Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-05-07
TEST OF SCHOOL
ROOF IS ORDERED
AS TODD RETRACTS
Precision instruments to BE
Used by Inspectors Of
flee at Mckinley.
CONTRACTOR FINDS SAG
OF FRACTION OF INCH
Critic Admits Charges Were Based
ON View Taken From
Sidewalk.

An inspection of the steel work on the
roof of Mckinley High School, Second
and T streets northeast, employing ac-
curate measuring devices, will be made
by inspectors from the building inspec-
tors Office this week, probably tomor-
row, following the retraction by Heron
Todd, local contractor of his charges
that the roof was saying and in a dam
gerous condition. Measurements made
yesterday by employees of MIR. Todd in
a rough manner, using plumb lines,
showed the maximum sag was FIVE
eighths of an inch.
After his men announced their find
ings, Mr.. Todd admitted five-eighths of
an inch sag was normal for roofs such
as those of the Mckinley High School
He added that, in buildings in which
he had done the steel work, 1t would be
quite possible to find such sag, and
that there was not the slightest indica-
ton Of distress, shearing, looSening of
rivets, cracking of concrete, or any
other evidence that the roof was not
safe.
Inspected From Street.
He told Mai John C. Gotwals, District
Engineer Commissioner, that his charges
were based on an inspection of the roof,
low After the inspection inside was
completed, District officials and news
paper men accompanied Mr.. Todd out
side and he pointed to the fact the long
roof has waves" in 1t, which he es-
timated from the street would amount
to as much as four inches in places.
It seemed to be agreed, however, that
such waves" are natural in a long
slate roof which has been exposed to
the weather for two or more years and
is not an indication Of structural weak
ness.
Among those present when Mr.. Todd
retracted his charges were Maj. Got
walls, Municipal Architect Albert l..
Harris, H. H. Marsh, chief engineer of
the municipal architects Office, who de-
signed the steelwork; E. K. Schilling,
aide to Assistant Engineer Commits
sioner H. L. Robb, and reporters from
several Washington papers.
The first meeting of the board. set
up by the Commissioners to investigate
and report on the question of whether
the type of steel construction used in
the Roosevelt High School and other
similar structures Is safe during con-
struction and after the building Is COM
pleted, has not yet been called, owing
to the absence from the city OF one Of
the members.
Labor Asks Senate Probe.
Carrying out the instructions Of the
Central Labor Union. Frank j. Coleman.
secretary, late yesterday dispatched a
letter to Senator Capper of Kansas,
chairman OF the Senate District Com
mittee, urging his committee to
the municipal architects
ONCE. The inquiry should be made,
the communication declared. to get
at the root of the controversy over
at the Stuart Junior High School and
the Roosevelt High School.
The text Of the letter follows:
MY Dear Senator:
THE Washington Central Labor
Union is very much concerned with the
recent collapse OF the construction work
being done at the Stuart Junior High
School and the auditorium OF the
Roosevelt Junior High School in this
city and requests that the Senate Com
mittee Of the District of Columbia, of
which you are chairman, make thor
ough investigation of the municipal ar
chitect'S Office Of the District of Co
lumbia in order that the facts pertain
ing to the construction Of these school
houses be determined.
Expresses Commence In Capper.
"The recent controversy as regards
these crashes has left in the minds of
the people of Washington, D. c., the
that there is something
wrong with the construction of our
school houses and the municipal
architects Office, and that it may be
dangerous for their children to at
tend such schools.
Every one in Washington. D. c.,
has confidence in you and your COM
mittee. Therefore the Washington
Central Labor Union is earnestly re-
questing that you start an investi-
cation Of the collapse of this con-
struction work as soon as possible in
order that this condition be remedied
before a more serious crash of one of
our public school buildings takes place.
Thanking you in advance for your
favorable consideration of this request
and assuring you OF our cooperation
in this investigation, am, respectfully
yours,
FRANK j. COLEMAN,
Secretary, Washington Central Labor
Union"