The red parlor has been redecorated, the pine trimmings replaced with mahogany, east window cut down to level of floor, new carpet laid, new curtains hung, and furniture reupholstered. New carpets have been placed in four bedrooms and on the stairs leading from lower corridor to the bedrooms; new curtains have been placed in two bedrooms and in the window at west end of upper corridor; new portières at four doors and at the division in upper corridor, and new window shades in the east room, in the red, green, and blue parlors, state and private dining rooms, and in two bedrooms. In the autumn of 1893 all carpets were relaid and curtains rehung, and in the spring the carpets, amounting to about 3,000 yards, were takeu up, cleaned, and stored; curtains taken down and stored; about 1,000 yards of new matting laid to replace old and worn-out material, and the house placed in summer costume. New linoleum was placed on the floor of the corridor between main vestibule and east room. The north and south balconies and the north front of the mansion from the water table to area floor were painted. New granite steps were constructed leading to the area at the northwest entrance. The columns at the main carriage entrances on Pennsylvania avenue and those of the area railing on the north side of the mansion were repainted. Considerable work was done to the conservatory and other greenhouses, all of which were overhauled and placed in as good repair as funds would admit; the conservatory was repainted inside and out. All boilers, furnaces, stoves, pipes, chimneys, etc., were cleaned, repaired, and placed in as good order as possible. Attention is respectfully invited to the conservatory, the frame of which is of wood, rapidly decaying, and almost in a dangerous condition. A new iron superstructure is absolutely necessary, and an estimate of $13,000 is submitted for the work; if deemed best this could be made in two separate appropriations, one of $8,000, for the cast section, and the other of $5,000, for the west section. If a new iron superstructure can be constructed, it will last many years with but trifling repairs and thus save the necessity for the annual appropriation of $2,000 for the repair of the present decayed one. Necessary attention was given to the valuable collection of plants in the greenhouses, a large number of bedding and greenhouse plants propagated, and about 16,000 spring flowering bulbs purchased for the greenhouses and grounds. During the summer of 1894 it is proposed to rebuild the superstructure of the south section of the camelia house. Extensive repairs were made to the stable; roofs, gutters, and downspouts were repaired and painted, stalls renewed or strengthened, and new floors laid; the roof covering the area between the wings of stable, which collapsed from the weight of snow, was replaced in posi tion, strengthened with columns properly braced, tin covering repaired, new wooden walks placed upon it, and the whole repainted. I respectfully invite attention to my report for 1893, in which I urged the importance of providing suitable offices outside the Executive Mansion for the President of the United States. Surely the people of this great nation can afford to provide for its Chief Magistrate, outside of his home, a place where the immense business incident to his exalted position may receive attention. Congress, in its wisdom, over forty years ago, made provision for the enlargement of the Capitol by the construction of new wings, on account of the growing business of the country, and again within a few years has ordered the erection of a magnificent library building, so that the Congressional Library might be removed from the Capitol. No steps, however, have been taken for enlarging the Executive Mansion, which to-day, with the exception of interior and exterior ornamentation and improvement, remains as it was when first occupied by President Adams at the beginning of the present century. It is a fact well known to all that the enormous crowds assembling at official evening receptions, as well as the demands for more rooms for the entertainment from time to time of the nation's guests, long since required either the enlargement of the White House or the transfer of the office rooms of the President to some convenient locality. Efforts to enlarge the mansion have failed, and again I earnestly suggest that a structure suitable for office purposes shall be provided at an early day, either east or west of the main building, and opposite the Treasury Department or the State, War, and Navy building. If erected opposite the Treasury building, it could be connected by a wide corridor, with a large conservatory arranged as a winter garden, thence into a picture gallery opening into the east room, and thus serve a double purpose, by relieving the mansion of the terrible crush incident to the evening official receptions which take place during the winter. I earnestly hope that Congress will give this important matter speedy attention, so that, if possible, the new structure may be completed at least by the spring of 1897. WASHINGTON NATIONAL MONUMENT. Every effort has been made during the year to maintain the monument and its machinery in good condition. Vandals continue to give annoyance by occasionally chipping pieces either from the outside or from the memorial stones in the inner walls, while some insist upon writing their names upon the white marble; whenever detected these thoughtless persons are arrested, but, as a rule, when brought to trial escape with a small fine. The elevator and all the