Evening star., 1932-11-08
INSPECTORS BACK
SAFETY MEASURES
At j. s. BUILDINGS
More Than Meet Code, They
Say, After Two Workers
Are Fatally Hurt.
SECOND DEATH TODAY
RESULTS FROM FALL
Superintendent Held Responsible
by Coroner's Jury in Other
Accident at Structure.

With two workmen fatally injured
within a few days in accidents on Fed
eral buildings now under construction
here, Government inspectors today came
to the defense Of their inspection sys-
tenn, which they characterized as more
strict than any required code.
The second death occurred today at
Emergency Hospital, where George
Currie. colored, "a, of the 400 block OF
Twenty-first street, died from frac-
tured skull received In fau last
Thursday at the new Interstate Com
merce Commission Building, Twelfth
street and Constitution avenue.
At an inquest yesterday in the first
death, that of Lewis NARROW, As, an
ironworker, who died at Emergency
Hospital Saturday of fractured Skull,
Lee R. Burch. superintendent of struc-
tural steel construction, was held re-
sponsible by a coroner's jury. The &C
cident occurred Friday at the new
Justice Department Building. Tenth
street and Constitution avenue. Mar
lows skull was fractured when keg OF
rivets broke through temporary moor
ing on the fifth floor and dropped to
the second floor, hitting him on the
head NARROW lived here at I'LL M
street and his home was at Saltwater,
MINI.
Inspection Is Upheld.
The Federal inspection system was
upheld both by Neal A. Mellck ana Z.
H Branscombe. construction engineers
representing the Treasury Department.
They are in charge of supervision over
the buildings where the accidents oc-
cured
Mr.. Melick. who is in charge OF WORK
on the Post Office, Interstate Commerce
Commission, Government Auditorium
and Labor Buildings, said:
Efforts being made for safety on all
of these buildings are far beyond any
building code requirements. 1 have 10
inspectors in the Government service
constantly on the job through these
buildings, in addition to the Inspection
provided by the contractors and the IN
surance companies"
John Parish, superintendent for James
Stewart g. Co., contractors, said Currie
fell down a stair we'll Careful investi-
CATION, he added. led to the conclusion
that Currie must have accidentally
slipped off ladder. The stair we'll was
surrounded on all floors with barri-
cades built several feet back Of the
opening and the ladders were in good
condition, he said. The man landed on
the concrete basement floor.
His company, Mr.. Parish said. had
low insurance rate on its workmen on
account of the extreme measures OF
safety which it had practiced over
period of many years, with resulting
relatively small number Of accidents.
Provisions for Safety.
For the Government, Mr. Melick ex-
planned that there is written into all
contracts general provisions demanding
safety. which are enforced by Federal
inspection engineers
Contractors have been eager to CO.
operate in safety measures, he ex-
planned For instance. it has been de-
cided that as steel construction arises
the permanent steel stairways and rail-
ings will be installed along with the
rest of the building. instead Of depend
ing on wooden ladders. AS soon as con-
crete floors are laid permanent walls
will be erected around StairWellS to pre-
vent accidents there.
At the Justice Department Building,
Mr.. BranScombe. insisted that both the
Federal inspection and contractors in
spection were rigid and thoroughgoing.
He said that in addition to three Feder-
sk inspectors, and the contractors in
spectors on the job, the government
had made a contract with James G.
Dempsey of Philadelphia for steel in
spection." This company has an ex-
pert on the job continually watching
erection of steel.
Practice Is Defended.
Concerning the kegs of rivets on the
wooden decking, Mr.. Branscombe said
It was sound practice" to use the
temporary wooden floor to carry no
weight, but to place heavy objects over
steel beams. These floors are laid for
two purposes, he explained; firSt to
keep falling tools. rivets or other things
from striking men working on floors
below. and second, to catch men, who
may accidentally fall from steel work
above. The decking used in the De-
partment of Justice Building he said,
was of Oregon fir, a strong lumber,
two inches thick.
At the inquest yesterday into Mar
lows death, Burch, an emplcye OF the
Mcdonald Steel Erecting Co. OF Wash
ington, was reported by the coroner's
Jury to have been found "negligent" in
his responsibility over the laying OF the
temporary flooring which collapsed.
Burch admitted under questioning by
the proper laying of the floor. He said
q plank, upon which had been stored
some four or five kegs of rivets. had
given way when he stepped upon 1t pre-
paratory to moving some OF the kegs.
He almost fell through the flooring
himself, he testified.
Fellow Employe Testifies.
James P. Day, a fellow employe of
Marlow, told the coroner's jury 1t was
his understanding that a "sub-platform"
should be built under a flooring such as
that upon which the rtvets were stored.
There was no such platform, he testlf1ed
Branscombe, when called to the stand
to describe the Treasury Departments
requirements as to safety, said there
were no exact specifications. ASKED II
he had made an investigation into the
accident, he answered in the negative,
explaining he had not had time"
The accident happened Friday, did
1t not?" asked. Coroner Joseph Rogers.
Yes, Friday afternoon. There was
no one on the job yesterday, though"
Branscombe retorted.
Have you been to the scene, have
you seen the board which fell through"
NO"
The coroner then asked the Treasury
Department engineer to examine the
broken board, which had been brought
to the inquest by police. Branscombe
said there were no defects.
When Burch was called to testify, he
told the jury the board was 'of very
inferior quality" that "on the outside
it looked o. K, but when it broke we
discovered flaw