Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1872-04-12
The Seneca stone Investisa ion.

The House Committee on Public Buildings
and Grounds to day resumed their investigation
into the quality and present condition OF the
SeDera stone used III the new State Department
building.
Joseph r. Collias was examined. lie testified
that lie is practi al mason; has been a con
tractor, and has used Seneca stone; regards n
a the best sandstone in use; has used il in the
foundation walls OF Mr.. Beall's house IN George
town, and III the Young Mems Christian A>>O-
citation building in this city; the stone in the
foundations of these buildings is in good condi-
ton at present; they have not been affected by
frost, Seneca can be cut cheaper than any 9th
Il; has examined the work done on the State
Ieparimen building and considers il excellent
the foundation II sufficiently strong TO sustain
the SupeTstructure; the masonry Is very good
the walls are firmly bound together and have
plenty OF headers; there are no defective stones
IN The building so Tar as witness knows; has
known Seneca stone TO be used in foundation
walls, and never saw the stone become damag-
ed. The witness here instanced the foundation
walls Of Governor Cookies unfinished house in
Georgetown, where Seneca stone has been eN-
posed for four years, and Is a. good to .day a.
when fiIs put into the wallis.
James e. Rankin swoTn:-Is assistant super
yislng architect OF the Treasury; built the Ma
uOnai theater in Cincinnati, AMI several stores
and residences; also constructed 0aildings in
Chicago; studied his profession in Scotland: a
sand stone similar to Senaca Is used very com
monty in England and Scotland. and has proved
an excellent building material, some of the
buildings having stood Tor six or seven centu-
ries; all the stones at the Smiths onan Institute
which were properly put into the walls are al
present in "A good condition; a lew which were
placed on their ends and not on their bases are
slightly damaged; il familiar with the work done
at the State Department, and considers il good
IN every particular; the walls are strong and
will sustain twenty times the weight of the
supeTstructure; frost will not affect SEN
eca after it is once seasoned; the CON
crete foundation at the State Department
II four feet thick; made an examination
with Mr. Mullett OF blue stone and Duke marble
stone from Harper's Ferry; found the blue stone
hard and tough and the Duke marble still more
unsuitable from its shelly, hinty character; the
cost OF cutting blue stone If greater than that o.
cutting Seneca; Mr.. Adams some time since
made report OF the work done at the State
Department, showing the relative amount OF
work done on the difiereLt kinds of stone used:
ms report showed that the men cut - feet OF
SENECA, % OF granite, and from IL to Il feet OF
blue stone; the blue stone witness refers 10 i
that found in this vicinity and not the NORTH
River blue stone, which is easier to cut the Port
Deposit granite l. an exceedingly hard material
ana much more expensive TO cut than Seneca;
examined the buildings at Rutland and Wind
sor, Vermont, constructed by William n. Hues-
rs last fall, and found them not very well pui
together; they are brick buildings with iroH
trimmings; the last time witness examined the
"a lew weeks since with the Congressiona
COmmittee) he found no broken stone,
IN me walls; don't know OF any injured stone,
in the area walls; the latter walls are yer,
strongly anchored, and every course is bonded;
the walls can't by any possibility spread; CON
sidering all the circumstances OF the case, wit
ness thinks the supervising architect would
have been highly culpable il he had selected
any other material for the State Department
The witness here explained at some length tn,
advantages TO the government OF the Is PEI
cent system, and concluded by saying that gen
orally IL saves the government much trouble
ard litigation. The contractors lose all stOnes
injured through the ignorance OF carelessnes,
OF the workmen; il a vessel is lost with a loaC
OF stone the government Is the loser; superiu.
tendents OF buildings under the per cent sys
tenn generally get 2K per cent. on the cost o.
lhe building; government prefers TO pay TO-
work by the day, as this plan saves to il ia,
irohts OF contractors; the superintendent OF ths
State department building receives - per day
the government pays from IS to SO per iay ac-
COtdiig 10 the amount of labor superintendent
the SUI erntendent of the new post-O.ticc bald
ing IN New York receives S14 per day, ~ beinl
fer extra services in another capacity; the pre-
sent system of employing architects bv the ia,
Is much more economical than under the per
centage system. Adjourned