machinery connected therewith has been carefully and critically inspected monthly by an expert from the Otis Elevator Company, and pronounced in excellent condition. Weekly inspections are made by the principal steam engineer and machinist at the monument, and daily tests of the safety appliances of the elevator car are made by the employés before starting to convey passengers to the top. It is believed that the elevator is as safe as it is possible for man to make it, and every effort is made to prevent accident. Should an acci dent ever occur it will result from something which it was impossible to foresee. During the summer and autumn of 1893 the floor of the coal vault was relaid, the steam pipes in the tunnel were repacked and put in good condition, and the boilers cleaned, the side walls and ceiling of engine room were sheathed with plank, and a new wire governor rope placed in position, the old rope being used to replace a worn-out hand rope. On January 1, when the boilers were opened for cleaning previons to trying automatic cleaners, a scale about a quarter of an inch thick was found on some of the tubes and on the shell of the boilers, while the tubes were covered with mud and slime. Two Obeschain automatic boiler cleaners were attached to the boilers on three months' trial and gave considerable satisfaction. At the end of the three months they succeeded in removing the slime and mud that had accumulated, and the boilers were found in a comparatively clean condition; the old scale had been softened to such an extent that it was easily removed. The result was so satisfactory that the cleaners were purchased. In April the steam pipes in the tunnel were lined up, some new saddles placed in position, the boilers overhauled and painted, the entire machinery of the elevator and electric light system examined and put in complete order, and the elevator cage repainted. In June, 1894, a portion of the iron between the top and bottom of the shaft was repainted. The monument was open daily during the year, except Sundays and holidays, and, with the exception of a few days in the autumn and again in the spring while the machinery was being overhauled, the elevator was in operation whenever the monument was open. There were 148,917 visitors to the top of the monument during the year, of which number 109,579 made the ascent in the elevator and 39,338 by the stairway, making 938,419 persons who have visited the top since the shaft was opened to the public October 9, 1888. BUILDINGS OCCUPIED AS OFFICES BY THE WAR DEPARTMENT, EXCEPT STATE, WAR, AND NAVY BUILDING. Under date of June 30, 1893, this office was charged with the preservation, care, and safety of the following buildings: Army Medical Museum. Fifth and sixth stories Union building, G, between Sixth and Seventh streets, occupied as offices by Record and Pension Bureau. Ford's Theater building. Annex to Ford's Theater building. Building in rear Ford's Theater building. Upper stories of West End National Bank, occupied as offices by Signal Department, U. S. Army. No. 610 Seventeenth street, occupied as offices by Record and Pension Bureau. No. 1725 F street, occupied by War Department printing office. No. 1814 G street, occupied by Medical Department, U. S. Army. Annex to Winder building, occupied for storage purposes by Ordnance Department, U. S. Army. War Department stables. A careful and critical examination was at once made of all these buildings, and plans prepared, showing the safe loads that could be carried by each floor of each building. Where the floors were overloaded the weight was at once reduced to the safe load. The upper floors of the West End National Bank building were strengthened by beams and girders, and made absolutely safe for all loads that will probably be placed upon them. In No. 610 Seventeenth street the main stairway was strengthened, where necessary, by iron beams set into the walls. In No. 1725 F street the floor of the printing press room was strengthened by wooden beams and columns. In the Winder Building annex the floors were properly strengthened by placing some new posts in position. The work done at Ford's Theater was quite extensive, and will be reported under separate heading. At the close of the fiscal year all the buildings in charge of this office were in safe condition. FORD'S THEATER BUILDING. This building was placed in my charge on June 30, 1893, three weeks after the collapse of a portion of it had taken place. The building is three stories high, with an unfinished loft above the third story and a cellar under a portion of the first floor; the roof is of slate, supported by timber trusses. The dimensions of the first floor are 103 by 67 feet. The second and third floors are supported by iron columns and beams. Prior to the collapse the first floor, to within 20 feet of the west wall, was supported by brick arches; of the portion so supported, the rear half had a cellar under it, the floor of which was about 7 feet below the springing lines of the arches; the front half had no cellar, the surface of the earth being from 1 foot to 18 inches below the springing lines of the arches. Previous to June 9, 1893, before the building was placed in charge of this office, certain plans for improvements were ordered, necessitating an extension of the cellar, the prolongation of the central basement arch to the west wall, the construction of a basement entrance from Tenth street, and the underpinning of about 80 linear feet of brick wall, four piers supporting iron columns and the two heavy piers of the west wall. During the progress of