CO129-589-9 Government House- damage caused by construction of underground Air Raid shelter tunnels. For extracted photographs.... 1-4-1941 - 1-11-1941 — Page 42

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wall was in danger of collapse and raking shores were erected.

The greatest movement has occurred neor the East

corner of the house at a point where the gallery wider turns

for a short distance at right angles. Here the difference is

3.6 inches measured from the original face of the main wall and

observations indicate tint movement is still taking place at

several points.

The damage consists of severe diagonal fractures

extending in places to the full height of the building and

caused by the shearing stresses set up by the settlement.

This combined with the outward movement has caused similar

fractures to several of the cross walls in the front half of

the house and the floor beams and roof trusses have a consider-

ably reduced bearing on the opposite wall where they have pulled

away from the supports. Openings two inches wide have appeared

in the flooring at certain places and large patdies of plaster

have become detached from the walls.

have occurred

Fractures

at several points in water and soil pipes.

Any scheme for the reconstruction of the damaged

portion of the building would involve deep and expensive

foundation work the cost of which would be disproportionate

to the value of this old building.

The future of the building must depend on the amount

of subsequent movement and the frequent repairs now being carri ed

out to keep the house habitable is all that can be recommended at

the present time.

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