, 1875-08-07

uron esch pior nh4n tho building nAa finished IA
well ~ the pounds reatinR on each pter whai, tue
examination was made. The calculations necessaEy
to make this map. or plan, Of tile p.era. and
their loads, wers made By the Government an
gineere, and were supposed 10 b. bass1 on The
most accurate abatement OF facta posslble to bo
had including calcufatIona Of the number Of
cubt feet OF atone. The nnmber Of brick. and tho
pounus Of iEon 10 bo uaed 10 complete tho build
ing.
To advance step fss.,or II may DO said That
when tle Cncsgo CtEr' ,Iou engaged in the
work OF making careful examination o! lhs
building, shoy found tLH:,celyes embarEAhsed At
the very ntazt by lack IT knowledge Of tho
w.nlRhtB to DO bo.uo by Tue base OF tho piers.
Whether tho Commlsaton did not desire
10 spend time. OF whether somo other
rate shey did no. undertake tha wearisorno Iob
Of mating for themselves ca'cnfatlona OF tho
weights 10 be borne, but Rdot.td tho simpler
method OF sending to Washington aud obtaining
from the Supervising Archttect
THE sAME TABLE or WEIGHTS
that had before been ,1scd by tho Government
CommsHiOn.
With lnis sablo At hand the Chicago nrc1.jscc.n
proceeded with The examination. and in their
report lately matie, assert that tLore will 10 q
weight Of 81 goa, U0U poundn in tho completed
building. and that there will 10 1G.G14 square
feet of cuncteto baso to carry it, which will give
4,Jlt pOuHuH 10 kuU IUut. ~ III To TO HttT}UhGs1
from information gained Yesterday that the
Measurements which gAva tho nroA u bearing
surface wore made BY the Commission them
selves.
When tho report of tho chic,gpany reached
WhshluRLln,
THE orlSIoA or BUTEnv1srya-Ancu1TEc7p POTTER
waB ,lnfav orAblc. md In raid to InE 1nlpuSy's
Washsngton representative that in every III
stance w'ltre tue Chicago arcltects lad referred
to tho woIElt Of tho completed building they
had estiM ated it at only ona- half tlle .clual
weight. his IL au extraordinary statement.
whan it ID considered lhat The only time they
1efos to til Q complete weight Is when they put it
At exactly the fgurcs furnished. ~ they INV, b1
tho super vising Architect himself. Hero is al
important md eyen vital difference Of opin, o1l.
md nne which will causo ono or tho other OF tho
reports Ia fall fiat, or In The expressive language
Of an en,ploye. .'home ct the Commissions must
hunt grasa.' The truth, and the final result Of
tho ptou ecdinge, probably lies between these
two eets OF ngures; but at present tho Chicago
Comtnla eion has ltto the best Of it. beca.so
they eet,tn TO llave used = eat which woro fur
ninhed loy Mr.. potter, mud yet be now denies
them In OBJECT
THERE. 1R 4 CHANCE ron MISUNDERSTANDING
IN the rt rsscoogv Of tho report. and i. may bo
tho under rtapding that the Commission wan:eJ
nothing lore than tho weight Of the wnl|s w4ila
they havo used and understood 1t ~ tho weight
Of tho fl lly completed building, with wallis,
1oors roo {, etc. Unless this ehall prove to bo
tho caso It is lard to 500 how the difference &C.
CURED.
II. inste, ID OF tak!nR execution to the state-
ment OF the aggregate weight. Mr.. Potter Lnd
found fault With statement of tho Weight to 10
borne by en- ch square foot. It might easily have
been enppoB cd that tic Government Comu1iss on
figured on III 0 area Of tho bnHa ntones Of the
pierH, while the Chicago Commission figured OH
the BGuato fo?t in the supporting concruto, which
they declare tn DO good foundation, and which
they do not find to bAve cracked
1t Is fair prophecy that there will be another
Thorough investigation OF tho Cuntonl- IIouss by
third Commission M:foTo any conclusion iB
reachcd.
POTTER AND THE Ct t1cAoo COMMISSION.
IL the Editor " fhe chtea % Tribune:
CHICAGO, Aug. Cit :lB said that tho Govern
mcns architect sneora d tho xrchitectn Of CHI
cago. 1his seems bard ~ credible. but, it true,
tie Government architect ia tho ouly ono in-
iurod. Who IL this nj IN, that he should sot up
his Judgment agaiost man who, 10 eny the Lex ,st,
arc hih cquals- So II ~ foundations In CHIC ago
are concerned. the "a msu ore vastly lis
sunortora.
Every Que known Ri tho Appontoes Of Gov
erninent secure tho il positions by influence, pot
by merit. In all Governmental appointments
merit III = tlary consideration. This is a
fact universally ku own. Every man who aspires
to public appoiut ment must bring to bear u.
Irresistible private or pnht,o influence It is a
fact so potont thai no one dare gal1Isay it.
Who is MI. ra .seta Ho is tLu son Of ono
Episcopal Bishop and the nephew Of another.
In this way he has brought to bear powerful
iuflucnco in bis II vor. No one respects Lp faith
er or Ills uno'o ,ro thAu the writer OF this ar
tic1e. Were to be Influenced By l,ersonat con-
s.deratfons, should say nothing. But In pub-
llo matters perBu nal considerations should hnyo
no weight. iaaTo never written line from =
personal etandr,int, aud I never will.
In 4 former communication respectfully sug-
Rosted that \ local Commission should DO ap-
pointed to examine into tito condition Of tho
ed Thoy hhyo rendered their report. TllA re-
port 1t Is said. IL contrary to tho report Of tho
Goyeruncut Commiss,p1l. This ,s pctfectly
NATURAL Tho 1Deu Who we!o Bsut here know
nothing Of Chicago foundations. Boston and New
York uero their stAndA ards. According TO Huca
standards. tho Chicago Custom House waa uu-
stable aud must coua down. It did not occur
to these men whetbsr better foundation could
be obtained in this city. II did not occur to
them that foundations In Boston auI New iolk
wore one thing Aad foundations IN Chicago
another.
Bat Aueers will not do. Tho men who rebuilt
uhieago are not to be aneored at. II Mr. Potter
wishes to eueer, let hltn kueer. The sneer NAV
be returned. 4 Govesnmant appointment IL no
proof Of merit It ought 10 be, but it ii not.
Metlt III subordinate consideration.
m The people Of Chicago Rro I practical people.
Ihoy do not caro- = straw for authority. Ilt
Chicago Cor!mlssion is entitled TO tho greatest
r0speot and such respect sill bs accorded to it.
Why ahould It not be7 Are tic principle. Of
architecture 10 b. set aside Oh account Of tue
opposition of tho son of ono H.shop and Tia
nephew Of another2 J. EsAlAA WApaEx.
POLITICAL.