The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-09-27
By telegraph
ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORT.
10 THE DAILY LNTELLIGENCER
WASHINGTON.
THE CORN CR0P.

DC llOTuUSHlI TlpcHcWI us NkbTcsult
would exceed any previous crop, and the
yield per acre would be one Of the best,
notwithstanding the losses by the over
How OF the bottoms and the saturatiOn OF
heavy Hat soils, such losses proving less
than the usual damages by drought and
insects, while the rains greatly benefited
the crop on dryer and higher soils. Near
ly everywhere corn is late in maturing
from one to two weeks. The general
high condition is still maintained, the
average being one per cent higher than in
August.
The State averages are Maine, l07;
New Hampshire, 100; Vermont 0S; Massa.
chusetts, lO0i Connecticut, l0S; New York
90; New Jersey, III, Pennsylvania, los;
Delaware, 100; Maryland, l0G; Virginia,
liz; North Carolina, lOi; South Carolina,
81; Georgia, 10; Florida, %; Alabama; II |;
Mississippi, ll6i Louisiana, 50; Texas, 50;
Arkansas, 1903; Tennessee, II; West Nir-
ginia, lO7; Kentucky lO3; Ohio, 07; MiChi-
gan, lOl; Indiana, O3illlinois, %; Wiscon-
sin, 60; Minnesota, ~; Iowa, 50; Missouri,
III; Kansas, lOg; Nebraska, 03; California,
o., Oregon, 100.
CHICAGO CUSTOM HOUSE.
The report Of the board appointed to
investigate the Chicago Custom House,
after rcCiting the circumstances Of their
appointment, and acknowledging the good
offices and courtesy Of all with whom
their duties brought them in contact, ar
rivcs at the following conclusions;
"rhc ground upon which the founda-
ton Of the building rests was, by our di-
rcctiun, thoroughly tested by digging,
boring, and applying known weights upon
known areas, thus giving lis, We believe,
u thorough knowledge Of its nature.
Your Commission find that the building
is underlaid throughout its whole length
with cOmpressibc stratum, composed Of
mixture Of clay, sand and water, vary
ing in thickness from twenty to twenty
five feet, below which is hard blue clay.
They are Ui opinion, after much careful
deliberatiOn, that the foundation Of the
building should in the first instance, have
been carried to this blue clay, either by
piling or by masonry, and that had this
course been adopted, there would never
have been any question concerning the
safety Of the building. As II Is, the build
| ing rests on n continuous mass OF con-
crete, varying in thickness from three and
half to four feet, covering the whole
area Of the building, except the central
and corner spaces and some Of the areas
of concrete are excellent, and distributes
the pressure over IN area materially
greater than that Of the footing stones OF
the piers, so that the pressure per square
foot on the ground below will probably
not be greater than two thousand pounds.
"l.csult Of tests applied by the Board
shows that tbe ground will bear pres.
sure Of four thousand pounds per square
foot without material disturbance.
"HOnr Commission is Of opinion, too,
that the weight Of the building can he
much fcdutud, and recommend that such
reduction he insisted upon most strenu-
Ously."
"fhe commissioners therefore report
that in their opinion the foundation Of
the building is not on firm ground, but
that with the notifications already pro.
posed and alterations Of the foundation
hereafter mentioned, the defects in the
foundation may he remedicd. The alb
scncc Of reliable benCh.mnrks, and the
consequent confusion in levels, prevented
the Board from determining whether the
foundations vary from the original level,
but comparison Of all the levels taken
by the three Boards convinced them that
the building may be said TO he really
level in itself, the extreme difference Of
the level on the four corners being less
than one.hnlf inch, while nt three cor
ncrs the levels only differ by livc.hun-
dredlls Of an inch. The greater height
Of the west side, when compared with
that Of the other three sides, Is due to an
uphcaval by frost, but on account Of the
absence of bench.marks, already men,
toned the Board were unable to state
positively whether there has been n set
Element or not. They are, however, Of
opinion, from the general appearance OF
the building, as well as from the general
uniformity Of level, that there hns been
20 far no material settlement, although
some settlement may he apprehended in
the future progress Of the building. IT,
however, the precautions suggested by
the Board l,e adopted they are Of opinion
that such settlement will be nearly uni.
form, and will not materially interfere
with the sOlidity Of the building.
ave therefore recommend that where.
ever there are yOids in the concrete
foundation, inside the area walls, they bC
filed in with uniform depth Of four feet
Of concrete; that the concrete under the
building bc left undsturbed, and that the
entire surface be covered with sufficient
concrete tOhringi 10 the level necessary to
receive the flooring, and that all necessary
drainage and sewerage Of the building bG
completed ns additional concrete is laid
"SccOnd-rhe nature and qualities
Of the stone Of which the ediiicc il con
sirucied, whether II haS durability,
strength, and other qualities desirable,
the Board are Of opinion, after careful
examination, that the stone il not that
which they would have selected for such
building had they been designated To
make selection, for cheaper and better
| RtOllt CUulu W. UulHlUCUi DUl ull WCCuWUl
nf the fact that large amount nf money
has already been expended in the pnr.
chase, cutting and setting Of stone, three.
iourths Of the whole quantity necessary
having been delivered and wrought, that
IL has in this building, and in such strnc.
turcs as the board have seen, apparent du.
rnbility Of the ordinary sandsiOncs, and
that iis strength is sufficient for the pur.
puses Of the building. they do not think
that any change should now be made in
the stone.
"rhiri-As to other materials The
brick ARE good and well laid, the concrete
il well and faithfully placed, and the iron
work il good and we'll fitted, though cx.
cessive inquantity.
"Fourtll-Whether any changes in the
plans or materiali to be u'ed should be
made, and II so, what, and an estimate o.
the probable costOi such changes The
Board are Of the opinion that the pier hr
the corner Of Clark and Adams streets
and the two adjoining piers on CLARK
street, a. ould he taken down To the sill o
the course Of the first story, the lr side,
being out Of plumb; that the stone cover
ings or roofs Of the porticos should I've re
moved, and iron beams and brick archc.
substituted, and the cenling finished nr
the under side with iron; III At the ston,
work on CLARK street should he carried
| M to the level Of the other work as soor