Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-01-19
THE D1sATER AT LAWRENCE.

engineer, was examined. After stating that
he studied at West Pcfslt, that he served in
the army as an eilgareer, that lie left the army
to become connected with some of the mann
featuring companies as civil engineer, and
that he superintendent the construction of the
Pemberton Mill, he said>
"The nature Of the arrangement between
the Essex Company aud the Pemberton Com
pany was such as to leave the parties free so
that the Pemberton Company could make con-
tracts and employ forces. They did do SO IN
repeated instances, such as making contract
for the glass, for all the shafling and gearing
of the mill, for the iron columns, and to add
forces in the carpentering and other depart
ments of the works Mr.. Putnam was the
managing director and financial agent of the
owners, while was the engineer and RESPONSE
BILE officer of the Essex Company. My rela-
tons with Mr., Putnam through the woe struc-
ture were those of mutual friendship and
aspect and | never saw any disposition on his
part to sacrifice the strength OF the building to
cheapDess. On the other hand we tried to make
the strongest structure that we could build, with
due regard so economy. | was very much
burdened with responsibility at the time,
having to construct the Pacific Mills simulta-
neously with the Pemberton. | therefore
placed Mr. Benjamin Coolidge in immediate
charge of the work on the Pemberton Nils.
He was to reside there and he did-spending
his days there, and his nights if necessary.
Mr.. Coolidge has testified to the nature of the
soil, he having kept notes, and he is abundant
ly qualified TO speak on the subject l exam
ined it and found it as he has said, and think
there was not better foundation in Law
renee, so far as the soil was concerned. TWAS
water bearing soil naturally. We found it in
that vicinity where we were digging the canal.
Where the excavators found it, there was a
head on all the time, except in warm weather,
when 1t dried up, is usual in such soil.
There was head on all the time, which
would not have been the case had it come from
the canal they used it for drinking; it came
out in small quantities, merely weeping
through; the foundations were stones OF the
largest character which our quarries ever pro-
duce, and | know them to have been put to-
gether well"
After describing the construction of the
building, he gave the following account of the
iron pillars used =
"When l first came to Lawrence it was
fashionable to have iron pillars don't think
they were used much before. A plan was
made for some under my direction, the Essex
Co. and machine shop then being one; they
were made with clasp to go round the beam,
not with pintle to go through it; the main
OBJECT OF iron pillars being to sustain the upper
floors IN case of fire; it was to be made GER
tain by this clasp; so if beams should be taken
out the whole structure would remain above,
supported by the columns; never had or used
any model with printle going through the
beam i'll the Essex Co. all the other mills,
with the exception of the Pacific, which have
built, have had pillars with these clasps going
round the beams; the columns in the Pacific
are OF wood, so the question didn't arise there.
Witness then read a letter from Mr.. Put
nam, stating that he could get pillars for q
cents per pound or for SO apiece, including
caps and pintle, delivered to the mill asking
the engineers advice about having the three
first stories that way, and saying that those
being being the heaviest would cost the most.
Also read a letter from Mr.. j. B. Francis to
Mr.. Putnam, saying that he should think it
would be better to have the columns inches
in diameter and inch in thickness, instead of
inches diameter and J inch thick, as in the
Prescott MILL of five stories. Also another
letter from Mr. Putnam to witness, saying he
would desire to have at least the lower two
stories supported by iron pillars. He could
get them done for q cents as above, but
thought the Essex Company could get them
at an expense of cents per pound. Also read
a letter from witness to Mr.. Putnam, saying
that the size spoken of was large enough, and
giving the price of wooden pillars about half
as much as iron finally asking Mr.. p to de-
eide which he would have. Also a letter
from Mr.. 2. to witness in relation to the use
of the pintle, asking for plan for that part
Witness didn't remember whether he sent
plan. Also read another letter from Mr.. Put
nam to witness, saying that he concluded to
have wooden pillars, unless pillars of the fol-
lowing dimensions were thought to be large
enough, i. e., floor 53-5 second floor 81
third floor Al Al; 3-solid.
Mr.. Bigelow then wrote him letter, inform
ing him that four inches was smaller than he
had ever seen pillar, and he could not vouch
for their sufficiency he advised to have four
and half or five inch pillars put on the third
floor; MIR. Putnam then wrote letter to wit
ness, saying he had contracted with Fuller to
make the columns at an average price of So 80,
changing the size of the above for the third
story to four and three-quarfer inches he
said Mr. Fuller was an honest man, and would
make honest pillars ne afterwards received
another letter from Bigelow, altering these di-
mansions, making them little larger.
The CONDITION OF THE Duck MILL
Much has been said as TO the condition and
safety of this mill, and rumors have been
afoat ever since the great disaster, to the eff
feet that the mill was dangerous and unsafe to
run, but perhaps many of these stories are I'M
founded or exaggerated. This much, howev.
err, is true. The agent of the mill attempted
to run il on Friday last and called the opera
tives to their work. We understand, howev-
er, that only about dozen hands made their
appearance in the morning, and of course the
mill could not be started. The mill is over
loaded with machinery, and its walls are
sprung; this, and the fact of its proximity to
the ill fated Pemberton Mill, render the opera
tives rather shy of it. The mill is to be thor.
oughly examined.
A Most HEARTLEss CAsE.-One of the
most heartless acts that we ever remember to
have heard related, and one that makes any
decent man blush tor his connection with hui
manity, was related to our reporter by the off.
Ger below alluded to. 1t appears that one of
the operatives who earned her daily bread by
her labors in the Pemberton Mill, and who,
though comparatively uninjured herself had
two of her children very badly burnt by the
fall Of the building, and has been obliged to
call upon the authorities for aid in her great
prostration and distress this poor woman, we
say, was unfortunate enough to owe small
sum to trader of Lawrence, the bill being
contracted for necessaries of life, and this man
If such he may be called-hearinp that the
Pemberton operatives were to be paid off dur
ing the present week, went to a LAWYER and
actually procured a trustee writ to be served
upon the Agent of the mill, forbidding the pay
ment ct the stricken womans wages until his
claim against her was satisfied. The officer,
to his credit be it spoken, absolutely refused to
serve the writ, and by his energetic and manly
announcement of the meanness which would
instigate such proceeding, shamed the impor.
tunate wretch into a temnorarv abandonment