Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-05-26
Proceeding, Of the Joint Congressional Committee

Joint Congressional Committee investigating
District affairs, the following questions and an
swers occur, which were crowded out of our
issue yesterday:
Q. Did it ever occur to you that, bsing associ-
ated with the system that you condemned 90
strongly, against which you have 81 much feel
ing, after eighteen months, being associated
with that system for eighteen months without
reslgning and without communicating it to any,
body, aud signing great many of these docu-
neLts, appearing as the engineer, the RESPONSE
bic brad-Gid 1t ever appear to you that you
were injuring your reputation in standing in
that position 50 long? A. did communicate it
yeet-roay that he was glad to say at any time
that as far back Ms one year ago he requested
me to stay on tue Board of Public Works as a
champion of the United States and of the tax.
payersO OF the District. He told me YESTERDAY
that at the time when / spoke to him and ex
pressed to him some little doubts. that he had
Corcorsn rem, mbere this conversation clearly
=, g who appointed you? A. The President OF
Q. You were somewha. responsible to him,
were you not? A. Certainly.
q. He resides in the District? A. Yes, sir.
y. II this thing was wrong-yeu saw his
message on the subject? A. Yes, cir.
Q. Don't you think you ought to have sug-
gested 1t to him? A. Ii was not in sufficient
shape that could tell him.
Q. want you to tell this committee what
your opinion is of Mr.. Oertley as to integrity?
A. Well, my opinion was always good. Ihave
said so already in my testimony.
Q: mean your present opinion of him as an
engineer of integrity? A. Well, still wsuld
not cay anything against his character.
q. DO you believe, or not, that he is an engt
neer Of integrity A; Well, L think so.
q. You think he is? A. Yes sir.
Q. Do you think he had any instr uctions from
any member of the board to make excessive
measurements? A. Well, 1 never thought OF
that at all. L do not think he had any in
structions to make over measurements. When
the government appropriations were msde, the
members of the board lik ed to see the measure
ments foot up as much as possible, but do not
think that any positive orders were given in
any way or shape.
NIB. BLICKKNsDRRFRR's MEASUREMENTS.
Mr.. Blickensderfer, the engineer employed
measurements. The first was an estimate OF
the amount of excavation done on 18th street.
between ard p, as calculated from notes fur
nshed by the board engineers. The total amount
OF earth removed was % ,i37 cubic yards, from
which sheuld be deducted ,2S7 yards covered
by the price OF the pavement leaving 10, 40
yards the actual amount for which tie contrac-
tor should be paid. The contractor was allO we'd
for IL 900 yards. On East Capitol st., between
1st and 4th streets, the actual excavation was
1861 yards, from which 1922 yards should b
ment, leaving 1867 yards. The contractor was
paid for 1880 yards, or for "a, 203 yards more
than he ought to have been paid for.
OTHER WITNESSES.
W. o. Dayton was examined as to the trans
fer OF his pipe sewer, bat nothing important
was developed.
Thomas ID. Winter, (clerk for the auditor of
the board, } testified as to the mode of making
up statement, showing the expenditures on
each and every avenue in the city of Washing
ton, made by the corporation of Washington
since 1915, and by the Board of Public Works,
with the payments made on account of the same
by the United States government.
ENGINEER sAMo RECALLED.
Theodore B. Same was recalled and exhib-
tied detailed statements showing that the work
at the circle al = and I9th streets, chargeable
to the United States, was S7o,Si3.i4; actually
charged to the United States, 7S,5iO.19; due
the board, SOP 90 Scott square, total,
si6,964 50; cilai tQ United States, $40 ,Oi2 30;
excess. S20i7 n. Rswlins SQUARE, total,
S2i ,C6l4I charged to United States, go 1865 &c;
balance due board, 81, 70377., &C., &c. Mr..
Same then went on 70 give several omissions OF
work done in Mr.. Blickenderfer's statements,
which, if included in them, would materially
reduce the alleged excuses, or sho = balances
Ssmo's statement was to show tina, Their were
many errors in MIR. Blckenderfe;'s measure
Dt nts, mostly resulting from want of informs
ton as to what was actually done a Id Included
in the former measurements.
By the chairman:-Q. You measured all this
government work, did you not? A. No; thsre
was one measurement made before me asur ID;
that was the first measurement m ,de in 1872,
before this 81 .240, 0C0 was approprlat ID.
Y. Who made that? A. By an assis ant en-
gIneer on the Washington aqueddct, named
Mr.. AldIich.
Q. What instructions did General Bab,ock
give you with reference to these measureme ITS?
A. To make them accurately, and to b. as
careful and particular az possible.
TO.day's Session.
The Joint Special Committee investig .ting
affairs in the District of Columbia was Cal ed to
order this morning at IL o'clock.
Col. Nagruder was handed q memorandum
OF payments made by him, and was requested
by Mr.. Wilson to indicate where in his report the
payments were entered.
The witness sta'ed that he would have to go
to his office and consult his vouchers.
Charles j. johnson was called and handed
the journal Of the board FIR 1873. He was re-
questec to turn TO the first entry. The witness
Was directed to stand aside for moment, aud
Moses Kelly was recalled and submitted
statement showing the sums borro wed by the
commissioners OF the sinking fund. The cash
on hand is S11 ,i93.
Charles j. johnson was then recalled.
q. WHAT'S the date OF the first entry in that
record? A. September ed, 1878.
Q. Who was present? A. Mr.. Cluss, MIR.
Magruder, Mr.. Willard aud the Cover nor.
He was directed to follow the several entries.
He said he could not state who was present.
because the record did not specify.
q. Go on with the record and hnd msstns
when you can tell who was present? A. Here's
One-NOvember 9Th, 1873.
q. How many meetings are recorded in that
book, OF which you are unable to tell who was
there? A. Well, L should think there were
about fifteen, perhaps. didn'G count them.
Mr.: Wilson-Well, would like to have you
count them.
u
appear to be thirty eight
z. Can you tell who was present at any of
those thirty eight Eeetings? A. Ne, sir. This
record was made by Mr.. Campbell. de is now
q clerk in the State department.
Q. Were you present at these thirty eight
meetings? A. l was present, think, at every
meeting. / was at the Office every day. The
record Is made up from the letters sent out.
q. At whose direction was 1t made up? A.
Well, with the consent of the board; IL you want
direct answer, Mr.. Shepherd.
q. That is just what l want. Now, tell just
how that record Is made up. Do you pretend to
sag that these thirty-eig entries were actual
board meetings? A. No, do not.
Q. Then, Mr.. Cluss was correct in his state
mens, was he notS A. He was In some OF his
statements.
Q. This Is not the record of the meetings of
the board; it is your record? A. 1t is a record
Of the transactions Of the board, from letters
received by the board, and made up by me with
the consent Of the respective vice presidents,
and the tacit consent Of the board.
Q. Go on now and count how many more
meetings occurs before you counted who was
present? A. Twenty seven.
q. Go on and see how many more you can
md until you find another. a. There 10 no
more in the book.
Q. Now take this one, [Journ nal A, OF 1873 ]
A. There Is nine entries here before 1 can dnd
one which states who was present. nnd ten
Immediately following that; then twelve occur
until can find q mention; then follows two