Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-04-18
Government Buildings Said to
Be Improperly Guarded.
CHIEF WAGNER TESTIFIES
With Architect Snowden Ashford
Appears Before House Subcommittee.
CLOSE INSPECTION TO FOLLOW
Committee Members Promise to
Make Thorough Investigation of
Four Structures Named.

The subcommittee Of the House COM
mittee on public buildings and GROUNDS
today began an investigation of the nre
protection facilities In the buildings rent
ed and owned which are occupied by the
government departments in washington.
In few days the subc1mma,i.,Le,e :s na,o,a,s %
wilt visit several buildings with Of1clais
Of the local fire department and otner eA.
perts and make a thorough. cellar -to-roo1
inspection. Then they will take steps 10
have corrected any evil and dangerous
condition that may be founo.
In addition to Fire Chief Wagner ana
Snowden Ashford municipal architect.
James Knox Taylor. supervisiong archi,
tect of the Treasury Department. appeared
before the subcommittee. Chief wagner
testified In general that the structures IN
Washington erected for governmental
purposes were adequately protected
against fire and reasonably sa1e, put
that there was liability or serious
consequences to government employees
should a fire occur in one of the build
ings rented by the government.
Questioned by Chairman Sheppard.
Representative Sheppard of Texas.
cEairman of the committee, attended the
srbcommittee hearing and asked most OF
he questions. 1t became apparent tnat'
$ he stated yesterday, he had no idea
,f making the inquiry sensatlonai OF par
iSan in any way. but merely desired to
II at the facts ascertain If IL is true, as
as been alleged. that dangerous condl-
;ons exist, and, II so. TO bring ABOUT the''
correction. The subcommittee Will take
no further action until the receipt or
reports on the alleged fire traps men
toned =.
The committee smiled audibly when 1t
came out, during the testimony o. Chie1
Wagner. that, although the local hre De
rartment had urgently recommended the
installation of fire alarm apparatus In
the Capitol as long ago as 1896. nothing
was done in this direction until last sat
urday, the day after the public buildings
and grounds committee held its first meet
ing and decided to begin the present in
curry
II was suggested that Elliott Woods.
the superintendent of the Capitol, De
asked to explain the long delay; MT, Mr,
Lad already accomplished some good. IN
ssmuch as the mere announcement OF
its purpose to inquire into the hre pro-
lection Of government buildings nao re.
suited in the immediate installation OF
the necessary apparatus In the Capitoi
itself.
Committee to Make Inspection.
At the request of the committee, Chief
Wagner promised to have copies made
az ali The reports of inspections OF local
fretraps made in recent years. Wheh
:,fese reports are received the committee
aving received sufficient secondhand IN
oFmation for the time being, VIII vis,i iad
I,v experts and make careful inspections
on it's own hook
-.Is there any officer in the District.
inquired Representative Nelson OF Wis
onsin, whose duty 1t Is to look after
The fire regulations and fire protsc,lohs
N government buildings
NO air." the chief responded. we IN
.pect government buildings In the Gis.
trict Including private premises renteo
by the government and used TOR storage
purposes or as separate bureaus, only on
the request of the chief clerk o. other
proper authority Of the department con-
cerned."
"It has already developed" declared
Nr. Sheppard, that there is no central
authority to deal with this import ant
subject"
reiterated Chief Wagner's statement that
the local authorities had no right tc
enter a government building to make In
spection as to the adequacy OF It's pro
lection against fire, unless reauesteu ,':s,,
while inspector of buildings. but ne
couldn't say just how many inspections
had resulted. He recalled about eight
or ten. The chief trouble with most OF
purposes was structural, said the archl-
fect The floors were weak. as rule,
and in the event of fire would be likely
to give way. possibly causing tragedy.
Fire Escapes Inadequate.
What is your general impression of the
rented buildings you have Inspected
Mr. Nelson inquired.
The FIRE escapes are not adequate. Mr.
Ashford replied. But / don't think much
of fire escapes for government buildings.
They should be erected only as last re-
sort. They are a makeshift. Wide halls
ard numerous safe exits afford the best
protection against the loss of human life
by fire in one Of these structures. The
principal danger is from smoke penetrat-
ing to every Fart Of burning building.
This can be guarded against by proper
partitions But there isn't much danger
Of any one being burned up In a fire in a
well constructed government building.
Chief Wagner told the subcommittee
that the Unoin building on G street be-
tween 9Th and 9Th, the old District build
ing on Louisiana avenue between 5th and
9Th. now used by the Department OF Com
merce and Labor; the geological survey
building on F street between 14th and
18th. and the Lemon building on New
York avenue. where tAe superintendent
of public buildings and grounds has his
ONCE. Chief Wagner told tle subcommit-
tee were In the worst condition with ref
erence to fire protection of any of the
buildings in the District rented by the
government. ne did not go into detail,
as the report of the inspection of the
buildings in question. copies of which he
has promised to furnish the committee,
speak for themselves. chief Wagner also
told the subcommittee that conditions
were bad at the Government Hospital
for the Insane
Mr.. Sheppard said after the meeting
that he was glad the fire chief had called
the committees attention to these build
!ngs. that he would read the repoMs of
their inspection with interest and that
after the members OF the subcommittee
had personally looked over the building,
the necessary steps would he taken TO
conditions cop,pIo