New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-01-28
DOOM CAPITOL STAIRS.
EXPERTS FIND CRACKS.
State architect Says Building Is
Safe-AssembLu Embarrassed.

/ Albany. Jan. 27.-The great Assembly stair
case. in the northeast corner of the state Can
itol, after being for several years under susni
clon' owing TO cracks developing in the support
/ ing piers. was virtually condemned to-day at
/ least for the time being The trustees of public
| buildings. consisting of Governor Higgins Lieu
! tenant Governor Bruce and Speaker Wadsworth
| Oh the Assembly, on the recommendation of
! George l. Helms, State Architect directed Super
| intendent Robert J. Hnl, Of the Department OF
Public Buildings to barricade all the approaches
10 the staircase on all four floors Of the Capitol
ana Keep the public away from what is now
regarded as a zone OF danger. This action closes
not only the staircase and the Assembly ele-
Vators. but the main entrance to the Assembly
chamber itself. The recommendation of Mr.
Helms is based on a report to him by William
Barclay Parsons and Daniel E. Moran. expert
engineers. of New-Yor City, after preliminary
examination of the staircase and its immediate
environment The trustees of public build
ings recently instructed Mr.. Helms to make a
thorough examination Of the staircase. and he
called in the two engineers. whose report was
placed in the hands Of the trustees to-day.
The engineers advised the State Architect that
the conditions which have caused the cracks
observed for several years were still in force, a
state Of great internal stress existing in the
staircase structure. and that the safety Of the
public demanded that people should be excluded
from it's use because of the danger Of falling
pieces Of stone, If not a collapse Of the stair
case itself They describe the condition as
characterized by spaIl, the technical word for
the splitting off of feather-edged chips OF stone
showing the immense pressure exerted upon the
white Dorchester freestone. of which the stair
case is constructed.
They say that a considerable time must now
be consumed in q minute examination Of the
structure, study of the integrity Of the Capt.
tol building a whole, inspection of the founda-
tions by test pits" and even an examination
into the geological formation underlying tho
building.
Governor Higgins this afternoon declined to
make any statement on the subject OF the trus-
tees action. or to authorize the publication of
the engineers report. but he and the other trus-
tees deprecate any sensational statements OF
the situation. They insist that they were moved
simply by reasonable prudence. in view Of he
fact that the legislature is in session. and that
large numbers of persons have been using that
staircase and the adjacent elevators. and the
desire to omit precaution in the interest OF
public safety. They admit no feeling that any
part OF the Capitol except the staircase itself is
IN any sort OF danger.
NIr Helms declared this afternoon his firm be
lief that the trouble linitsd to the stair
case itself He said:
If we can save the staircase we intend 20 do
so, but if it is found impossible to remedy the
serious defects which have been found T. exist
the staircase will have 70 come down II my
opinion the trouble is purely local as regards
the rest Of the building, and applies TO the stair
case only further examination may show
that the approaches TO the staircase and ele-
vatOrs may be used with safety Messrs. Par
sons and Moran spent all day last Thursday ex-
aiming Ihe staircase ana II was upon their
report TO that the trustees decided that II
would be best to exclude the public for the
time being from that part Of the building. I
have made arrangements with both Of these
engineers TO make several inspections Of the
building during the next month or So II II
is deemed advisable to remove the present stair
case II will entail a large expenditure. and for
to avoid such a necessity.
One Of the complications Of the situation is
that while other stairways are independent
structures, the Assembly staircase is built into
the building proper, and it's settling involves to
some extent the surrounding structure.
Speaker WadswOrth said this afternoon that
the closing Of the Assembly entrance would
greatly embarrass that house. Entrance to the
Assembly Will now require a roundabout trip
through the Senate lobby and the west corridor
Of the building He expressed the opinion that
it might be many months before the condition
could be remedied
The famous papier- -nache ceiling OF the As
senbly chamber, which replaced the remarkable
groined arch ceiling and involved the destruction
Of the notable Hunt mural paintings in that
chamber, and gave rise to the ceiling scandal"
Of 1889. was erected at the same time that the
last important repairs TO the Assembly staircase
were made
The Capitol building was begun in 1867. was
first occupied by the Legislature in 1879. and the
last expenditure for construction was $20.980 In
1893. The building has cost the people $24,265,-
o82 81. of which $543.179 SO for the pur-
chase Of land.
Several years ago the Assembly staircase was
found 10 be IN bad condition, and underwent a
thorough overhauling. with extensive repairs.
Some of the present cracks trace their beginning
TO that time, the engineers in their report said.
The staircase piers seem TO be settling stil. In
1888 when the trouble noticed first, new
foundation was built for this staircase. At that
time the contractor who did the work protested
against the method of construction. urging that
this staircase structure should be separate en-
tirely from the foundations of the building as is
the case in the Senate stairway.
FALL DAZES WOMAN.