Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1872-03-22
THE SENECA STONE INvEsTIGA.
TV0N

resumed by the House Committee on Public
Buildings and Grounds this morning.
Wa. II. Ruestis was sworn and examined by
Mr.. Getz, who, as usual, read list of written
questions. Witness testified that he Is a stone
cutter, mason and master builder; had charge
OF the Capitol extension for twenty-six months,
and of the construction OF the Patent Office for
ten months; was superintendent OF the con-
struction OF the Vermont state house, which
was built OF granite, and has had other
experience as builder; sandstone has
ing material in New York; have seen the
Seneca stone in the locks of the Chesapeake
and Ohio canal; il is badly damaged am not
positive that it is Segeea stone, bat know that
il is stone very similar; the work already done
on the State Department might have been done
with granite for S2i 900; workmen dislike TO cut
Seneca, because if piece Injuries the hand it
makes a bad sore, which il hard to heal; the
stone of which the new Freedmens' Bank is
built is a superior quality OF Seneca; if witness
bad had the Seneca stone on hand tor the State
Department building he would have preferred
some other material; the stone used at the State
Department is nothing more than the ordinary
rubble stone; had paid $40 per perch tor Just
such stone; have seen bluestOnc at the State
Department., and il looked much better than
the Seneca; il witness had big job, slould pre-
fer TO cut bluestOne TO Seneca; don't know OF
any person connected with the government
who Is pecuniarily interested in the Seneca
stone contract in connection with the new State
Department; III opinion of witness the work at
the State Department building is very badly
cone; hard and soft stone are mixed indiscrim-
inately; can't say whether the frost caused the
injury to the Seneca stone in the foundation;
have had experience as granite cutter since
1880; wages OF granite cutters vary; a fair com
IeDsation for good CATER would be from
$1,000 to $1,000 per year; have never known
cutter TO get as much as $4,000. or even a. 600
per year; think MIR. NJ ulett's plan OF giving out
work without contract is altogether wrong and
unnecessarily expensive; the fifteen per cent.
paid the superintendent of cutters, on the gross
amount of stone cut, would be about 800 Der
m N Il. wifi To-
isfied that the Is per cent is net profit, and be-
lieves hundreds of people in this city would take
the work for per cent; witness put in bids tor
three kinds OF stone; his bid for the granite
work was lower than that CT any ether bidder
BY Mr.. Tyner:-Witness' bids were directed to
the chairman OF the House Committee on Pub
lie Buildings and Grounds; the specimens eXhi-
b ted were from Virginia and MARYLAND 1u II
Jles; the advertisement was published by the
House committee; don't know that Mr.. Mallett
had anything TO do with the awards
BY Mr. GetZ:-If the advertisement for fur
nshing that stone had specified that the cutting
was included, the bids would have been lower
o. course.
By Mr. Orr:-witness would not have mt in
bona tde bid had he known that the commit
tee was only seeking for information as to the
kinds and cost OF different kinds OF stone.
BY Mr. Tyner:-Witness made 10 bid in re-
sIonse to Mr.. Mullett's proposals; thinks his bid
was cheaper than is 63 cents per cubic feet for
dimension stones OF forty feet.
Mr. Tyner here read the contract for furnish
Department, and asked the witness if he be-
lieved his bid was higher or lower. The wit
ness " as not sure ON this point. as he did not
member all his bids, but he believed his bids
were lower. Columns of free sandstone are
used in the Capitol building; seine OF the bases
OF these columns are giving way; witness has
worked the Seneca stone for buildings on Capt
tol hill; has not examined the work since; has
seen stones broken in the superstructure of the
Freedmen's Bank building in this city.
