Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-09-30
Building Operations in District as Be
ported by Inspector.
TOTAL VALUE OF new STRUCTURES
Decrease Shown as Compared
With the Preceding Year
APA RTMENT HOU S ES

District during the past. fiscal year. He
also makes number of recommendations
in regard to his department. The total
value of building work during. the year
was Sc, 1914 $50, as against So. 795,354 in 1900,
a decrease of $6O1, 274 A comparative
statement shows, however, that during the
past year there was an-increase of 1856 in
the number of permits for new buildings,
376 in the number of permits for repairs, "a
in the matter of dwellings, while the in
crease over 1900 in regard to apartments
was 20. Permits for 12S apartment houses
were issued. During the year permits were
issued for $3.50 buildings and for repairs
amounting to 1884, 467.
The financial showing for the Office Is as
follows: Received for building permits,
$3,545; for awnings, $115; for boilers en-
gines, ovens and furnaces, $40; for stands,
inaugural ETC., SAT; total, S. 1853. Received
for the year 1900, S., 1867; increase, 1885.
Continuing his report, Mr.. Brady says:
The volume of work this office has had
to deal with has been attended to as
promptly as 1t has been possible to do so,
and as the number of hours in an official
day is not sufficient to meet the demands
of the public for inspections the corps of
assistant inspectors have willingly worked
beyond the official time allotted, so as to
and builders for inspections Of trenches
and foundations, in order to reduce to a
minimum delays in construction.
Apartment Houses.
1T will be observed that the number of
apartment houses erected and now in
course Of construction is a feature which
necessarily attracts attention in view of
the great amount of capital invested in
such buildings. That the owners of such
buildings are satisfied with their invest
ments is manifested by the great number
now being erected in every section of the
city, and the success heretofore met with
in easily securing tenants to fill them will
continue. My observation, however, and
the record of this office show that the erec-
ton of private dwellings has been reduced
in number, so that within the city limits
there the still many vacant squares unm-
proved, and this is manifest in the imme-
date vicinity Of the apartment houses.
Generally the structural features of
buildings are far superior to those that
prevailed several years ago, due to the
more exacting details Of the regulations
ana the supervision of construction rem
dered by this department. In apartment
house construction for the fiscal year the
sum of 81 1873, $50 has been expended, while
in the same period the erection of dwelling
houses has amounted in valuation to ST.,
0SS 6S6
Adverse criticism has been INDUCED in
to large extent by the builders and others
interested in building, due to the loss of
time in having proposed projections be-
yond the building line approved within
reasonable time after application has been
made therefor to this Office BY act of
Congress passed March 8. 1891, the extern
sion of any building or buildings or any
part of parts thereof in the city Of Wash
ington, in the District of Columbia now ap-
plicable to every part of the District, be-
yond the building line, and upon the streets
and avenues, shall not be granted, except
upon special application and with the con-
currence Of all of the Commissioners and
las the applications for projections, as
now made, necessarily pass through many
hands, the average time consumed before
approval Is secured is ten days. In order
struction OF buildings pending approval OF
applications for projections, and solely as
privilege, the Commissioners have per-
mitted excavations within building lines
to proceed in advance of action on the
question Of projections. This privilege has
unfortunately been abused in many in
stances, and unauthorized excavations have
been begun without the building lines
Complaints of the necessary delay in the
granting of building permits involving pro-
jections beyond the building line should be
reserved until builders no longer abuse tine
privilege granted them, with the object of
facilitating their operations.
Confusion in House Numbers.
1.-THE confusion now prevailing in house
numbers in many parts of the District
division of land into narrower lots than
twenty feet in width, the limit first estab-
lished for basing numbers and the erection
of houses thereon, is a subject which must
be corrected as quickly as possible In
partly improved squares 1t is manifest that
the introduction of narrow houses affect
existing numbers on buildings previously
erected, and to eliminate the condition now
prevailing 1t Is recommended that a COM
mic -
pointed, to whom salary of 81, 900 each
per annum be paid, SO that the correction
Of the house numbers may be accom-
plished at the earliest practicable moment
In addition to the work of field inspec-
ton of construction this Office has perform
ed the task of reviewing all plans and the
correction of specifications thereof, where
necessary, for the several municipal build
ings erected during the year This work Of
reviewing he designs of the several archi-
tects employed has been a great task in
many cases, and has consumed valuable
time before the proposals for the execution
Of the work could be invited
The contractors to whom the several
buildings have been awarded have deliv-
cred them to the District in a satisfactory
manner, and disposition on their ma ri to
comply with the obligations of their con-
tracts have always been manifested.
Buildings Under Construction.
1.-THE buildings still under construction
are as follows:
Manual Training School No. /, 7th street
and Rhode Island avenue northwest; cost,
$1Oo,6SO. Manual Training School No. e.
street between LIST and Sd streets north
west; cost, $114.9OO. Workhouse, rear
| wing, reservation No. Is, Washington Asy-
lum: cost. $56,5 $685. and cell work; cost,
$43.3S5. Receiving ward, reservation 49,
Washington Asylum; cost. $12, 4S7 School
building, Sd and K streets southwest; cost
$50, 119. School building, v street between
and 0 streets southwest; cost, $3S 743
School building, Industrial Home School
Tenleytown road; cost, $16SOO. School
building, California avenue, Washington
Heights; cost, $35, 200 Engine house.
Brookland cost. $6,317. School building.
Twining City; cost, $22,34O School build
ing, Kenilworth; cost, $22,515.
Proposed school Buildings.
"Since the LIST Of July, 1901, contracts
have been entered into for the construction
| of three school buildings. namely, one four
room building in Petworth. one eight-room
building on P street near North Capitol,
and one twelve-room building in lexington.
Owing to the number of buildings re-
Gently erected, approximating the limit OF
elevation allowed by the regulations, name
ly. 1870 feet, and as there are others of this,
tyr pcfI