Evening star., 1948-06-15
Waits
Six Months 10
Repair Elevator,
Red Tope Cut After
Four Are Shut Down
As Dangerous
BY Jerry OLeory, Jr.

Six months after four Gallinger
Hospital elevators were condemned
for having faulty hoist cables, city
officials today kicked free of red
tape and got around to starting the
needed repairs.
The situation was brought to a
head late yesterday when the Com
missioners ordered the elevators
shut down as too dangerous to life
and limb"
The four elevators-Gallinger has
fare located as follows: Two
passenger and one freight elevator
in the four-story medical building,
and one passenger car in the three
story tuberculosis building. They
were installed in 1889.
Commissioner Guy Mason ordered
Gallinger authorities to acquire the
necessary cable and other materials
for the repair work on the open
market-rather than through bids
because an emergency" exists. Di-
rector of Construction Archie Hut
son said the entire project will cost
less than $500. ...
Handled as Routine.
Here is what happened to cause
the furry of activity-six months
late:
Last January, and again in Feb
ruary, the Department of Inspection
checked all Gallinger's elevators and
recommended prompt repairs, in
cluding new hoist cables. The bids,
Engineer Commissioner Gordon r.
Young said, had to be drawn by Mr..
Hutson's Office and the actual work
done by maintenance forces at
Gallinger.
Gen. Young said Gallinger failed
to notify Mr.. Hutson about the mat
ter until April and gave no indica-
ton the case was urgent. Mr.. Hut
sons Office, therefore, handled the
preparation of specifications as a
routine and nonurgent matter and
completed them just last week.
In a memo to Commissioner Ma
son on Saturday, Gen. Young de-
clared Gallinger 'has apparently
done nothing on it's share of the
work, except to place orders for cer-
tain material"
Shutdown Recommended.
Gen. Young further declared, in
his memorandum to Commissioner
Mason, that the Department of
Building Inspection made another
recent inspection, as a result of
which Building Inspector Robert H.
Davis reported the elevators dan
gerous to life and limb" Mr.. Davis
recommended they be taken out of
service at once.
Upon receiving this information,
Commissioner Mason Immediately
telephoned DR.. Daniel l.. Seckinger,
assistant health officer and CO.
ordinator of hospitals, and apprised
him of the situation.
Meanwhile, Mr.. Davis yesterday
sent another memorandum to Gen.
Young in which he declared "this
Office cannot assume any further
responsibility for extension of time"
in regard to the recommended re-
pairs. =.
Commissioner Mason. thereupon,
approved the recommendation for
immediate repairs, ordered the
faulty elevators shut down and in
structed both Gallinger authorities
and Mr.. Hutson to get the work
done at once.
Delivery Expected Today.
DR.. Alvin r. Sweeney, Gallinger
superintendent, asked what had
caused the delay since January, de-
clared some of the repairs already
have been made and added that
the cable has been ordered. The
necessity for drawing up specifica-
tions and seeking bids on the cable
caused the delay, DR.. Sweeney said.
The Gallinger superintendent
said the cable was to be delivered
today and work would begin imme-
diately. Mr. Hutson said, however,
it would take four days to get all
four elevators back into service.
Both Mr.. Mason and Mr.. Hutson
blamed the incident on the red
tape" surrounding official proce-
dure,' rather than negligence on
the part of Gallinger officials.