The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-04-18
RAILROAD NEWS.
Effort Made to Raise Floors Of
Santa Fe Offices.
To Correct Sagging Due to De-
fective Center Wall.
NEW BUILDING LIKELY
Probable That the Santa Fe
Will Build Next Year.
Present Building is Now in Bad
Repute.
NEW BUILDING LIKELY

An effort is to be made to raise the
first. second, third and fourth floors OF
the santa Fe Office building, at the
point where the floor has sunk down
next to the center wall
Immense timbers were put in place
yesterday under the floor on each side
of the recently rebuilt center wall to
check further sinking, and prepare Tor
the operation of lifting The carpenters
and engineers began at the basement
and placed 15-inch timbers= on the floor,
on which uprights Of the same dimen-
sions were placed to bear on the JolsC
OF the floor above. This was done on
each side Of the wall which recently
collapsed, and the same plan was 4ol-
lowed on each floor above. In TINS way
the braces on each floor bear direetly
on the braces on the floor above, ana II
power enough can be applied to the
basement timbers it is believed that all
the floors can be raised at one time
The work is now being delayed wait
ing for some necessary equipment OF
powerful design, for the purpose OF
lacking up the weight of the buudlnS.
The sinking Of the floor is especially
noticeable for distance of thirty or
forty feet along both sides of the center
wall next to the main front stairway
Tt is easy to detect the sagglng OF Iue
main stairway and corridor floor; IN
fact it is difficult not to be aware that
the floor is not level as one walks up
stairs and turns toward the front OF
the building, Apparently the floor has
sagged toward the center distance of
probably three to six inches
This sagging is due to the settling OF
the center wall near the front of the
building. 1T is believed that this set
Ting has now been checked by the re-
building of the center wall from the
basement up to the second floor. But
to correct the sagging of the floor it viii
be necessary to make still more extern
sive repairs.
1t will be impossible. so the engineers
say TO raise the floors without loosen
ing the joist in the center wall. These
jOist Will De given several inches play
by removing bricks from the wall. and
then when the floors are raised. it is
proposed to continue rebuilding the
wall to the top of the building, allow
ing the joist to get support from the
heavy timbers while the new wall is in
process Of construction.
The danger of the situation is that the
sagging should continue until eIfe jOist
might be pulled out of the outer sur
porting walls. This might precipitate
the building down through the center
and allow the outer walls to fall inward
While this danger menaces only the
front part of the building directly, it
would be likely to cause the collapse Of
The whole structure If any part of it
should faE.
The sagsing of the floors naturally
causes a racking of the whole structure
Doors and castings are being pulled out
of shape. Some of the castings are al
ready so badly wrenched that the doors
viii not close tight.
The belief is growing stronger that
the Santa Fe VIII find it necessary to
build a new Office building next year
The present building is over-crowded.
and the Santa Fe owns sufficient land
east of the present building to just dou-
BILE the present building in size The
fact THAT the present building is sus-
peeted of being unsafe win continue to
disturb the Santa Fe officials and it is
thought that plans win have to be made
for new and strong accommodations
When General Manager H u. Nudge
was asked if the Santa Fe expects to
build new Office building here, he
said.
Not this year I can't tell what we
viii decide to do in the future"
The Santa Fe officials here are doing
all in their power to make the building
safe during the progress of the repairs
but there is naturally considerable sub
dued nervousness among the people who
work in the building. which it viii take
q long time TO overcome The officials
say that they believe the building is
stronger now than it has been since the
fire, and express confidence that the re-
pairs can be successfully completed