National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-04-08
Mr.. Christy. Let Henry D. Cooke be sworn,

row.
Mr.. Christy. desire to ask Col. Magruder
IL he is ready to furnish answers to certain in
terrogatories that were propounded to him.
have testimony that desire to introduce In re-
gard to that branch of the SUBJECT
Mr.. Magruder. have not the answers quite
ready yet; think will have them ready by
tomorrow.
Mr.. Wilson. Mr.. Christy. understand that
Mr.. Showers is here, and that he wants to be
examined as a witness. Perhaps he had better
be called now.
TESTIMONY OF HENRY SHOWERS.
Henry Showers sworn: By Mr.. Wilson: Q.
Where do you reside! A, No. 522 street.
@. What is your business' A. am a gen.
eral filter in iron-work.
o. Have you had anything to do with pre-
pairing wooden blocks for pavementsi A. Yes,
sir. l am Superintendent of the Metropolitan
Wood Preserving Company.
O. What, If anything, do you know in rela-
ton to wooden blocks being put down without
going through any processl If you know any
thing on that subject Just state all you know
IN regard to it. A. Only one instance. There
was a schooner load of blocks came alongside
of our dock, at Essby's Point, last September.
1 thought they were brought there to be pre-
served by our process, and went on board and
asked for the captain. The captain was down
town, and the mate told me that the blocks
were consigned to John o. Evans. came
down to see if 1 could find John o. Evans, but
could not find him. When / went back the
blocks were gone, and gone to Georgetown.
Q. Had the schooner gone to Georgetown
A. Yes, sir. went around the next morning
to Georgetown, andI found the blocks unloaded
in front of the market-house.
Q. What condition were they in' A. Green
lumber.
n uo5 thoy o,ona throuuh any urocessi A
No, sir; none whatever.
o. What was done with those blocks? A.
They were taken on to Georgetown. saw them
being dumped out of the wagon there. could
not say they were put into the streets. did
not see them laid.
Q. Where were they dumped out of the
wagonl A. In front of the market-house in
Georgetown.
Q. Do you know on what street they were
laidl A. could not say.
@. Were the workmen at work on that
street, A. Not at that time.
Q. Was that street afterward laid with wood
en-block pavement? A. Yes, sir; saw wood
en-block pavement down there.
@. How long afterward was it put down? A.
1 was over there, I suppose, six weeks after
ward.
Q. Was there any place in Georgetown where
these blocks could be treated A. Yes, sir;
our works we had down there, at Easby's
Point.
Q. No; but over in Georgetown A. No,
sir.
Q. Were those blocks ever brought to your
works to be treated! A. No, sir.
Q. There was no place in Georgetown where
it could be done? A. No, sir.
@. On what street was it that you saw these
blocks being unloaded' A. In front of the
do not know what the name
of the street lie.
Q. Could you point 1t out on the map2 A.
never saw the maps.
Q. Take one of these maps and see If you can
find the street.
WITNESS did as requested, and pointed out
street,
The Witness. 1t runs off Pennsylvania ave
nue. right across the bridge into that street.
right where the cars stop.
Mr.. Merrick. That is Bridge street.
Mr.. Wilson. Please get me the contract, so
that 1 nay examine to see if Bridge street is
in it.
By Mr.. Thurman: Q. What company did you
say you were working for! A. The Metropoli-
tan Notwithstanding Company.
Q. What process does that company use!
A. The Robbins.
Q. Wherein does that differ from what is
called burnetizing! A. We use dead oil in
our process, an extraction from coal-tar-the
oil.
Q. The other processl A. cannot say; 1
am not acquainted with it all.
Q. Do you know whether these blocks were
or were not immersed in hot or cold tar before
they were put down? A. These blocks that
was referring tol
Q. Yes. A. No; green lumber.
Q. That would not prevent their being i'm
mersed before they were laid. Is not that one
Of the processes of laying wood pavements,
to have great tanks of hot or cold tar, in which
to immerse the blocks as they are put ina A.
believe it is.
Q. What process is that called? A. 1 could
not say.
Q. In which process did they use these
movable tanks, that they build a
fire under and pour barrels of coal tar INF A.
do not know whose patent it is.
Q. What is the Ballard processl A. do
not know that they have process.
BY Mr.. Wilson: Q. What is the Taylor and
Filbert wooden pavement? A. They have not
any process, that l know of. They only lay
Q: What do you say is your processi A.
Robbins.
Q. What do you use-coal tara A. Yes, sir.
Not coal tar exactly. 1t is dead oil, an extract
from coal tar.
Q. And does it consist in heating that oil
and immersing the wood in it, A. Yes, sir.
Q. You do not know whether these blocks,
f they were the same you saw laid down there
~ the market-house, were subjected to any
process or not? A. They were not
when they were laid alongside the dock on
'oard the schooner. They were taken and
Jumped in the steeet in Georgetown.
Q. You do not know whether they were sub
ected to any such preservatiVe process before
hey were laid or not, do youl A. No, sir.
By Mr.. Mattingly: Q. You do not know
where they were laid down, do you? A. No,
ir; only where they were dumped They
Tere dumped In the street. That is all I
now.
By Mr.. Christy: Q. Where are the works of
he burnetizing companyl A. On the Island, |
elieve.
Q. Not In Georgetownl A. No, SIR.
Q. There are three processes-the Robbins, |
he burnetizing, and creosoting! A. Yes, sir.
Q. None of them, believe, in Georgetown
|. No, sir.
By Mr.. Wilson: Q. You say there is place
or burnetizing over on the Islandl A. Yes,
ir; and ironizing also.
By Mr.. Merrick: Q. Burnetizirg is ironizinp, I
it noti A. 1t amounts to about the same |
hing.
Mr.. Wilson. This contract seems to provide
Dr. burnetizing.
Mr.. Merrick. That is the same as ironizinp,
Governor Shepherd. o, no; it is different
tMr. Wilson read the process of burnetizing
5 stated in the specifications of the contract
ontract No. 1873.
By Mr.. Wilson: Q. That is all you know
bout this matter2 A. Yes, sir; that is all
now about it.
Y. DO you know any person who does know
neither these green blocks were put down in
lat street or notl A. could not say.
BY Mr.. Matttngly: Q. Can you state from a
usual appearance of the blocks, whether they
ave been burnetized or notl A. Yes, sir.
Governor Shepherd. Not creosoted, but bur-
cited.
The Witness. Yes, sir.
By Mr.. Stanton: Q. Does that process dis
DIOR the blocksi A. Yes, sir. L
Y. Were these discoloredl A. Very little,
Q. Then do you require very careful EXAM
alton to determine whether they had been put
trough this processl A. Yes, sir; you have
examine them.
Q. Did you examine these blocks carefully
. did not split the blocks open.
Q. Are you absolutely certain they were not
lrnetized1 A. According to my judgment it
rs green lumber.
By Governor Shepherd: O. Can you tell
neither piece of wood is burnetized without
lifting it open and chewing q piece of it to !
whether you can taste the zinc In 1t or notl I
You know very we'll, Mr.. Shepherd
Q. You cannot tell without splitting the
ock open and tasting the zinc in 1t, can you'll !
No, sir. =
By Mr.. Wilson: Q. Can you tell by examin- /
this pavement now whether these blocks s