all, and of
affected. 1t had nothing to do with the
strength of the structure, which was as
good any others around town"
Mr. Robinson takes the same view and
scouts the idea that there was any struct-
ural defect.
Building Inspector Brady, who was Mr.
Entwisle's assistant when the building was
erected. sad: Il guess the wall was
twisted. 1t seems to have been built that
way: but l wouldn't like to say until 1 go
over the records of the Office today"
A gentleman who has often been IN the
building stated today that the main stair
way always trcmbled under his tread. and
plumber who has worked upon the roof
said the building often trembled while he
was working upon it, making him fear col
lapse at any moment. On the other hand
many of the employees who have worked in
it since it was built declared they have
never observed anything wrong with it.
Give dog 4 bad name" said Mr.. En-
mons. you know the rest. That is what
happened to the building
Owner Strong Is expected here from the
west today tomorrow. His intentions
with regard to rebuilding cannot now be
positively stated.
In yesterdays account of the fire The
Star enormously stated that the Aetna
Fire Insurance Company has an Office at
No. 1903 F street. The fact IS that the