Indianapolis Times, Volume 39, Number 163, Indianapolis, Marion County, 16 November 1927 — Page 5

l lj. 16, 1927-

Slander and G MaliciousJJes concerning Indiana Theatre and Ball Room

What Men Say Who Know

there has been a malicious intent to spread a rumor that the Indiana Theatre and Ball Room Building is unsafe. We want to say that such a rumor is wholly unfounded.” W. A. OSBON, City Bldg. Comm. \ T. D. LEE, Chief Engineer “The Indiana Theatre and Ball Room Building is safely designed and constructed, and it cannot be overloaded by any crowd that could be assembled in it.” HARRY O. GARMAN, Indianapolis Consulting Engineer “I have personally examined the Indiana Theatre and Ball Room Building thoroughly and am pleased to say that I find the structural design accurate, the structure itself well built, with no sign of weakness anywhere, and therefore the building amply safe for the uses for which it was built.” A. H. TASHJIAN, Cleveland Consulting Engineer “The greatest number of people that can be packed into the Indiana Theatre and the Ball Room cannot possibly load it up to the stresses for which it is designed.'* HUGH J. BAKER, Indianapolis Structural Engineer “I am firmly of the oj inion that the Ball Room of the Indiana Theatre will handle safely any crcry/d that can be packed into it.” IAMES B. STEEP, Etetroit Consulting Engineer

CIRCLE THEATRE COMPANY Operating The Indiana Theatre and Ball Room, The Circle Theatre, The Ohio Theatre and The Uptown Theatre

A. L. Block, President L. Strauss & Cos. Herman P. Lieber, Secretary 'Treasurer H. Lieber Cos. Fred C. Gardner, Treasurer E. C: Atkins &Qo. Robert Lieber, Vice-President H. Lieber Cos. i Theodore Stempfel, Vice-President Fletcher American Rational Bank

DEBIONIN(TMRSONS witK malicious intent, to whom truth and decency are unknown,, have originated and spread the silly rumor that the Indiana Theatre Building is unsafe ... In defiance of clean American business principles, and knowing the tale they told was false, they have circulated this rumor by word of mouth cautiously spoken on the street, by anonymous letters and by inference .; * Others have thoughtlessly repeated this rumor and thus helped to spread it.

We have been advised by some of our friends not to publish this frank state" ment for fear those who have not heard this ridiculous rumor would thus have their attention called to it. But having nothing to sea we are clean, and that our Theatre is a modem marvel of safety—we have decided to put our case wholly in the hands of our fellow citizens. ‘ It seems incredible that any one could believe these rumors in the face of the fact that our building has been in constant, uninterrupted use since its opening, patronized by mqje people than have ever attended a theatre or ball room in Im dianapolis, and that public authorities, both city and state, would not have permitted its use if it were unsafe. But the fact remains that timid people are unconsciously influenced by such rumors. The men constituting - the Board of Directors of this corporation are well known to the citizens of Indianapolis. They feel their responsibility keenly and would not permit men, women and children to enter a building in their control which is not absolutely safe for the purposes for which it was designed. Even before the building was erected, they submitted the plans and specifications to a competent, disinterested engineer, although they had full confidence in their architects and designers. The building itself has since been repeatedly ex' amined by experts, competent to judge, standing high in their respective profes' sions, men who have no financial interest in the building or its operation and who examined it from cellar to roof, inch by inch, while it was carrying capacity loads. The unanimous conclusion of the experts is that the IndianaTheatre and fiall Room Building is absolutely safe-that the building contains more reinforced concrete and steel construction than is required either by law or necessity.

W. A. Osbon, buildingcommissioner of thecity of Indianapolis, and his chief engineer, T. D. Lee, who was also chief engineer under Bert J. Westover, * city building commissioner at the time the building was erected, have made public this statement: “Apparently there has been a malicious intent to spread a rumor that this building is unsafe. We want to say that such a rumor is wholly unfounded. Upon several very thorough examinations of this building we have been unable to locate or find any signs of fatigue or failure nature in any trusses, columns or duty members in any part of the building. The plans of this building were examined prior to the issuing of the building permit and no members were found to be overstressed with the loads as applied. We would, therefore certify that this design and construction is good.” For our own satisfaction and to be able to give our patrons and the public absolute assurances on the subject of the safety of the building, we employed the best experts we could find and quotations from their reports are here presented.

