Evening star., 1938-01-02

missioners and Inspector Entwistle,
among other things said:
I'VE think that this structure vio-
lates both the letter and spirit Of the
building regulations" and 80 far as
this structure is an unauthorized In
trusion on the public space. it should
be abated." And, in accordance with
these principles he ordered decree to
be drawn.
RUT Mrs. Cole did not stop here,
for it is said she employed a sur
veyor to survey all the buildings
around the circle, and about the
time she was getting somewhere and
many of her neighbors were getting
restless Congress, in order to close
the matter, added to the District Of
Columbia deficiency bill, approved
March 3, 1891, the following para
graph:
THAT the action OF the Commits
sioners Of the District of Columbia in
heretofore granting permits for the
extension Of any building or buildings,
or any part or parts thereof, in the
City of Washington, In the District Of
Columbia. beyond the building line
and upon the streets and avenues Of
said city, is hereby ratified without
prejudice. however, to the legal rights
OF the Government in the event OF
the destruction by fire or otherwise
OF any such structure. And here
after no such permit shall be grant,
ed except upon special application
and with the concurrence of all of
said Commissioners and the approval
of the Secretary of War"
And so Mrs. Cole won out, and the
bay window still stands, q monu-
ment to what one woman can do
when she makes up her mind.
A DECIDEDLY more important az
fair than the Cole bay window
case. and one that proved extremely
tragic, was the falling in of the roof
Of the Knickerbocker Theater on
January %. 1922, in which about 96
persons were killed and many injured.
AS this building was comparatively
new one. having been erected only
five years before the roof fell, 1t nat
urally caused the inspector Of build
ings more than ordinary concern.
Morris Hacker was then the inspec-
tor of buildings, and the coroner's
jury included him among the nine
men to be held for the action Of the
grand jury. However, he was later
among those exonerated by that body.
The topping over of the south wall
Of the Metzerott Music Hall Building,
later called the Columbia Theater,
back in the 90s, resulted in the death
of one person, and another pathetic
incident that took place about this
time was the caving in of the floors Of
the old Fords Theater, on Tenth
| street, when quite a number Of Gov
ernment employees were killed and
many manned for life. But this work
was done under the direction Of the
Federal Government, and the local
authorities were not involved.
INDEED. as We look back over the
years and note the vast amount Of
construction work that has taken
place here, and is still being done,
only in an ever-increasing volume, We
have to pay deserved and well-earned
tributs to the painstaking care and
efficiency Of the building inspectors
who have followed in Office the capa-
bic Thomas M. Plowman, back in
1877, and these include Thomas B.
Entwistle, John B. Brady. Snowden
Ashford, Morris Hacker and the pres
ent efficient inspector, John w. Oeh-
mann, who is also colonel Of Engineers
Of the National Guard and command. I.
ing officer of the 12lst Regiment Of
Engineers, National Guard Of the Dis
trict of Columbia.
Col. Oehmann may be having q little
let-up in his arduous duties just now,
due to a prevailing slump in the build
ing business, but he had enough to do
during the first nine months Of the
year just ended to make everybody in
his Office work overtime. including
himself.
A statement has recently been made,
and 1t is true, that during the first
nine months referred to the volume Of
building in washington was exceeded
only by New York, Los Angeles and
Detroit. An idea of that great volume
may be had when we are told that
private construction in the District
leaped from $3.50 900 in 1884 to S34,-
100000 in the first 10 months Of 1897.
And this does not include what is
generally known as METROPOLITAN
Washington-or nearby Maryland and
Virginia-the residents of which area
are largely employed In the District
Of Columbia.
Washington, in 1880, was the four
teenth city in population in the United
States, and by 1910 is expected to be
tenth, should it pass in line Buffalo,
Milwaukee, San Francisco and Pitts
burgh. And in time 1t bids fair to
be the worlds paradise, II 1t does not
already hold this unique position, as
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