University Hall

For tbc pust thrce years The Demccn.vr has tricil to beat it ulo tbc hcads of the university authoritics, that thu roof of the maiü building over tbc ball was in ii tHngerous condition, and liable to turn bic in. It was said time and again tbat we were trying to injure the university by agitating the question, when in reality thcre was no danger to be feared. That there was just cause for alarm is uow made evident, for the regents are having the roof streugthened at au expense of $2,500 or thereabouts. To accomplish this the lath and plastering have been removed so toa workmun may gct at the trusses on each side of the hall. An examination proved tlial the iron trusses which run east and west were made strong enough, butthe wooden ones rest ingon the walls on the north and south sicles of the building, and connecting witli the maiu or iron trusses, ,jvas whert' tlie trouble camc in. Ia order lo ascertain the true conditiou of uffairs, a Dkmo crat reporter yisitedi the building Tuesday. The wooden trusses referred to are nearly 50 fett long, and are twisted and bent in the center. They were made of four three inch pine plank, twelve inches wide, and were only nailed together. No iron was used in their codstruction, and one of the broken trusses was simply held in position by ari iron rod which liad evidenlly been put in snmetime afler the building was flnished. .Nlr. Appleyard who lias the contrnct to make the nccessary repairs :o the roof and dome, has a number of inen at work ])iitting in iron rods and strengthening the trusso9 by ironing and bolting them together. Whcn he is türough there wil] be no dangcr of the roof tumbling in. That the wmk sliould l)e deferrcd until now, when a fearful accident was liable to occur Rt;almo8t any timo, is au outrage to ilie 3,000 persons who bave ou varioue occasions riskeil their lives iu the building. Whether tuere was any just cause for the nuraerous articles which nppeared in this paper on ihe subject of the insccirity of the hall, we leave for our readers to determine. We would add here that while thetrusses are beinfi strenstliened and in order to prevent their further settling in the center, they have been shored up. Tliis precautiou was deeuied necessary to prevent their giving waj entirely.