Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-07-28
MAKE SURE OF THE SAFETY OF THE ARHoRY


The Star Bulletins stand in connection with
the construction of the new armory has already
been upheld by the action of the contractors.
The method of putting up the .trusses has been
changed, and the great 100foot trusses will not
be put in place until the supporting steel col
umns are erected and firmly braced. The single
truss that remained after the accident of last
week has been taken down.
Deputy Sheriff Rose is making as complete an
Investigation of the matter as possible under the
somewhat limited jurisdiction. of the coroner's
jury But the investigations should not end here.
The Star Bulletin has produced the correspond
ence to show the doubtthat existed in the minds
Of architects and contraetsEssas to the safety of
the armory work taking into account the light.
ness Of the steel pillars and the manner in which
the steel was being erected. That doubt should
not be allowed to remain There have been
enough scandals in public building work in the
states; Honolulu does not want scandal.
There have been enough horrible accidents due
to structural flaws-in material or in design or
in Notwithstanding does not want an accident.
Whether the accident that cost mans life
was due to any structural defects is really nil
nor question-very possibly it was not and it
will be for the coroner's jury to say The vital
point is that the circumstances surrounding this
Incident have brought out the serious question
Is to the safety of the armory job.
The question, it is now established, has been
the subject of much correspondence between.the
architects and contractors, involved in the i'm
mediate discussion as to the order of the work.
That question was brought before the superin-
tendent of public works. who employed a steel
expert to investigate and report The steel ex-
perl says, unofficially, that as a steel man he
would put more steel into the building than was
used
Another and still more vital point is that pub
lie buildings are being erected in the territory
under a system which permits the architects to
employ their own inspectors on the work. The
territory, through the department of public
works, passes on the original plans and later on,
when the building is finished, may either accept
or reject the building The territory, however,
does not officially inspect the building in course
of construction, except on concrete work.
1t is stated that "this is the usual practice y
The fact that it is the usual practice does not
make it the right practice Tt has been brought
out that the very important correspondence be-
tween the architects and the contractors was
never referred to the department of public
works, because that was not considered neces
sary under the usual practice. Changes We're
made-changes involving the clement of safety
-of which the department of public works was
not informed. 1t was not so specified in the con
tract Not only was the territory ignorant of
the details of these changes, but probably pow
erless in caseit had wished to interfere
The system is wrong, because the territory
the public-is not sufficiently protected. 1t is
put up as an argument that in case the arnory,
complete, did not come up to specifications, it
could be rejected. That is true but rejection
would involve not only the probability of three
or four years of litigation but the certainty that
..-ssza