Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-04-29
A CHICAGO aJOB."
The Rotten CustOm-HOuse-HOW shed.
dy Contractors Have Sunk a Million
Dollars in n Magifeent Mau-TraP
Chicago Tribune.

The Rotten CusfOm-HOuse-HOW ShOd.
DIV Contractor Have sunk a Million
Dollars in a MaEifeent Man-TraP
Chicago Tribune.
Considerable interest has been ex-
pressed In the change in the officers by
which, as already announced, Gen. j.
II. Holman has superseded Mr.. j. E.
Rankin as Superintendent of the new
Custom-hOuse and POstOhice now being
erected in Chicago. Various rumors
had been for-some time ahoat in the
city as to the conduct Of affairs In the
block near the Grand Pacific, and there
were not wanting those who predicted
that all sorts or Jobs and corruption
cspld be disinterred If the proper
authorities should commence to dig.
The truth is, that the stories about
The building are too true. 1t is defec-
tive in construction land, perhaps, IA
tally SOY. The real reason that the
Holmans dare not 60 on with the work
is, that great cracks and assures in the
walls are so patent to their eyes that
they fear the effect Of putting more
weight on walls which cannot bear what
is already upon them. It seems clear
that the foundations are defective un-
derneath some portions of the build
ing, and perhaps the whole. Near the
northwest corner, for instance, in one
of the heavy interior walls, there is
very apparent a gaping fssure extend
ing from the ground floor up to the
next n It is some twenty feet
in length, and the force which
made it has torn a zigzag
line through the solid wall, breaking
bricks, and rending the whole structure
in a manner d~isconcerting to one who
might have to stand under or near it.
A little way along on the north side is
another beautiful specimen of brick
work, where a crack has started from
a door and run directly up to the wall,
.splntering the brick and making a
rent that one car see through. Again,
near the northeast corner is a fssure
which starts from the foundation of
the brickwork and runs ~diagonally into
a corner, and then up out Of sight, the
bricks being fractured and separated
50 that one could almost throw a cat
through" as the phrase goes. An
other noticeable defect Is in the arches
over the great doors on the east side,
where large cracks are to be seen,
throwing many of the arches "out of
true" and misplaeing the stone
above. In the inner wall
on the south side is plainly
visible an immense crack, running up
at least thirty feet, and parting the
walls IN a manner not conducive to
cheerfulness to a person doing business
near by. A careful examination of the
lintels over the doors and windows on
this side also shows that many of them
them are cracked and sagginy in the
middle. They are immense blocks of
solid stone, and the force exerted some
where TO break them must have been
enormous. In another place the gen.
tleman who was making the examina-
ton happened to kick with some force
a board placed around the base OF one
of the pillars, when it came off, reveal
ing an inch-wide crack in the solid
stone, and that, too, at the base of one
of the supports of the upper stories. A
large number Of other instances Of bad
defects were noted in the walls IN
various places, and thenumber of small
cracks and incipient fractures in stone
and brick would not bear enumeration.
In this wilderness of defects it is cheer
full to note that the iron work is appa-
perfect In every place, and nOsa
spot could be seen where 1t was not
true and straight. This, however, is
not difficult Of explains
here from the foundry
such shape that it needed Q
,ommonest ability to put it togetner.