Evening star., 1927-08-08
Inspector 0ehmann Reports
Work Was Being Done
Without Permit.
SEEKING CONTRACTOR
TO GET EXPLANATION
Inquiry Blasts Theory That Head
quarters Was Bombed-Sec-
ond Cave-in Occurs.

Excavation work, for which a per-
NIT apparently had not been obtained.
caused the collapse late Saturday night
of the rear of the fivestory Fellow
ship Forum Building, 339 Pennsylva-
MIA avenue, it was announced today by
John w. Oehmann, District building
inspector. on completion of an inves-
tisation by his Office.
Col. Oehmann said he was endeavor-
ing to get in touch with the contrac-
tor, with view to obtaining his ex.
planation for this serious breach Of
the building regulations. The build
ing inspector said all efforts to locate
the contractor this morning proved un-
availing.
Bomb Theory Blasted.
Joseph Bogart, assistant building
inspector, declared that the contractor,
after the collapse Saturday night, told
him that there had been but little ex-
cavating done in the basement of the
building, but an investigation had dis
closed otherwise.
The announcement of the building
inspector blasted the theories that a
bomb might have caused the S0-year.
old five-story brick structure to crash
into Jackson Hall alley shortly be.
fore midnight Saturday. Col. Och
mann at first said that the collapse
might have been caused by an ex.
plosion, but he explained today that
this opinion was predicated on the as
sertion that no deep excavation had
been made under the building.
The contraction had hean iGSnRH
permit for installing press machinery
in the rear Of the building, but he had
not obtained permission to dig in the
according to a careful
search of the building inspectors
records, Bogart declared.
Officials Escape Cave-In.
While officials of the inspectors
office were investigating the ruins this
morning, a large section of the re-
naming structure crashed near them
with roar that frightened occupants
of the main building. to the front.
Orders were issued at once clearing
the entire building of it's occupants,
due to danger from flying debris.
Oehmann said there was no danger
Of the front portion of the building
falling, as the ruined section was a
unit of itself.
Following conference with Fire
Chief Watson, an engine company
was dispatched to the scene and early
this afternoon the engine was pouring
a high pressure stream of water
against the bulging walls still stand.
ing in an effort to send the remaining
part Of the rear building to the
ground.
Seed Bureau Homeless.
The collapse made homeless the
Seed Distribution Bureau of the De-
partment of Agriculture, whose 40
employees used the upper floors of the
building. A representative of the pub
lie buildings Office was assigned to
find a temporary home for this bureau,
which requires about 10000 square
feet of Office space. Most of the rec.
ords and a large quantity of expert
mental farm seed were lost in the
ruins.
Oehmann criticized the contractor for
failing to put in an appearance at the
Wreckage today.
II guess he is busy somewhere else,
but / don't think any other business
he could have is as important as this"
Oehmann stated.
Bogart reported that Saturday night
the contractor told him he had dug a
pit ~ or feet deep" against the
wall of the building. preparatory to in
a heavy printing machine.
The contractor denied that the excava-
ton had gone near the footing of the
wall, and said that he had gone down
A safe distance in the center OF the
Bogart said that this dig
ging. while apparently unauthorized
would not have caused the walls to
cave in.
Wall Is Endangered.
"On further investigat ton today.
however" Bogart declared. Il find
that the center excavation went down
several feet deeper than the contrac-
tor told me-sufficient to cause the
footing to slip and undermine the
Continued on Page 2, Column 1.)