New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-03-03

K. H. BURKE,
+. NJ. YOUNG,
JAMES MCVAY.
WILLIAM MCNABB.
Architects and Builders.
BATON ROUGE. La, August I, 1873.
Colonel D. F. Boyd:
Having examined with due care the open.
ings made by YOU in the basement walls of
the Louisiana Deaf and Dumb Asylum. we
are Of the opinion that no damage to said
building has resulted therefrom, except
what has resulted from the neglect to have
said openings properly cased at the time
that they were made, and such damage is
easily repaired. Yours trul y. rr
Architect and Builder;
q. POTTS,
JOHN V. VAN PELT.
BATON ROUGE, August II. 1873.
TO Superintendent D. F. Boyd:
DEAR SIR-As regards the tank that there
is SO much talk about, will give. you an
explanation abou: the same. as far as
know about it.
About two years since you drew my at.
tention to water tank on the upper story
of your part of the University. stating at
the same time that you did not know what
you would do with it: that it did not hold.
any water, and that whenever you had any
rain it was continually leaking. l, at the
time thinking that it was due to b ad work.
manship. told you that ! thought l could
| fix it. and then you told me, through your
clerk, at vacation to go to work and have
| it fixed. immediately went to work and
| examined the said tank, and found it
patched up in a manner unbecoming tank.
| and therefore thought that it needed a new
| coat of sheet lead. | at the same time re.
ported the same to your clerk in your alb.
sence, and he told me to go to work in the
| best manner possible and have it fixed.
| then went to work and got an experienced
| plumber and had it lined with new sheet
| lead. After it was filled with water it
! leaked, and when that leak was stopped
| it would break out in another place. After
| that was fixed it would break out in another
| place, and so continued until ! gave 1t up
| in despair. Then Oh examination found
| out that the frame was defective, and con.
| seGuentlv could not be fixed to be of any
| use. | Immediately communicated the same
| to you, and upon due consideration we
| came to the conclusion it was no use to
| have said tank. and we made an agreement
| to fix it up. which we did, as your books
! will show, and in said agreement you let
me have the sheet lead at price to be
| credited on my bill against you. In going
| to take out the sheet lead l did not know
! there would be any difficulty, and am sorry
| that any unpleasantness would come out of
L
! being as l was not paid for it. it was tie
| least should get my own lead back.
Hoping you will see and let me have my
| lead back, or pay me for the same, ye.
K. J. McCABE.
z. S.--As far az the past history Of the
! tank is concerned. l will merely state what
| l know about it. | know that several others
| had worked upon it. and all to no erect
1 no off
| K. j. MCCABE.
NJ. j. WILLIAMS.
New ORLEANS. February %, 1874.
| 1t Is perhaps proper for me to state that
| this tank was of no use: that it was contin.
| ually leaking and flooding the floor below:
and that, as it was occupying space that
might be made available for other purposes,
| | thought it best to remove it. The old. de.
fective sheet lead taken out by Mr.. McCabe,
! was credited on his bill to the University:
but the new lead which Mr.. McCabc put in
| at his own yisk--if he did no: make the
tank yiceable--and which was to have
been taken by him. was seized, except a
very small portion. including the wood
| work. by Mr.. McWhOrter. against my pro-.
test. and suppose he has it now in his
possession. u. +. BOYD.
NEW ORLEANS. February %. 1874.
! DEAR SIR-Uaying been requested BY
! YOU to state what know relative TO repair.
! ing or injuring the Deaf and Dumb Asylum
! building. respectfully submit the follow.
! ing:
| j was one of the few cadets from Alexan.
| Grla who first saw the asylum building; it
| was in very filthy condition: words are
| hardly adequate tor explanation, but to
| conceive 1t as you entered it one needs to
30 about the streets Of this city and take
particular notice of the most filthy and
| dlngy establishments, such as would make
| YOU exclaim "you may wash and you may
| rub etc, but that house will be q pig sty
till it's burned" Then you would hsve a
| true picture of the corner now used by the
| University. and of which the principal yooII
| is the civil engineer class room.
All the perfumes of Arabia would hardly
| deaden the stencil which permeated that
entire wing of the building. The floors OF
every room were black and filthy, nearly
as much so as d pork warehouse, and the
walls were not much better off. The roof
leaked badly, causing three or four
| floors TO spring or settle, and but for
| YOUR quick perception would have given
way. | know of your trying to
repair the water tank on the fifth floor,
more or less, for three years, knowing too
well that such thing should be there in
case Of tire--the demon of all your troubles.
| know of brick partitions you had removed,
and in SO doing forming fine light and airy
rooms; brick floors apparently made of the
refuse of brick yard, perhaps done by
splitting wood upon them since the first
day they were laid, replaced by cypress or
pine. By dividing some OF the larger rooms
by cypress or pine partitions you made
them much more convenient and comfort.
able. The deaf and dumb occupy a few of
these rooms thus divided by you. and if it
is their wish that the building should be as
it was originally planned. why don't they
tear down these partitions! I think they
prefer them as they are. proof Of which
is that they have occupied them more than
two years. A very necessary and splendid
addition to- the building are the rooms in
the basement: by forming these you al
lowed the air free scope under the building.
to make the lower floors las; one.:hird
longer. if not twice as long. when they
were within one foot of the ground. it is
an established fact with architects that the
floors Of any dwelling house should be four
feet from the ground t" insure health.
think by doing this work you benefited
the bui!din. five per cent: You secured
| quito q humble. of fine rooms. which can
be used as store and lumber rooms and coal
cellars. and which should be i'll the
basement ot every house. il possible. Thus
Il the work which Mr.. McWhortcn says has
weakened and injured the building. and nc
doubt like all Ills a prior; reasoning has
| altered the use o: the building from it,
| origina! intention. II he canddly believes
| what lie says concerning this work. why did