Evening star., 1925-09-20
BUILDING SUPPORTS
DECLARED UNSAFE
u. S. Workers Endangered by
Decay, While Congress
Denies More Money.

Only a few shreds of rotten tim
Der in many instances, and the eternal
vigilance Of Army engineers in others,
separate scores OF Government en-
ployes from possible accident in the
temporary shacks which were rushed
to completion for war purposes and
still are being used today.
Buckled floors and cracked walls
give mute warning Of impending ca
tastrophe, which engineers are trying
to ward off by renewing a pier here
and there, where decay makes 1t
urgent. New and smooth asphalt
streets in the vicinity OF these build
ings are actual life savers, according =
to engineers. Were they paved with
brick or cobblestone, constant yiora-
ton would surely bring the buildings
down, so serious is their condition at
| this time. Yet they are still used Ia
house Government workers.
Supports Rotten.
There is already heavy settling in
progress in these temporary buildings,
according to Lieut.. Col. Clarence ..
Sheriff., director of the Office OF pub.
| lie buildings and public parks OF the
National Capital, and they are grow
| ing worse and worse each year
despite efforts to keep them from
| falling down. There is not, ne con
tinued, enough money available eVefla
| to replace the 8-by-S woodeL
piers with the toughest Of concrete
| supports, and the life of one OF the
wooden sections of snoring Is only
| about three years. The dampness eats
| away the tinbers almost as fast as II
rats were gnawing at them. Several
70 rtHxx
were more than three-quarters gone,
| and it would appear that little Vi
| bration or conclusion would surely
| collapse them.
Responsibility for such a condition,
| or a catastrophe. should II occur,
would have to be placed squarely on
| the shoulders Of Congress, according
| to engineers. Yet a board of inquiry
| or even a corners inquest whicn
| would follow such a catastrophe
| could hold no one. The Government
| officials having charge Of the build
! ings are doing the best they can,
| eternally watching the piers by crawl
| ing under the buildings, and ordering
| renewals in the most extreme cases
| because of lack of funds prevents
| general rebuilding.
| Collapse Feared.
During the fiscal year 1875 approxl-
| mately S11,170 was spared from the
building maintenance fund for urgent
| work in renewing some of the under
pinning of these temporary buildings.
| and the previous year about twice
! that amount was spent. This is by no
| means enough, ii was pointed out, TO
make the buildings absolutely safe,
| and every day officials hold fears OF
| the possibilities of a collapse of one
| or more of these structures. Obser-
INa GY-rliy1 y1Y1Iy
pointed out, makes one wonder that
| the buildings have remained intact for
| so long a period.
| With the underpinning in such a
| serious condition despite efforts to
| keep il up, it was pointed out that a
| sudden heavy weight, such as a heavy
| fall of snow. might cause a collapse,
| with consequent damage to life and
Government records. A caving away
| of a section of a building pulling
loose, as it probably would, electric
| wires, would cause a fire which would
destroy. in many instances, priceless
Government records.
| Congress has been made fully cog
infant of the conditions under the
| buildings, but each year has failed TO
| make provision for new ones or the
| adequate repair of these. The crowd
| ed conditions in the Government de-
| partmentS, shortage Of Office space for
| carrying on the normal functions Of
| the Federal Government, makes II alb
\ solutely necessary TO use these struC-
| lures, II was asserted. Not an inch OF
| space in them goes to waste, as in
| the small attics, and even under the
| first floor, on the bare ground, mate
| rials are stored for the want of better
| storage space.
Weights Evenly Placed.
| Careful check is kept on all weights
placed in the buildings to distribute it
as much as possible, so that no great
amount will be overloaded over any Of
| the weak spots where the underpin-
| ming is found to be decaying.
Col. Sheriff. pointed out that the
conditions under Trea asury annex No.
2, at Fourteenth and B streets, was so
bad for a time that the Office was on
the verge of abandoning it. A thor.
ough survey was made, however, and
the underpinning braced up so that
the building could be used little
longer. This building is forced to bear
the vibration of the heavy inter
urban cars which pass one of its
sides.
At the present time the building No.
Z at Virginia avenue, Eighteenth and
| B streets. is having extensive repair
work done. The decay Of the under
pinning there caused a serious settle
ment in the building, which called
out the emergency repair gang to
place jacks to take the place of the
| rotten S-by-S piers. The rotten
sections are being cut out while
the jacks hold up the building, and
new sections are being made ready
| to be put in place.
| Engineers are continually required
to crawl under these buildings and
make inspections to. order a repair
| wherever 1t is urgent, and where
ha Oh