Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-04-26
LESSONS OF QUAKE
IN ARCHITECTURE
Stanford Buildings Bound With
Steel Escape Distinctions
Visitation.
DOME WRECKED THE LIBRARY.
,ilrdcrs Vibrated and Bunted Massive
Rock Walls Out OF the Way Like
So Many Pebbles.
Especial to the "News.")

Especial to the "News.O
Stanford, April A.-The architectural
lesson Of the San Francisco earthquake
IA paneled rooms, and beamed CELL
lngs, instead of plastered walls for cot
tages, and steel construction for the
big ones.
At Stanford university the architec-
tural lesson is severe, plainly spelled,
and definite. Genarly speaking, the
old buildings stood, and the new ones
went down. The lines of the archi-
tects are as well drawn as the lines OF
the earthquake, and you can trace
through solid buildings and crumpled
ones the history OF their builders.
Stanford buildings were made
through two periods At first Senator
Stanford, with his immense store Of
ready cash, and his great resources in
architectural skill and building ability,
constructed the inner quadrangle, the
Encina and Roble hall, and let con-
tracts for part of the outer quad These
buildings are all intact, and were shak-
en- In vain.
Then came Mrs. Stanford. a woman
and its equipment Of engineers to get
In touch with and advise with and
different line of builders and architects
planned and constructed the newer
buildings, and gained her confidence.
Finally, In the last days OF her work,
the new gymnasium was built, and the
new library, which are the most COM
plete wrecks, and IN which the archl-
tectural style accounts for the wreck
age. The veteran architects built
what remains. Comparative beginners:
through low bids, did the work on the
newest buildings.
STEEL sTNDs STRAIN.
The question Is steel. everywhere
steel. Roble hall was built by man
with a theory, and 1t was thrown up
In 80 days. 1t survived best of any
building. The theory of the man was
that sandstone, ground to sand, and
mixed with Portland cement, made the
frmest building material known, when
braced on a frame work OF steel bars,
and his theory proved correct.
The great museum which he original
ly built In the same manner, stood
firmly under the quake, while immense
new wings of stone and masonry with
out steel splintered like the giants OF the
forest In gale. while the slender grass
below laughs with glee, and survives
IN THE QUAD.
In the quad, the inner buildings are
steel braced. while the older of the
outer buildings are constructed the
same way. The old library and as
sembly hall suffered hardly a cent OF
damage, while the new wing westward
from the arch fell according as the
construction of a particular part was
steel Ordered or not.
HODGES CHOICE,
The arch was an architectural blum
der. \ man named Hodges had the
condolences of Mrs. Stanford. She Sc
cured his approval TO architectural
plans from time to time, after better
architects had disapproved them. One
such plan was to add forty feet to the
height of the arch, although the orig
inal plans called Tor only sixty feet.
The unique result Of an arch taller
than broad was the result and the top
slid off at the first shove OF the quake,
leaving about the original sixty feet
In good condition.
The new gymnasium was Hodges
creation entirely, his first work of any
size. II split up like card house.
The immense dome overhead was of
steel. but the underpinning fell out,
and 1t crashed down. sending the walls
out In every direction, through the air
pressure. at the moment Of earthquake
concussion.
NEW LIBRARY.
The greatest lesson OF all looms up
hn h,iII A
trail steel dome was here built, on
which the masonry was set in from the
top down. Around this steel dome north
and south stone wings were built, maxi
ing up the main library halls The
earthquake set this central steel dome
TO swaylng like a clock pendulum, and
II hunted walls out of its way every
time II swayed. Both long wings had
90 pay the penalty in net result Of
total wreckage. Steel glrders, allowing
the wings to sway with the central
dome would have saved ALL and good
architects called for these girders, while
poor advice resulted In the approprla-
ton for them being cut off.
Had Encina hall been built like these
buildings the death list would prohab-
ly have amounted TO over 200 people.
The university has lost s4,000,00O In
property. but very little OF this proper
~ was in the running gear of the place.
Some OF II looked In color like white
elephant. as II was very valuable, but
not practically useful in the carrying
on of the universities curriculum, The
great lesson of steel construction and
steel bars through every pile of mason
ny comes home very strong. In each
view OF the Stanford catastrophe. The
new San Francisco will no doubt be OF
kind that will neither shake down IN
the next quake, or burn up In the next
fire, and at the university improvements
VIII hereafter be figured in steel Instead
of just rock and mortar.
FIDDLE WHILE ROME BURNS.
California people are hard to disheart-
en-. They found wealth easy. II went
easy and they fiddle away while their
Rome burns. They laugh over the sit
uation, make fires out In the street,
cook in the rain, and then tell you
how they are going to fix IL all up
pretty soon, have II better than ever
before, and at Stanford, how many u
mistake was set right, and how the way
Is now open for a bigger, and better
university than ever.
ISAAC RUSSELL.