The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-01-14
YORA HERALD SATURDAY, JANUARY d. lseo-TRIpLE SHE,

Vueston-is Il your opioioo that the usl, a. . whole
Mneh was completed safs and seours fer the ous
ness OF . milr Answer-I had some objections 70 the
| puAIs pens hurried by Dir. Knowles, the c9rDeu-
VT LOT me p'ars made requisitiou upon Capt Bigeow
~ sone pillars were sent from Boston by the
.ney were not according To PLAN Ehch was like those
wNn casps such as are in other mills the first load
made complaint 10 Mr.. Bgelow who said he would write
ABOUT 70 Mr. Putnam; Mr.. Putnam can explain where
u ~. pla,s mere made and who furnished them;
! "ibess explained that the in the wood were
caused by the swsying OF the wind this was proved by
.ne mortar wal at the bottom showing no cracks the
disappeared; Mr. Baelow said tba, to fastap the chin
ney would shake the mili would swing At any rate
0e Iet II swing; that corner Of the mill WAS OF
i the chimney had not cracked away ssS 0s the
building building as a whole, regarded as perfect
vered the defect 10 Of them was some hat suspi
OF mem but never anticipated such result has
Apiece Of pillar from the ruins was here brought in,
and on examination was found extremely defective
Witness always fe uneasy about the iron pillars from
defects In the pillars the wheel nit thirty eot from the
Pemberton MIL mechanics and others spoke to me more
than fifty times about the water running through the
foundation OF the MILL but paid nc attention 70 them for
knew there WAS no danger nom mechanics and
men about mill are very fond Of critcsing
OF criticism OF their own; long got the habit Of
paying no al ention whatever to masons il will be seen
on intelligent examination OF the roundathn whether
there was any settling OF il.
Ques'ion-What, in your opinion, caused the fall of the
muir Apswer-l judge from what have learned from
the testimony here and reliable statements outside that
was owing TO pillar breaking the Of the mill
to break one pillar would leave unsupported an area OF
hf'y,eiRht by twenty feet, and the floor tmbers
abued together at that the great strength Of the floors
would tend to destroy the walls when the support gave
way, and also to break of the pillars when started
was sad hat at hfst there was succession OF cracking
noises which ran into general roar, and have no
doubt that the bulldog fell in this way; the mill
Is OF great width and each pillar bears two parts Of the
weight and each wall part the floor went down
IN one mass and not broken all the first lot
did not rap them all over with hammer; perhaps it was
my duty 10 caus, person DO it. gave more ex
animation TO the pillars than would II they had been
made by our own contractor.
TESTIMONY OF JOHN p. PUTNAM.
Witness resides in Boston; owned one hundred shares
in the Penberton mone eighth part the mill was con
uac'ed for with the Essex Company; small mill was
contracted for by Mr. John A Lowell in which was 70
take smaller share; it afterwards decided build
larger and ADMIT new parties; Mr. Lowell owned two
hundred shares, and largely interested in its
success; the Essex Company contracted TO build the
NIL al cost on credit OF five years; the on pillars
made by Mr. j. C. Woods, who reputed 10 be good
founder; II was proposed 10 have wooden pillars bat
preferred iroD, and bearing that WOODS would cast them
cheaper than the Lawrence machine shop he was employ
Cd; Capt Bgelow furnished plan for the pillars ana
Lave no doubt they were cast according to his pan
The pillars in the first story inches diameter
aDd diminished quartz vi an nch did cousie that
Was Ttsi onsble for the sountuess OF the pillars they
acre tut IN; Mr. Egeow ia that pi'las six inches
storts, would be suliceUt support witness frt
casrcss about thing connected with the mill except
The watI Ia tie founoaucn aud the excavation ia the
wheel PIT; MIR Lowell gave ue express instruc
tons 10 spare expense u stop mere safety
make dOuby in toe constru lion
he original plan bnid II FIVE stories: plans Of each
N'or were cfawn 1T my request, aud which marked
with accuracy the place Of every part OF ho huery,
nud ihc machinery was AL contracted for before
he foundation laid; fclt II Of vital
mporare 10 that the walls should be per
iecy safe vas not Of auy weakness the walls;
placed great confidence in Capt Bceow; did not know
tbst the wall ut the stairway oaly loot thick
min thus nvtsiga!oD the trusscs were put under the
nooIs 10 prevent vibration; the mill The steadest
eyer knew: we haG apprehension regard u the
RACKS In The chimney; the sides and ends or the
mIll bad been clampod together with strong
That think the machinery packed rather more
coseiy than usual in this MILL the disposed of
TIC years TO Mesrs David Nevins AMI George Howe
have learned that there has been additional weight OF
machinery, the iron pillars cost about twcc much
woooen ones objections made by tho Essex Com
iany against our procuring iron pillars Capt Bgelow
wrote 90 that | had better get them of
Woods, and enclosed plan; he furnished them at
&c. h. cheaper than the proposal Of the Lawrence
Company; do not remember Mr.. futile speaking TO me
about the walls being thin; he may have said so he
complained that the bricks very uneven asked him
II they less strong, and be said no, they were
screw jack being put where Of the pillars was
broken that the only defect in the mill that was
made OF.
1t four O'Clock the Inquest adjourned till nine
O'Clock on Saturday morning.