Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-07-12
MRS. SILLERS COMPLAINT
ALLEGES DISREGARD OF DISTRICT
BUILDING REGULATIONS.
Claims Her House Was Made to Settle
BY Weight of other
IL. Construction. :;

Complaint has been made to the District
Commissioners concerning the alleged I'M
lawful erection Of THE Jefferson apart
ment house at 315 H street northwest. The
communication is signed by Mrs Ellen Sill
lers. owner Of the property adjoining The
jefferson. 313 II street.
1.-The owner and builder, Mr.. Cooper"
says Mrs. Sillers, was given a permit for
the apartment house. the wall to be thirteen
inches but with open disregard of such
plans he set to work and put the entire
weight of his fve-story building on my
nine-inch wall, which. as he knew, had
only two-foot foundation l would i'm
press on you this mans utter disregard of
our personal safety, in that not one thought
was given to such a minor 90 considera-
ton as that of underpinning my wall dur
ing building operations.
When my house, with this immense
weight on 1t. began to settle, l appealed to
your building inspector, but to no avail.
for the house was allowed to go almost to
completion, when the climax came by my
wall bullying in. Then it that 1 in
sisted on Mr. Bradys inspecting personally,
which he did and. finding things in such
serious condition, issued an order of
domination. Against my earnest protest,
Mr. Brady amended this order and, in Mr..
Coopers behalf, allowed the building to be
strengthened by an iron frame, which. as
he avowed himself, was only expert
ment.'
Appeals for Justice.
Now. as my house has settled to such
extent that hardly a window door can
be closed, and as the walls of nearly every
room are cracked, and as my house contin-
ues to settle on account of the weight of
his joists and pipes, which still remain in
my wall, l have appealed to you for jus
tlce in this matter. If a building 30 feet
in height is allowed to take it's support
from nine-inch wall with a two-foot foun-
dation. in open violation of the plans sub
mitted for it, and this fragrant violation.
when laid bare to Mr.. Brady's office, is
quietly covered over and finally excused by
Mr. Brady himself, then is there to be no
protection from such builders and those
who shield him?"
The communication concludes with an
appeal for an investigation and an exam
lnation of the premises of the writer The
letter will probably be referred to the build
ing INSPECTOR for report on the matter
Mrs. Slllers however. requests that hhe
animation be not made through that office
Building Inspectors Version.
Mr.. Brady, the building inspector, de-
clares Mrs. Sillers is unduly alarmed con-
corning her house and that she is in no
danger. He says, also. that the jefferson
is constructed according to modified and ap-
proved plans and in accordance with law.
Mr.. Brady declares there is absolutely no
weight resting upon Mrs. Siler's party wall.
ms wall. "hlch is on the building line
and intended to be used a party wall,
was employed by Mr.. Cooper at first up to
the third story. and he was continuing to
build upon 1t for the additional stories of
his apartment house. Mr.. Brady ordered
the wall extending above Mrs. Sillers' party
wall torn down 1t was then a steel frame
work parallel to the Sillers wall was put
in. and while the joist ends We're allowed to
remain imbedded in the wall where first
put, their entire weight was sustained by
the steel columns and Orders
Mr. Brady further declares he has care
fully examined Mrs. Siler's wall and can
ma no evidence of sinking. The bullying
complained OF. he says, was also investi-
gated. only to be found that at the bulge
point the plaster on the inner wall was four
inches thick while at ceiling and base
board it was but little more than an inch
IN thickness. There was no bullying of the
wall itself.
These facts. together with diagrams show
ing more fully existing conditions will
probably be forwarded to the Commission
ers by Mr.. Brady when the matter is re-
ierrea to nm, as 1t probably will be.