The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-04-23

Building Inspector, in His Report
to Board of Works, Condemns
Old Structure.
PROTEST OF OWNERS
An Effort Will Be Made to Secure
Permission to Repair Building
for Temporary Use.

After several days devoted 10 a careful ex-
animation OF the Occidental Hotel building
which was Quilted by fire last Sunday, Build
ind Inspector Stanley yesterday submitted
his report to the Board OF Public Works.
recommending the condemnation OF the
building and its abandonment as hotel.
.On. reservation. however is made by the
building inspector in connection with the
stone addition on the corner Of Pearl and
Illinois streets. This. Mr.. Stanley says, is
compactly built. and with a few repairs
can be made perfectly safe.
Before the ratification of the report by the
Board OF Works, hearing Will be granted
Monday morning at IL o'clock TO Albert
Metzger, of the Metzger agency, which has
the agency Of the building, and @. A.
Schnull, son Of Henry Schnull. owner of the
property. AIr. Metzger stated last night
that he believed they could persuade the
board that with adequate repairs the build
Ing can be used for several years. providing
the rooms above are used only as store
rooms He said they will make an effort
to save the building until Mr.. Schnull Is
ready TO erect a new building. However.
no definite plans are to be made by Mr..
schnun until after the hearing of the report
Monday morning.
The addition on the corner Of Pearl and
Illinois streets, which was not included in
the condern nation, Mr.. Stanley says is an
unusually wen-built building, and aside
from the roof, is not badly damaged. The
work was done by of the best archi-
tects of the city, who also built Tomlinson
. Hall. Mr.. Stanley says the addition can
tore.
In speaking of the old building, Mr.. STAN
THE Foundation walls are Of brick sew
enteen inches thick, which is eight inches
less than that required by the present
building ordinance for brick buildings four
stories high Several years later two
more stories were added. making four
stories of thirteen-incb brick wall, which
could not be permitted under the modern
methods of construction nor according to
the city's building ordinance.
Some OF the foundation walls contain a
large per cent. OF soft brick, which are be-
ginning 70 show signs of crumblins- The
aged and weakened by cutting openings
and holes for iron pipes. this having been
done in q careless manner, and left with
out pointing up, which should never be per-
TO begin with
The Orders upon which the floor beams
rest show signs OF decay and the wooden
columns supporting them are in the same
condition. The inclOsure walls fronting on
Washington and Illinois. streets are badly
cracked in several places. The northwest
corner IS held together by iron rods, owing
20 cracks in the wall at that point. no
doubt resulting from settlement, taking
out the wall Of the first story and putting in
iron columns. The Washington-street front
near the top has several large cracks and
the angles at which they run indicate a
settlement in the foundation or from put
ting in iron beams and columns in the con-
struction Of store fronts. The Illinois
street wall contains a number of cracks
and If the paint and putty were removed
they would become quite perceptible.
The rear walls are located so as to
form a court about twenty feet square
These walls contain a great many soft
brick, which are scaling off, and the walls
are badly weather beaten.
The jewelry store fronting on Washing
ton street has been enlarged by building
one-story addition extending into the
open court An opening thirteen feet wide
has been made in the court wall, so as TO
MAKE clear space the full length of the
enlarged room. An eight-inch by ten-inch
wood girder put in carry three
stories of thirteen-inch brick wall, being
SUI ported by an eight by eight wooden
column in the center; This is positive
violation of the ordinance, which re-
quires the use of iron columns and Orders
II found similar construction in the hat
and furnishing store on Illinois, street,
where twenty feet of brick wall had been
taken out about year ago and wooden
girder eight by ten put in. this being sup
ported by an eight by eight wooden column
IN the center. All this is very faulty con-
struction and certainly. should not be per-
The interior brick walls around the
light shaft were damaged beyond re-
pair and Will have TO be taken down All
that part OF the building In the vicinity of
the fire was burned out from the second
floor TO the roof
The floors throughout the building have
settled IN places in consequence of the
cutting OF brick walls and alterations made
from time to time The engine and boiler
rooms are located in the cellar. which have
not been incloSed by fireprOof construction,
as required By the ordinance. In the cellar
under The drug store / found a portable
furnace, which contained a hot fire, and
boxes with drugs packed in straw were
piled up within eight inches of the furnace.
mention this that you may know some
thing OF the careless and dangerous prac-
tices that are common in many of the Gel
lars OF the city.
The facilities of egress are very poor
for a building Of this kind. There is but
one stairway from the first TO second floor,
located in the main entrance hall on ILL
nois street In the north end of the build
ms tnere Is a stairway about three feet
wide, leading 10 the third and fourth floors.
In a rush for the open air. the guests would
be crowded into the hall on the second floor
which is six feet wide, and over one hum
cred feet long. leading TO the main stairs,
and in descending would have to turn twice
In opposite directions before reaching the
street.
In a building of this kind on fire. lights
out. and the corridors filled with smoke,
the loss OF life would be appalling. There
Is one nre escape on the IllinOis-street side
but i'm the event of a IRE panic and with
crowded house not 10 per cent of the
guests would know anything fbout it's Ioca-
ton The stairs for the help are scarcely
wide enough for two persons To pass each
other in ascending and descending and To-
Gated IN the most dangerous part of the
building in case OF fire Ii was right here
that two men lost their lives by being hurled
from the top floor TO the bottom beneath a
mass of rubbish. and no doubt they were
suffocoted in trying TO find this stairway.
The circumstances connected with this
case make II very unpleasant for me to de-
eide have been told of the condition OF
the owners health, and the serious effect IL
would have. should he be made acquainted
with the fact that his building had been
destroyed have also been reminded of
the great loss the tenants would sustain
should the building be pronounced unsafe
and not in condition 10 be repaired.
- In reaching my conclusions, | can as
sure you that have not been influenced by
public sentiment. nor swayed by the per
s0nal appeals which have been made TO me
by those directly interested This matter
has occupied my mind for several days and
IS one 10 which have given the most seri-
Gus thought and consideration, and realiz-
ing the great responsibilities that rest upon
inspector or buildings I have decided
10 recommend that the building be con-
demned and not permitted TO be used again
for hotel purposes"