The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-03-12
.E||ALLS
With Y Ut Il. HEAVY /: HUD- H
Excitement IN Capitol Building
Caused BY Crash From
Roof to Ceiling:
DAMAGE . " \ G E QUlckL 3 EPAlRED.
70 One Hurt and Contractor
Says Cost Will n b e Ten Z.
Dollars.

8ssA$ crash in the new Capitol Building
early yesterday morning, caused BY the
falling OF a large piece Of concrete from!
the inside, or the roof i, startled the oc-g
scupant with the fear S5tssat there had
been 8an explo osipn 9S VII ;sSNs
The q ispl aein of;Ssgs III concrete oc-}}
cured about al s q clocl.. I'd s,tte:
Officials or clerks had arrived, but those
who had come distinctly Heard the re-
port and felt tile jar. III,
Around the dome of2the building, di-i
rectly over the main lobby, the ceiling.
consists 5of wire lathing and plastering.
There Is no pressure a from + above and
this character OF work was thought to
be- sufficiently strong. There are four
small triangular spaces In which this
wire and plaster is used, one IN each.
corner of the ceiling, wn1cllSi Is just
above the entrances to the offices on
the second floor. Over this ceiling heavy
rough cement is used on the $rafters and
iron work next to the roof. A heavy.
slug OF this hardened cement cracked
ioffs$and fell upon the ceiling directly.
Governors office 1t was not over the
main entrance to the executive chamber,
but over a middle door, which is rarely
ever used. III i
Wire Held Concrete.
The falling Of The cement, about
forty feet from the inside OF the roof
to the ceiling. broke two holes in the
latter, but owing to the wire lath-5
Ing the slug did not come 6 m, 81 through,
The wire hold it, but the plasterlnE
was Jared off in two places, and this
fell to tho floor in front Of the eS-
ecutive chamber.
Ss It seems. from q close inspection
of the roof from the&inside, that tile
cement has cracked In several places,
and other pieces are ready to fall.nt
tho slightest jar. To fall, however,
anywhere but in one OF these four
small triangles, tho cement would
cause no injury to tho building, rs the
rest Of the roof is over heavy concrete
floors. sls3. IL H @
1T looks as though tho concrete must
not have been properly mixed, as In
drying n good deal Of At has cracked.
Architects Noland & Baskervill, who
had charge Of the work, together with
the State inspector, were summoned at
once by Colonel John w. Richardson.
Register of the Land Office, and they
made3nn inspection Of the situation
They have informed Governor Swan
son as to the cause and extent Of tho
trouble, which will be remedicd at
once, s +, y, S ~
Contractors Statement.
When Contractor Wir+ i5 Chcster-
man, who constructed tho building,
was seen last night, he made the fol-
lowing statement:
s'Fhe portion Of concrete thnt fell
was u piece OF beam fIre- prooflns
and not amy part Of the structural
f work, This fell ON {n triangular
corner or the metal 3Nnd 4plnxterrd
ceiling under dome. The AtrMcturc
IL In n good cOntll lltiOn.', ts
Concrete Peeling,
The concrete on ono of the largo
pillars Of the building. Is beginning
4 g e peel, and there are other features
OF the work which have been criticized,
'lhowalls Of the basement oillces under
the main southern portico2 have neyar
dried out. and cannot be used for tho
purposes for which they were origl-
$pallY Intended. Il q a s35
FIJI pnmpness obtains In these rooms to
such ~ great extent that Colonel Il lch-}
BaFdson has been unwilling to place hls
gpapars In them. ana he was forced to
Etakp Ices on the north side of the
Senate wing basement, 53l 81 q
Mi. Chestermnns says that to repair
the damage done yesterdny will mot
cost over $40. Including tho sea ffolling
which vii he ne cessnry In 5order2sto
restore the fallen ceiling, Some ono
Smight have been llust N In 4 iii ssing by;
the Governors office when tho crash
came yesterday, hut there WAS mayals
ANN gar 70 Spersolis Sol ng ms or out
the g ltice, fort thp door opposlte whore
5tAe troubl ble occurred Is kept locked. #