Evening star., 1936-10-18
D.C.ELEvATORCODE
BEING REWRITTEN
TO j. S. STANDARD
Proposed Changes to Retain
Same Degree of Safety as
Present Rules.
CONTRACT ON 13 LIFTS
READY FOR APPROVAL
Installation to 60 Forward in Vet
erans' Administration Plant at
Cost of $329,s19.

While the Federal Government
moved to install new elevators in the
Veterans Administration Building at
q cost of S329,8l9, it was learned yes
terday that the District elevator code
Is being rewritten to conform to the
national code.
Charles A. Peters, ir, assistant di-
rector of the National Park Service,
in charge of public buildings, said
Secretary Ickes will be asked this
week to indorse the award of the
S329,819 contract to the Otis Elevator
Co. for 13 new elevators in the Veter-
ans Administration. The company al
ready has furnished bond and signed
the contract, which Is agreeable to the
park office. Installation Of the new
elevators is part of a program made
possible by funds given by Congress
to scrap obsolete elevators in the Fed
eral buildings here and furnish up-to-
date equipment.
Assistant Engineer Commissioner
H. S. Bishop gave assurances the pro-
posed changes in the District code
would not mean any lessening OF
safety standards now in the municipal
regulations. He said this phase OF re-
vision was contemplated by the Com
missioners months ago and was not
inspired by recent disclosures that the
District is Withholding certificates
from Federal agencies for 178 ele-
vators which, according to a report
made Friday by Chief Elevator In
spector Joseph Brown, do not meet
District requirements. though they
may comply with Federal rules.
Congress May Take Action.
The question of whether Congress
should give the District government
power to require that Federal eleva-
tors comply with the District code has
been raised by some officials, although
the District is expected to make no
move, leaving the initiative to Federal
The death of Harvey Crowell, l3, in
an automatic elevator accident in a
Georgia avenue apartment house
prompted revision of the code by the
Commissioners last April. They
named a committee to study the sub
iect and this group is headed by
Capt. Bishop, with John A. Dickinson,
elevator expert Of the Bureau OF
Standards; Assistant Corporation
Counsel Edward w. Thomas and
Building Inspector John w. Och
mann as members
Actual work at the Veterans Ad-
ninistration will not start for about
60 days, Peters explained, as the
Sabricating of the new material and
preparation of shop drawings and
other arrangements will consume that
much time. The Government pro-
vides that the existing elevators
shall be out of operation minimum
length of time and SO will not per-
nit the contractor to go ahead with
the new installation until he is ready
to proceed on the ground, Peters de-
elared.
The new cars will be self-leveling
and will have a signal control, under
an automatic system, the buildings
chief explained. They will be fully
automatic in every way" although
they will have elevator operators In
attendance. The new cars will be OF
metal and the latest design.
Work on More Specifications.
The park engineers are now work.
ing on specifications for two other
installations. Five new elevators are
to be set in the Government build
ing at 1900 E street and this job will
be out for bids in the next 10 days,
Peters declared. These, too, will en-
body new safety devices.
In the old Patent Office Build
ing at Ninth and F streets, which now
houses the Civil Service Commission,
two existing elevators are to be re-
placed and a new one installed ada
cent to the newly-created main en-
frances on F street. Bids for these
are expected to be out within three
weeks.
Just in the preliminary stage are
plans for installation of two new ele-
vators in the old Land Office Building
and two in the General Accounting
Once Building in Judiciary Square.
In some of the buildings here, where
the Government rents only part OF
the space, Peters said his office has
no more to do with the operation OF
the elevators than has any other ten
, ant. Where the Government has
} rented a whole building, he said, his
ONCE does take care of the elevators
and sees to it that the owners keep
the building in the shape the District
authorities require.