Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-07-25


that win happen in the course Of such
work. Anderson thought the job was
safe and shortly before the accident
he said that the truss was set per-
fectly on the pillars. 1t was Just
while the work OF tying the second
truss TO the first was going on that
the great iron piece on which he was
standing evidently vibrated enough to
throw it on balance"
What. the Architects Say.
= Ripley & Davis, the architects. say
frankly that the work went ahead
over their protests and along lines
that they did not regard as the best
At their office this morning the Star
Bulletin was shown copies and orig.
inal letters of correspondence giving
these protests:
Our first correspondence on the
subject" said Mr.. Ripley. was on
July when we made protest He
showed the following letter to the con-
tractors:
I'VE protest against the manner in
which the armory steel trusses are
being handled by the men engaged in
erecting the same The material is
being bent, the connections strained
and the truss as a whole is materially
injured. This must be stopped and
these trusses handled in a different
manner from that shown this day
while the first truss was being han
died"
According to Mr.. Ripley. the steel
pillars did not come to Honolulu as
designed by the firm. The pillars,
which were made by the Western
Iron Works of San Francisco, says
Mr.. Ripley, we're spliced at different
place and in different way from that
indicated On his drawings.
I'VE brought this to the attention OF
the contractors" said Mr.. Ripley, "and
said the pillars would have to be made
according to our designs. The steel
was then ali here. Delay, 1t was OBJ
jected, would be serious while we
were waiting for new pillars. We then
agreed to leave the matter to the de-
cision of Prof. John NJ Young Of the
College of Hawaii, the best structural
steel man in the islands, recognized
expert"
lin Mr.. Young's report, dated July
IT,, the following statement is made:
The preferred and safest method
will be to erect the two rows of col
umns along with and at the same
time that the concrete side walls of
the building are poured" tying the
columns to the wall by means of steel
beams at the floor levels, to stiffen
up the entire construction of the sides.
The other method, says this report,
will be to set the columns and secure
them in position by temporary brac-
ing then to put up the trusses. De-
tails as to this method are given.
On the same day that Young's re-
| port was made. the architects wrote
to sthe contractors:
We shall require that the steel col
umns be made complete before the
erection. that is, that the splice be
fully riveted, and this will include the
i plate connection Of the lower member
CT the truss. After these two columns
/ are riveted at these spices they will
he erected and the side wings Of the
i building viii then be carried up."
4 Mr.. Ripley declared this morning
Il
wings being carried up as soon rs pos
lsible to afford other support besides
4 the temporary bracing for the col
umns. Other correspondence was
shown to prove that the steel workers
wanted to throw up the columns alone
put on the trusses and complete this
before putting up the side wings, ant
that. after further protest by both con
tractors and architects, the work wen
ahead on the plan considered leas
safe. Letters were exchanged as lat,
as July IL.
The final correspondence shows
that the contractors did not consider
the methods outlined by the archi
J tects as practicable or economical
, This question is also asked:
I'VE also desire to ask again IL thii
steel work as 1t now stands is no
strong enough to be erected witt
safety, or by leaving out the knee
braces as suggested by Mr.. Young
Protest is made against delay an
extra expense in view Of the fact tina
the contract was taken at what Is dc
clared to be an exceedingly low" cor
! tract price.
:. 10 this letter the architects wrot
outlining in detail precautions to b
!, taken in putting up the columns con
!, plete. 1t is also stated in this lette
!. referring to the erection OF tn
, | trusses:
I'VE do not admit that this is tn
! proper method of construction
1 Z E y
3 Guatemala and Honduras have ju