The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1853-04-17

! REPORT
Ojhs Select Committee appontsd BY hs Senate under h
! resolution Gf lac 6h st august, 1882,
CASE Is.
Alleged frauds IN the Capitol Extension.
| The attention of The committee having been directed
from reliable sources abuses alleged TO exist in con
ne xion with the work, and the expenditures Therefore
upon The Capitol extension they summoned Witnesses and
look evidence IN reference TO that subject
General Change, against lAe Aretiteet and Saperrniende
TESTIMONY or WILLIAM EAsBY COMMISSIONER PUB
Lie BUILDINGS.
Witness knows OF many abuses, and proceeds 10 state
them Contracts entered into by the architect sell
ling forth the quantiiy, quality and size oil slone re-
CURED Hundreds OF perches have been received and
used in the building which not contormable to the
contract suitable for the work; and large quantities
OF such unsuitable materials are now on the ground IL
would require expenditure OF 81 per foot IN many IN
render the shapeess and refuse masses which
have been received fit for Great quantities OF small
refuse stone have been used with cement instead o the
stone required by the CONTRACT thus greatly increasing the
expense. #t ..# ..' #.0...a.-.. |aw .5aFe
In consequence of the use Of bad stone the h,ect
obliged procure large quantities OF granite al
probable cost OF Sl5 per perch and work that could
have been put al 4 SO perch. III the stone at the
contract price, " 23 perch had been furnishe has
cost from $40 10 $l5 per perch. Witness has hesa-
ion IA, ing the work has cost more than double what
il ought TO have cost He demonstrated with the archi-
ect against The OF such stone. but he seemed 10 be
under the control ot Mr.. Strong, the superintendent.
None of the bricks by witness, and which have
been laid and now being delivered, correspond with
the sample which was TO govern The contract The su-
consequence OF this inierory OF quall
y has made The groin arches TWO bricks depth instead
OF thus doubling the expense to The inJary Of The
huding and TINS, no doubt, 10 work IN and cover up
the interior brick Tor the benefit OF his friends the con-
tractors Witness brought this to the notice OF The ar
chitect .a#
/" What can do p he replied .Strong, the supern.
tendent, will receive them y and when renonstrances
to abuses regard TO the waste OF the materials Zone
of which witness spechedD non compliance evasion
OF contracts, were made 10 the superintendent loud and
grave complaints made by him that he inter-
teIed with in bis work
private has recently been made by the arch-
teci with Provost, Winter & CO. cutting and setting
for the exterior, at prices said TO be about
100000 above what others would have done il for
Witness considers the private contract in violation of the
law OF 1909 The superintendent called on witness and
denounced this contract in no measured terms and de-
claed that il such contract bad been made $50 900
must have been paid for IT.
Srong the superintendent called witness and pro-
posed him to Join him in contract TO do all the brick
work the exterior of the Capitol al IS per thousand ;
saying TO The witness, "we could get the contract
that price, and the architect said he (Srong) might
as we'll have SO per thousand the bricks cost much
more than those the Patent Office. Strong offered
would unite with him and the could be oblaned
witness not 10 appear In the transaction but witness de-
clined having anything TO do in the matter The
tract price for similar brick. work the New Orleans
custom house is SO rs per thousand and here, where
labor is 80 per cent cheaper, 80 per thousand Is offered
being about 200 more for The quantity OF bricks
Substq the testimony of which the foregoing is
synopsis, Mr. Easily. the Commissioned OF Public
Buildings handed ia to The committee two additional pa
pers and having Horn 10 the truth OF the statements
contained in them desired that they should be received
as a continuation of his testimony.
They relate, in addition 10 what he had previously
Testified, the contracts Tor The marble 10 be furnished
and the cutting and setting OF II IN the Capitol extension
building and alege fraud against the arch tect in making
and executing those contracts.
The main point IN the allegations thus made against
the architect in relation 10
THE MARBLE CONTRACTS,
is that fraud has been pracsed either by him with
his connvance, alike IN making and executing these
contracts.
The evidence upon that point is substantially the fol-
lst Mr.. Walters Che archecO own letter to the
chairman OF The committee, dated February IL, 1858
2d. Mr. Sirong's (the superintendent statements and
| estimate.
| Sd. Mr. Easby's Commissioner of Public Budings)
statements, estimate, and calculations
The first OF these is Mr.. Walters letter, as follows
"ARcHITEcr's OFFICE, U. s. CAPITOL,
Washington, ID. C., February Ia, 1853.
Sir Having been requested by your note OF the llth
instant 10 state the whole amount OF rough marbe and
what portion of II blocks measuring thirty
feet EACH have 10 say that the whole quantity deliv
cred from the commencement OF the work to this date
io13 8 u cHb,c ee OF which SO 32S II feet is IN
blocks measuring over thirty cubic feet each, and
SPAS IL ieet IN blocks measuring under thirty cubic
feet each.
"In consequence OF my absence from the city, your
note not received until Saturday night, which ac
counts for lis not being answered more promptly
Tho. U WALTER,
| "Archi,ect OF the Extension u S. Capitol
| Hon. S HoUsTos,
Chairman OF The Senate Committee"
| The second are the statements and estimate OF Mr.
Strong, extracted from his testimony, follows:
| Cues Does the marble correspond with the sample
| Ans. l. does not; by no means; far from 1t.
Ques. How many feet of large stone, me assuring over
thirty cubic feet after is dressed, will require to CON-
plete the work
Ans have not measured IT, but have been informed
tina, it will take so, 900 feet
| Cues. How many cubic feet OF small pieces, under
thirty cubic feet each, will be required
| Ans About 375 ,0oo should Judge
Cues What difference would II make per foot to have
| il all large piecesi
| Ans II would make 81 30 difference
The third Mr.. Essby's statements, estimate and
calculations, as follows
In order to illustrate the frauds that may be- and are
perpeirated government, have prepared two rough
models in wood of the Of used in the piers be
tween the windows, formed in the extension of the
Capitol.
No represents the size OF some OF the stone used in
said piers Nos and OF the size req qured by the
contract, in the specifications for the building
Ii will be remembered that all the marble furn ished in
blocks 30 cubic feet, he paid tor
the OF 81 per cubic foot, and all blocks ing
less than 80 feet be paid for the OF 65
cents per cubic loot.
10 enable the contractors receive the largest price
for the marble delivered they have been permitted to fur
nsb blocks large enough for Of stone where
single courses would be equally good The eHec, is
thai the cost OF marble increased than hundred
per .#..r.
The block No lin the illustiation measures in the
wall, when laid 30 ieet inches, which, at 81 eS, is