BY MIR. Getz:-The foundation of the Smith
s0nian has scaled off considerably
BY Mr.. Tyner:-Never have seen granite
broken by the setting Of building, although it
will break if the building settles to any great ex-
tent; the damage to the Seneca stone locks on
the Chesapeake and Ohio canal was doubtless
caused by water; consider this stone a bad found
alton for heavy buildings; the work at the State
Department is badly done, because the stones
are rot laid to bind each other in the walls don't
know whether the latter will stand or not; never
made calculation to the relative cost OF
granite and sandstone for all OF the division
don't know the exact dimensions of the walls.
BY Mr.. Getz:-Am satisfied that Seneca is not
durable material for building.
BY air. Sessions:-It is very seldom that
granite i'm foundations breaks.
BY MIR. Tyner:-Havc seen men cutting SEN
eca stone a: the State Department; prudent
tions much less than fifteen per cent; might do
1t for five per cent. if he felt sure that per cent
would be net gain; if stones are broken or even
lost, it is the governments loss and not the con-
BY Mr.. Tyner:-Seneca stone nav be seasoned
and placed in the foundations OF buildings, and
yet will soon become damaged by moisture:
knows this from actual experience.
WBt. T.. StienmetE sworn and examined by Mr..
Tyner: Has been civil engineer since 1869;
granite buildings are not generally wholly built
OF granite, but are lined with other stone; have
used Seneca stone around the Presidents house
under Gen. Michler; have also used il as flag
gng around the Treasury building; has eX-
amned the Seneca walls about the White
&C vi lai1
frost has had no effect on the stones, although
they are exposed to the weather; there is a Sc
we're test on the tagging around the Treasury,
and it has withstood heavy pressure; have not
examined the Freedmen's Bank critically; have
used blue stone; brick will stand pressure of
from 500 to 1000 pounds per square inch, Sen
eca stone from 1000 to 10 OO0 and granite a. high
a. IA 600; have examined the State Department
walls very closely, and do not find them dam
aged; the stone used is generally of a very good
kind; the stone cutter would probably rejec. a
bad quality of stone; believes three or four times
the weight that is to go on the foundation walls
might safely be placed upon them; the cost of
granite for the walls of the building would cost
three times as much as if Seneca stone were
used; it is not difficult to reugh-cut Seneca; if
Seneca is thoroughly seasoned and put in walls
where it is exposed to frost and dampness; il
would not so Ear as experience of witness goes,
be affected; if the walls of State Department
had been built of brick, they would have cost
twice as much as Seneca the work on the walls
OF the building is we'll done; the walls are well
constructed and are strong and durable; there
are headings binding the partition walls, and
they are not in danger from a lack of headings
to bind them together.
By Mr. Getz: - Am under Mr. Mullett.
and employed on the New York post
office at IS per day; his business
here is not to get employment on the State De-
partment; there is stone in Europe similar to
Seneca; in certain sections along the Rhine it is
&C commonly used in buildings not only fer foun-
dafions, but for the walls; witness. from his ex-
perience as an engineer, would, ii he had the
building Of such a structure as the State De-
partment, use Seneca or brick. Mr.. Getz here
showed witness the piece of broken Seneca
which Mr.. O'Neil exhibited to the committee
Few days since. and asked him what he thought
OF hat being picked out of the walls of the
state Department with the fingers. Witness
SAID the piece exhibited was worthless; tn ere Is
mueh rubbish lying about the walls; even if
sue piece has been taken from the walls, IL
womid not probably materially iDjure the whole
BY Mr.. Wells:-It probably costs about ss per
cnbic yard to cut and dress Seneca stone and
lay Ii IN the walls. SWING anu
The committee allowed Mr.. Huestis tn ask tba
witness II there are headers to bind the walls
together In the State Department building and
witness replied that he had already ans2ered
that there are such headers. Mr. Huestis then
asked him If he considered stone like Seneca
which varies in the anonnt of pressure IL can
stand from 1900 to 10 900 pounds Der SQUARE
inch, suitable for building purposes. The VIII
ness said he did, and asked, somewhat excitedly
III ne, Mr.. Huestis, ever saw soft brick and barrj
a n nat. xAAf< 20