Evening star., 1947-12-31
EnnpiireProbers
Study Reportof
Wall Removal
Board Investigating
Building Collapse
In Recess Today

Oh a special nFe-nau llFesliSdtIoil
board sought to pin down charges
that part of a load-bearing first
floor wall was removed from the
building.
The board got this indication at
its first public hearing yesterday
from Harry Atkinson,
3439 Fourteenth street NV, a
builder.
He said he was called in during
the autumn of 1916 to discuss re-
modelling of the ground floor S
northeast corner with the proprietor
of restaurant then occupying that
space, and Nick Papanicolas, owner
of the building, at Ninth street and
New York avenue NV.
Declined Job.
Mr.. Atkinson indicated he was
asked to remove part of a load
bearing wall. He declined to take
on the job, he said, because 1t
couldn't be done'-or could be
done only at prohibitive price
Had the change been made, he
said, the building would have re-
1uired new underpinning, including
the installation of steel beams.
1T would have taken plenty OF
STEEL" Mr.. Atkinson said, "and ]
mean big steel"
Mr.. Papanicolas and his brother
George, who acts as his attorney
were interested listeners as Mr.. At
kinson went on to say he noticed
later, in passing the building, that
some alterations had been made
Mr.. Atkinson did not specify pre-
cisely what the alterations were and
was unable to identify their location
when shown photographs of that
section of the building as it ap-
peared at the time of the collapse
which brought death to four ten
ants on December 16.
He asserted, however, that beams
used to underpin the building In
these alterations were of four-by-
four-inch steel. Mr.. Atkinson said
he would have used eight-by eight
or 12-by-12inch steel.
When the failure occurred, the
part of the building referred to by
Mr.. Atkinson was occupied by the
City Finance Co. It is over this
area that the structure collapsed.
Drawing to be Prepared.
The board decided to see If Mr.
Atkinson could make his testimony
more precise when confronted with
a scale drawing of the building s
as 1t is believed to have
appeared at the time of the failure
Stewart Beall, an engineer, the
boards new chairman, announced
the panel will prepare such draw =
ing. He then adjourned the hear
ing, saying the date of the next
public session will be announced
later.
Mr.. Atkinson's was not the only
testimony yesterday which seemed
to show that, over a period of many
years, successive alterations may
have Clipped deeply into the build
ing's vital underpinnings.
George L. Goodacre, 5810 Connec-
ticut avenue. Chevy Chase, Md, tolc
the board he opened lunchroom ir
the corner space in 1905. Three
years later, after acquiring the
space next door, formerly occupied
by Wallace's Cigar Store, Mr.. Good
acre said he cut an opening 10 or l.
feet wide in the wall separating the
two rooms. A smaller opening wa!
cut in the same wall to give access
to the kitchen, Mr.. Goodacre added
Walls Declared Identical.
Mr.. Beall said today the wall de-
scribed by Mr.. Goodacre was the
same load-bearing wall as the one
referred to by Mr.. Atkinson. Tht
testimony suggested, he added, tina
the wall had been cut first wher
Mr.. Goodacre had the restaurant
and that the cuts had been widenee
in 1916. Mr.. Beall said there ap'
peared to be no record of permi
issued for the original alteration II
1908.
Mr.. Goodacre told a reporter HI
could not remember details of tht
arrangements 40 years ago, but hat
assumed the contractor making tn.
alterations had received a propel
permit for the work.
After last-minute decision t,
open the session to the public, yes
terday's hearing began at 2:15 pm
with the startling testimony O
George F. Linkins, a member of th'
rental agency firm which handled
the Empire property between 1913;
and 1945, who said another grount
floor wall had disappeared since tn
building was turned over to tn
present owner.
Mr.. Linkins showed the board
in photographs and with drawings
how this wall had bisected the cor
ner space, forming an angle IL
the center of the area where ,
pillar stood at the time of the col
lapse.
Importance Doubted.
Chairman Beall declared, how
ever. the boards Investigations hae
indicated the structure mentioned
by Mr.. Linkins was actually par
tition rather than a wall, and not &
weight bearing part Of the building
The board doubts, Mr.. Beall said
that removal of this partition coule
have affected the stability OF tht
Empire Building.
He added that the board has no
completed it's check of the Building
Inspectors files and does not know
whether a permit actually was issuee
for this work or for work such a!
that described by Mr.. Atkinson
Building Inspector Robert H. Davi'
does not think such permits wert
issued.
Mr.. Davis resigned his chairman
ship of the committee as the hear.
ing opened yesterday, announcing
he felt his appointment by thu
Commissioners had applied only X
the period Of. the boards organi
zation The group then elected Mr.
Beall as it's chairman.
Other members of the panel art
Chester H. Gray, principal assistan
corporation counsel; w. B. Glenn
mer, builder, and A. Hamilton Viii
son, architect.
Agree on Public Hearings.