this work, under contract, while one of these brick piers was being undermined, it collapsed, bringing down with it two columns from under the second floor, two from under the third floor, and about 40 feet square of each floor, badly wrecking the interior of the building. By the act of Congress approved September 7, 1893, an appropriation of $6,000 was made for repairing this building, and by letter from the Chief of Engineers, dated September 14, 1893, I was placed in charge of the work. Operations under my direction were commenced on September 20, 1893, at which time the condition of the building was as follows: The first floor was totally wrecked for an area of about 20 by 14 feet, this being immediately over the new portion of the cellar which had been excavated, over which it had been intended to extend the central basement arch. Of the two piers that had supported the columns on the east side of this opening, the one that failed was entirely demolished, the other was still standing, although its line of columns had been dragged down in the collapse. The underpinning of walls and piers in the extension of the cellar had been done in a very slovenly manner; the materials were of good quality, but the workmanship very inferior. The collapse of the brick pier had brought down four cast-iron columns, twelve 12-inch iron girders, and thirty-three 9-inch iron beams. from the second and third floors, making an opening in each of these floors about 40 feet square. The inner face of the west wall, where the floor beams had been torn out, was shattered and cracked, while the upper section of the brick wall around the stairway had been almost torn from the lower section by the strain in falling of a pair of heavy beams resting in the wall; the line of columns on the north side of the openings through the floors was in a dangerous condition, apparently ready to fall at any moment, while portions of brick arches were hanging without other support than the mortar which held the bricks together. The project adopted was to restore the building to the condition in which it was at the time of the collapse, to complete the extension of the cellar, the construction of the central arch, the underpinning of cellar walls and piers, and to arrange for a large cellar window on the west side for light and ventilation. The preliminary operations consisted in tearing down dangerous brickwork, shoring places where necessary, and cleaning away debris; the underpinning of walls completed previous to June 9, wherever defective, was torn out and rebuilt; the two piers on the east side of the cellar excavation were rebuilt upon concrete foundations, brick walls placed on each side of cellar extension, arches properly turned, large cellar window constructed, loosened portions of west wall torn out and carefully patched, and wall around stairway from third story up torn down and rebuilt. Upon the completion of basement and side walls brickwork the iron columns and beams were reset, additional steel beams having been purchased to replace those bent and twisted by the collapse; all arches were turned and covered with concrete, Georgia pine floors laid in the new portion of cellar and on first and second floors, and the tiling relaid on third floor. Windows and doors were reset, gas and steam pipes placed in position and tested, walls plastered, the rebuilt portion painted, and a portion of the cellar dug out for a storage room for refuse. Operations were practically completed December 31, 1893, and the building, which was restored to the condition existing previous to its collapse, with some additional improvements, was ready for occupation, and in my opinion was in as safe condition as it had been since its original construction. For complete details of this work between September 20 and December 31, I invite attention to the interesting and elaborate report of Second Lieut. John S. Sewell, Corps of Engineers, my assistant, who has exhibited in the discharge of his duty connected with the repair of this building the utmost energy, skill, industry, and ability. In accordance with the terms of the act approved September 7, 1893, a board of engineers was convened in November, 1893, to examine Ford's Theater building and to report whether its condition was such that it could be safely occupied by clerks. This board, under date of December 30, 1893, recommended that the floors should be strengthened with iron columns and girders, the east wall taken down and rebuilt, the lighting and ventilation of building improved, and fire escapes constructed; the estimated cost of the proposed work was placed at $11,958. By the act of Congress approved March 12, 1894, an appropriation of $11,958 was made for the improvements recommended by the Board of Engineers, and under date of March 24, 1894, by direction of the Chief of Engineers, the work was placed in my charge. Operations were commenced on March 31, the work to be done being as follows: 1. To strengthen the second and third floors by additional lines of girders and columns placed running north and south along middle lines of existing panels; the columns under the third floor to be supported by columns under the second floor, resting on brick piers in the basement; the girders under both floors were to be 10-inch I-beams (doubled); the columns under the third floor were to be of 3-inch metal and 6 inches in diameter, and those under the second floor of 1-inch metal, 7 inches in diameter; the brick piers were to be 2 feet 6 inches by 2 feet 6 inches, resting on concrete bases 4 by 4 feet by 1 foot 6 inches. |