We have gone to this length and consequent expense to remove your fears and doubts, if you have either. We believe that this senseless rumor will fall of its own weight and that the Indiana Theatre and Ball Room will continue to enjoy your friendship as it has in the pail. Any one who has not yet seen the Indiana Ball Room will be surprised and delighted with its magnificence and we cordially invite you to visit it.

the times

Board of Directors:

“A Gossip is a Public Menace ” Edgar A.Gukt, the well\nown writer, in a recent magazine article , says: “A gossip is a public menace and richly deserves to be muuled —for a biting, dishonest tongue can do more harm than the snapping jaws of a dog. A gossip can ruin your reputation, start a run on a bank, break up a church, make hate one another, shatter the happiness of a town. And no man is immune to the serpent-like flashing of a gossip’s tongue. But what can we do about these unbridled tongues that cause so much trouble? Just this: First of all, we can control our own tongues, and, next, we can refuse to keep company with any person who indulges in harmful gossip. Give the scandal spreader a cold shoulder. He’ll starve to‘death on that diet.’’

<4 Hugh J. Baker & Company, structural engineers of Indianapolis, who enjoy , a national reputation in their line and who are drawn into consultation on more buildings in Indiana than any other firm, say: “The building has now been completed and iruuse for approximately threeanonths and we have just made a complete inspection of all structural parts and find them to be in perfect condition. The greateil number of people that can be packed into the theatre and the ball room cannot possibly load it up to the stresses for which it i& designed. We con.ider the entire structure a very well-balanced design, rightly constructed, which is absolutely safe for the purpose for which it was designed.” Harry O. Garman, construction engineer of Indianapolis, formerly Chief Engineer of the Public Service Commission of Indiana, says: “The Indiana Theatre and Ball Room Building is safely designed and constructed,and it cannot be overloaded by any crowd that could be assembled in it. Any vibrations that may be felt in va* rious parts of the building are not unusUkl or unexpected for a steel and reinforced concrete building of this kind. No evidence of failure or of danger can be found anywhere.” James B. Steep, chief engineer, Mahon Structural Steel Company of Detroit, and nationally recognised as consulting engineer on building design and construe' tion, having been connected with the design and construction of some of the l argest office, hotel and theatre buildings in the country, says: “The writer has thoroughly checked the plans and has made a complete inspection of the Ibuild' ing known as the Indiana Theatre and Ball Room and has found that it has been designed and built in accordance with the very best practice known in building construction, and I hereby certify that the entire building is exceptionally well constructed and is absolutely safe. Vibrations are not fully explained by science. A high-speed railroad train will vibrate a bridge considerably, and a dog trotting across it will do the same thing. Yet the bridge is perfectly safe. I am firmly of the opinion that the ball room will handle safely any crowd that can be packed into it.** A. H. Tashjian, consulting engineer of Cleveland, graduate of Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a piaster’s Degree, and for two years lecturer at

Edgar O. Hunter, Architect Leo M. Rappaport, Attorney-at-Law

that institute upon the subject of reinforced con' Crete design, and who has done the engineering on over $200,000,(D00 worth of buildings, including the Indiana War Memorial being erected on the Plaza in Indianapolis, says: “I have gone over the structural design of the Indiana Theatre Building and checked she computations of the struc' tural members supporting the dance floor. I have also personally examined the structure itself thoroughly, and am pleased to say that I find the structural design accurate, the structure itself well built, with no sign of weakness anywhere and, therefore, the building amply safe for the uses for which it was built. “The slight jarring felt at different points in the building, caused by the rhythmic impact of a large number of dancers on the dance floor, to my mind is neither serious in itself, or un' usual, or unexpected, or in any way capable of affecting the stability of the structure. Such vibrations are often set up even with musical notes, due to sound waves of certain ampli' tudes. Structures often happen to be tuned to a certain pitch, responding to it and being set into vibration by it.’*

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