Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-28
A M EN- AC e TO llF E
Result of Expert Investigation of Depart
ment Of Justice Building.
Absence of Effective Bond Between
the Front and Rest of
the Structure.

At the request of Attorney General
Griggs an expert investigated the condition
of the old Department of Justice building.
which is now in process of demolition, and
has made the following report:
An examination of the old Freedmen S
Bank building, until lately occupied by the
Department of Justice, and now in process
of demolition. proves not only that the
fears expressed for the safety of its occu-
pants were fully justified, but that it was
a menace to public safety as we'll.
While the construction and workman
ship ar; in general sound, there is an un-
accountable exception in the absence of
any effective bond between the Pennsyl-
vania avenue front and the rest Of the
building. The floors are formed of brick
arches between | beams laid parallel to the
Pennsylvania avenue front, and, while these
beams are well secured to one another by
iron rods, there is no tie between this floor
construction and the front wall.
To Thrust the Wall Out.
The last floor arch being sprung directly
from the last 1 beam to the front wall, its
effect is rather to thrust the wall out than
to tie it back. The two brick interior walls
running north and south would, if we'll
bonded with the front wall, and left with
out large openings in its neighborhood, at
both these walls are pierced within a lew
inches of the front wall by large doorways
in each story above the first.
These openings destroy the effectiveness
of the interior walls ties and the re-
ieving arches over them tend further TO
thrust the front wall outward.
The result of these influences is shown by
the cracks extending from the top of the
dOorways last mentioned to the. ceiling,
and thence across the entire central por-
ton of the building near the middle of the
last floor arch.
These cracks may be seen in the ceiling
of each story above the first, and are much
wider in the upper floors than in the lower,
Indicating that the front wall has already
begun to lean forward, and the opening of
some of the stone joints the PennSyl-
vania avenue front also shows the bulging
that has taken place. 1t appears that this
front wall is only retained in place by the
bonding of the two end exterior walls
Consequences if Continued.
1t is impossible to say how long these
walls would continue to be effective in this
manner, but if, under the influences already
described and the thrust of the roof tim
bers, the movement already begun should
have continued a little further, some of the
consequences may be readily foreseen.
The front wall topping forward on
Pennsylvania avenue would have left the
roof timbers unsupported, and the roof,
with it's two heavy water tanks, would have
crashed down, carrying with it the attic
floor. 1t is doubtful whether the iron and
brick construction of the floors below, al
ready heavily loaded would have with
stood the impact of this mass. If the
fourth-story floor or portion of 1t had
yielded, its added weight falling on tn;
floor below would have carried it down,
and SO to the ground. 1t appears. then,
that the tearing down OF the old building
removes a danger che extent of which
was not suspected, unless by the officers
of the department