The  Chatbman.  The  constraction  is  the  usual  constructioii,  is  is  not^
of  steel  beams  and  terra  cotta  arches?

Mr.  MrroHELL.  No;  I  beg  your  pardon.  It  is  the  steel  beams,  but
it  is  a  reenf  orced  concrete  arcn.  There  is  no  terra-cotta  arch.  The
original  specification  called  for  a  terra-cotta  arch,  or  alternates  of  dif-
ferent  types  of  construction.  I  don't  know  as  you  recollect  it.  but  at
the  time  the  bids  were  asked  for  for  those  buildings  the  act  called  for
an  extension  in  the  hospital  of  a  thousand  beds,  and  so  on.  The  Md
exceeded  the  amount  of  the  appropriation,  and  every  reduction  pos-
sible was  made  to  bring  the  cost  of  the  building  down  to  the  appro-
priation. To  do  that  this  type  of  floor  was  adopted.  I  do  not  say
that  this  tvpe  of  floor  is  not  good.  It  is  all  right — that  is,  construc-
tively, and  in  the  wav  of  fireproofing— but  I  think  that  in  the  future  as
this  goes  on  they  will  use  a  little  different  method,  probably,  to  pro-
tect the  wood  floor  above  from  any  such  action  as  has  occurred.  As
I  say,  it  has  occurred  in  other  buildings.  I  have  heard  of  it  in  other
buildings  in  the  city  of  Washington.  I  never  heard  of  it  anywhere
else.  1  have  not  been  around  with  a  view  to  looking  into  it.  That  is
all.    Very  likely  it  has  occurred  in  other  places.
