Omaha daily bee., 1905-11-07
wirHNELL OBJECTED TO PLANS
Building Inspector Was OvereuIed by
Council in Criticism.

.
Building Inspector Was OvereuIed by
Council in Criticism.
The city council and Acting Mayor Zirn-
man deliberately overruled the objections
Of Building inspector withheld to the plans
furnished and the style of construction used
in the Hayden Bros building The in
spector complained the construction was
new and untried in Omaha, that he was un-
familiar with 1t and suspicious of it's vir-
tues. and that the plans furnished him did
not show sufficient information and detail
to give him an idea OF what was intended.
Notwithstanding the fact he appeared per-
sonally before the council and protested
against any action in the matter, the coun-
Gil adopted this resolution April 4 1905:
Resolved, the mayor concurring, that the
building inspector be and he is hereby
directed to issue to Hayden brothers, upon
receipt of the proper fees a permit to
erect their new fireproof building on the
north side of Douglas street between Six
teenth and Seventeenth.
Councilman zimman, then acting as
mayor, approved the resolution April II.
This was only one of the several in
stances in which the mayor and city coun-
Gil went over the head OF the building in
spector and ignored his recommendation.
In this case the inspector simply issued the
/ permit as ordered without approving the
plans or in any way committing himself.
During the construction OF the building
| a controversy was started between Hayden
Bros and ]. L. Brandels g. Sons, as to the
| excavation for rear wall, adjacent to the
| Patterson building, owned by the latter
| firm The outcome was litigation in which
a restraining order was issued by the court
| forbidding the inspector to enter the prem
! ises or interfere with the work or work
men.
After he had Investigated the premises,
Inspector Withheld gave it as his deliberate
opinion that had his recommendations,
made at the time the fight was on over the
permit, been complied with the chances
for the accident would have been greatly
| lessened.
THE cause Of the accident" said he,
was a defective tie rod. These tie rods
hold the Il beams. which support the
arches. The arches are composed Of brick
held in place by segment arches of metal
of very small strength and weight The
purpose OF the tie rods is TO keep the Il
beams from spreading ana the arches from
buekling and falling. The defective tie rod
permitted this to occur this morning
Nothing was left properly to sustain the
bricks and. CT course. they fen down
There are not enough OF these tie rods In
the arches Only two are used in most
sections. l suggested at least four before
the work was started. AS 1 have been en-.
joined from going on the ground OF inter.
fereing with the work, ! staid on Ny
department was prevented from having
anything to say about this building and
thus relieved from ali responsibilities"
The kind OF construction used In thG
Hayden building Is known as the "Roeb.
ling" and is employed by the Roeblinl
Construction company OF Chicago. which
has branch once in Omaha IN charge Of
J. r. Lehmer. The prioipal materials Vr'
4 steel and concrete, with brick arches. such
as gave way. These arches form the cell
ings but are not supposed 10 sustain IN,
weight Of the cement hoors above. as thes,