National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-04-08


@. Do you know anything furthcri a.
That is ell know about that.
BY Mr.. Merrick: 9. How about the mortar
and cement. Do you know anything sOous
tthath A. That did not work at times as
might work. 1t was very mean soInetnnes'
Sometimes YOU could not hold it on the trowel,
and sometimes there was so mucn sSnu "en' AZ
O Dill tbeyuse hydraulic-cem or common
I,poe eniI yvoterl A. They used cement, and
they ought to put two barrels IN, anu oaIrei
of cement. do not know what KIND OF cement
they usel. I never paid any attention to 1t.
ETbev orITht to put in two barrels, and guess
three barrels; but do not know.
O. You don't know anything about that A.
Bv Mr.. Thurman: Q. How long were they
building that sewerl A. Well, sir, l had left
there, and they were working on it some time
after had left.
o. How long did you work therel A.
worked there some four or five months; do
not know exactly.
Q. What government superintendent was
there? A. Well, sir, there was so many diff
ferent ones hardly know who they were.
Q. Did the District government keep su-
perintendent there all the timel A. Well,
when they would get man there that knowed
his business he could not stay there any length
of time.
Q.Iwant to know if the government kept
superintendent theTei A. They were supposed
to keep a superintendent there, but you could
not always find them around there.
Q. What do you mean by saying that when
the government got one who understood his
business he could not be kept there! A. Be-
cause he was mechanic, and, from what IN
derstand, a mechanic don't know nothing now
a-days no more. They wanted shoemaker, or
cobbler, or something of the kind. He could
stay there as long as he pleased.
n n 10 karn nv
maker or cobbler as superintendent on that
work! A. was just saying that-mere say
ing-but know there were no mechanics
Q. You mean no bricklayersl A. There
might have been no mechanics of any kind.
o. Do YOU remember the names of any of
the sup rintendents who were there9 A. do.
When ! first went there thele was man by
the name Of Beaside.
Q. Where does he Hvel A. On the Island
somewhere.
Q. What is his occupationl A. Bricklayer.
Q. Was he a competent man! A. Well, he
was fro.2 all saw there.
9. How long did he stay there? A. I do not
know.
Q. Have you any idea' A. Well; don't
think he staid there longer than month. He
may have staid there longer or shorter.
Q. Was he there on the part of the District
government TO see that the work was done
well, and according to the contract? A. Yes,
sir.
O. Dill he discharge his duty faithfully A.
He attended to his duty faithfully while he was
there. The starting of the sewer was con-
Quoted very well.
Q. While he was there9 A. Yes, sir; at the
Starting Of the sewer.
Q. VITO followed him as superintendent or
inspector therel A. He was discharged, and
then another man came there; do not know
his name.
Q. What was his busnessl A. do not
know. He stayed there about two or three
days. From what understand, he got good
situation, and he left the place because the
other place paid him better.
@. Very we'll. He stayed there two or three
days. Who followed him2 A. A man by the
name of Mcclellan.
@. How long was he government inspector
there7 A. Well, sir, / do not know, any more
than by guess-work. AS near as 1 can recol-
1ect, he might have been q month or six
weeks
9. What was his occupation? A. From what
understood, he was plasterer.
Q. How did he discharge his duty; faithfully
or noti A. In this way: He used to 20 off, and
used to stay good while. The last time 1
saw him he came back with a pair of black
eyes. Laughter / saw him walking up and
down through the market-house, raising the
devil.
Q. Did he allow any unsuitable material to
go into the sewerl A. do not suppose the
man could attend to his business.
Q. Do you know whether he allowed any i'm
proper material to 90 into that sewerl Did any
improper material go into the sewer while he |
was inspector or superintendent therel A.
Certainly there did.
Q. After he went there, who followed hinl
A. Mr.. Bowen.
Q. How long was he Inspector Well, he
was no: great while.
. O. How did he discharge his duty? A Well,
from what l understand, guess
G. Not understand; from what you observed
and SAW A. Oh, from what l saw, l believe |
he knew more about sewers than any man
about there, or any man over him.
Q. Did he live up to the contract! A Yes, !
Sir; ss much as he could in his power, es far as
know.
O. Now, at what time during the five
months that you were there-four or five |
months-was 1t that these fifteen thousand |
salmon brick were put in that sewer2 A ,
think it must have been the latter part Of July, |
but do not know.
9. What time did you go to work therel A.
About July.
Q! 1t was in the first month that you were
therel A. Yes, sir.
Q. That the fifteen thousand brick were put
int A. Well, that is the time that this man,
whose name l do not remember now, was in
epector there-government inspector there.
did not say that they were put in there in July;
but say think they might have been put in
then.
Q. Who was inspectors That is what want
to get at. A. Mr. Bowen, as told you, was
the last one.
Q. Who was the inspector at the time these
salmon brick were put inl A. Mr.. Bowenl
z. understand you to say that Mr.. Bowen
was the best of all the inspectors9 A. So he
was.
Q. How came he to let that salmon brick 20
fhur. l. :, I
there, and they would not obey his orders. Mr..
Appleman had them put down, anyhow, into
the sewer.
Q. Notwithstanding his coudemning them.
They put them in whether he condemned them
or notf A. Yes, sir; he said that from the
time that Mr.. Shepherd had been down there
and passed those brick was telling YOU about
before, he said he got orders from Mr.. Shep-
herd to use those bricks. He did not think
that he knew much about It.
=. How large q sewer was that! A It was
different sizes. do not know.
2. What was its smallest diameter7 A.
Judge there was about five feet-in the neigh
borhoOd of five feet
Q. What was its largest diameter? A. About
nine feet, or may have run more
2. What was its lengthl A. It was about
eight squares long.
=. How much would that be in yards or feet?
A. do not know how many square Yards is in
. square mere.
Q. Have you general idea how long Il was; -,
vas 1t quarter of mile, or third Of mile,
or half a mile longl A. 1t may have been
about quarter Of a mile-not quite.
Mr.. Merrick. Eight squares would be about
200 feet in length.
Mr. Thurman. Over half a mile, them
Mr. Merrick. Yes, sir
Q. Who did you work forl A. worked for
his gentleman from Philadelphia when first
vent there.
Q. Were you discharged A. No, sir.
Q. How long would salmon brick last in i
'ewer OF that sortg A. do not know how |
ong they would last. I
2: understood you to say they would soon A
'e disintegrated by the gases evolved therel =
30 they will, but l could not tell you ex- h
Ictly. .
Q. About how long would you supposed A.
Vow, out here on the outskirts Of this CITY W
Ehere no houses are built, they might last 81
vice as long. :,
O. But we were talking about the location A
the B-street sewer, where all the sewerage
{ the city empties into it. How long would h b
sst therel A. You must understand at some A
lace in these sewers there is more ventilation
nan at other places, and therefore the brick in
i'll Lroa,, IoTusr | -,