The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-08-01

| closing and party walls of a building.
| There should be limit OF variation in the
size of bricks used in the same wall OF
building, and formerly such a regulation
was in force. This and many other i'm
proyements might be suggested to COM
| mission for revision of the regulations.
Il would also recommend that the regu-
lations relating to the electrical wiring of
| buildings be removed from the Building
1 Regulations and placed under the charge
of the Electrical Engineer OF the District
of Columbia
The Number of Permits.
| tabuiated statement accompanies the
report of the number and kind of permits
to build issued during the fiscal year, this
is summarized as follows: New buildings
and extensive repairs. AS permits. with a
valuation CT Sc. TO1. 1880; minor repairs. p
240 permits, with a valuation Of S20, 16G;
| awnings, 1872 permits, valued at S3,9eO; fire
escapes. Is permits. valued at $500, and
! elevators 20 permits. valued at S5SII1.
/ The total number OF permits was 1851,
/ and the entire valuation IS. 795. 80.
summary of the reports of the assis
! tants In the Office Of the Inspector Of Build
! ing shows visits to new buildings, 6,729;
visits TO old buildings in course OF altera-
! tion or repair, 2.516; visits Of a miscellan-
cous character 3.446. Total, 1900, 1851.
! In 1899 there were 12.369, such visits show
! ing an increase for the year of 522
Condemnation of dangerous buildings OF
parts thereof for 1900. GIG; for 1899, 120.
! Increase, 496.
| In their report to the Inspector of Build
! ings, the assistant inspectors say:
The increase in the number OF visits
made during the fiscal year ending June
! 90. 1900, although not as great as in the
! preceding year ending June 30, 1899, com
! parcs very favorably with former years,
/ from the fact that some of your assistants
were unable to bear up under the pressure
and broke down frcsa oyerwork, much
valuable time being thus lost.
During the year we had one serious
/ wind storm, on August 8, 1899, business
: being blocked and roofs blown away. I'm
/ mediately after the storm your assistants
/ were in the field ordering the repairs. re-
/ construction or removal OF dangerous
buildings and parts thereof in the inter-
est of public safety.
From September q to October 8. 1899
much attention had to be given to the
safety OF stands, balconies. roofs. etc.
along the streets through which the sew
eral PROFESSIONS in connection with the
I Dewey reception passed. These important
events passed off without accident or in
jury 20 life and limb
During the year many existing bust
ness establishments have been altered and
increased in size. requiring the greatest
care and judgment in their reconstruction.
the work in many cases being of the most
dangerous character.
Twelve Kinds of Foundations.
THE subject of foundations has required
more than usual attention during the last
twelve months, from the fact that many
bad ground, which has in some cases been
filed for many feet in depth. and in other
cases On swampy and treacherous ground,
the loads per square foot of bearing sur
face varying from one to eight tons.
Twelve different systems of foundation
construction being used as follows:
Brick and cement; concrete; concrete in
sheet-piling hunks; concrete with steel
grillage; concrete with steel grillage in
sheet piling hunks; concrete with iron
bars; concrete with expanded metal; con-
crete, en- nlasse; piles with grillage and
concrete; piles with concrete heading and
no grillage; steel caissons, concrete filled,
and wood caissons. concrete filed.
These foundations have varied from
three feet to forty-fve feet below grade.
The general character of the original
ground eycavated being clay and sand with
gravel, water rarely being found less than
ten feet in depth. In many cases below
this level, however. increasing in volume
very rapidly and adding to the difficulties
CT construction.
The continued and increasing use Of
steel in the construction of our modern |
buildings requires increased vigilance On |
the part of the inspector under whose care !
building is to be erected when it is con- !
sidered that from five to fifteen thousand |
bolts have to be driven in che of these /!
modern hreproof buildings. Each rivet hav- |
ing a definite and clearly defined duty to |
perform, the necessity for careful and rig |
orous inspection is at once apparent
During the year we have endeayored to |
keep uD and raise the standard of brick |
masonry throughout the city In many |
cases marked improvement in the quality |
OF the work is noticeable. Without good |
bricks good workmanship is impossible; |
with good bricks the bricklayer has every !
opportunity to turn out work Of the highest /
order.
1t has been necessary TO reminder the
buildings on entire blocks and in some in
stances entire sections of the city have
had to be thus treated. Within the last
year 300 REMEMBERING notices have been
sent out largely Increasing our duties"
Inspection of Elevators
In closing his report the inspector men,
lions the following installations. inspec-
tions. and condemrations made in ac-
cordance with the regulations governing
the various departments thereof and as
sisAed to the duties of the inspector of
elevators: Elevators installed, 30; elevator
condemnations during installation. I; Gle
vators inspected, 9l2; elevators condemned
for repairs, 2S5; fire escapes erected. Is; |
IRE escape condemnations during erection,
&; steam boilers installed Is; steam en-
eines, j; gas engines. .; gasoline engines,
!; bake ovens, 2; hotels inspected under
fire escape law. 1855; miscellaneous con-
formations, 50; Inspections of heating ap-
paratus, 126.
THE rapid Increase. in the number of
elevators is making 1t practically impos-
cible for one man to visit all of the plants
once in three months and make the neces-
sary critical inspections to ensure the pub
&c safety.
There are several elevators now In use
which have but one hosting rope attach
Cd to the car. and as several opposite leads
over small sheaves. which makes the ropes
deteriorete very much faster than would
otherwise be the case. and if section 2O7 be
adopted II would give the inspector power
to condemn such hoists. ana compel the
owners TO increase the number Of ropes. or
change the position OF the machinery.
During the year there has been at least
one serious accident. caused through the
failure to securely close the elevator door /
and in this connection / submit the last
OF section 2O7 with the view of
giving the Inspector Of Buildings the au-
thority to use his own judgment in plac-
ing a safety lock on such elevators as he
deems advisable
Many of the plants In the city are so
situated that different persons can. and