, 1879-07-27
THE ClTY-HALIA
Report Of tho Special Committee
Of Experts.
Catalogue Of Defects Discovered in the
Building.

Catalogue Of Defects Discovered in th
Building.
Patching, Absence Of Bond-Stones, Ex
ira Brickw0rk, Etc.
Defects Which Are 1nexousab1e in Build
| ing Of that Importance.
The occupation Of the late experts, a such, II
the new City-Hall investigation, is gone. The,
made their report yesterday, and, fgu1atiyely
speaking, have washed their hands Of the lob,
The experts met at 10 o'clock in the morning
in Gen. McDowells elevated and airy Office IN
the new Government Building, and waited to,
nearly M hour for the members of the Council
Committee on Public Buildings. When the
latter, who dropped in one by one. had ali put
in appearances and accepted the Generals in-
/ yitation to concentrated attack on his cigar
box, the little gathering was ready for business.
t This proved to be
| L CONSULATE ON,
from which the reporters were excluded, be-
| tween the experts and the Committee on the
| subject OF the formers report, It being sub
sequcntly explained that, as the Committee
! would probably have to take. some action
on the findings, 1t was but proper
! that the ground should be gone over with them
| With some completeness Of detail, in order that
they might comprehend the length, breadth,
and depth-the cubical contents, as it were-of
the whole subject Not only was the report
read, but the Committee were shown the plans
about which so much has been said, until at
last they got pretty fair idea Of what the re-
port really meant,-which they could hardly
have gotten from the document itself, owing to
Its barbazously faulty construction and total
disregard of anything like usage or common
sense in the way Of paragraphing and punctua-
tion. After the conference broke up,
the Committee, taking upon them
selves the character Of messengers,
bore the precious document to the MAYORS
Office, where, behind closed and locked door,
they delivered It to the Mayor. The little party
remained locked no for something like an hour,
when they came forth, and their places we're
Immediately taken BY couple Of insignificant
Democratic politicians, who grappled With the
Mayur's two ears for another half-hour. At the
expiration Of that time the reporters we're
allowed the privilege OF grabbing that docu-
n6uL Allu GEQUEtAlS ~ " pIQptE EDuAALl0u VI
copy. Arranged With some regard for the rules
OF English competition,
II READS AS FOLLOWS,
although the blindness Of one paragraph Is so
intense as to battle any attempt to guess the
meaning, if any. which was possibly intended:
CHICAGO, Jnlg 20, 1s79.-7he Hon: Garter Il.
Your Committee appointed 10 assist the Building
Committee OF the Common Council, met SAID Com
mttee at your office July 1a. and received from
hy$ $hnjr Thn{r -
B. Phelps, copies OF contracts and the charges
made against the material and work; and request
ed them to examine tie building thorouehiy, and
ascertain. nearly practicable, to what extent
these charges we're true and what Was the state OF
the building.
In compliance wherewith, your Committee hare,
as faithfully possible, made all reasonable ex-
nminatons, and do now respectfully report:
That they having read the contract and the
charges, find in these charges the following
STATEMENT OF VIOLATION OF TIE
contract and SPECIFICATIONS:
First-That the stones: are inferior to sample,
not being OF uniform color, and being rougher In
texture. having cavities, filed with stopping, and
deficiencies of slze and shape supplied by patches.
4Second-Tha, The stones nre not always laid on
their natural beds, and have not the bonds and
joints reagired bv the specifications:
Ih'rd-That the anchors specified In the con-
Fourth-That all Of the stonecutttng is not done
in ths c'tE Of Chicago as eauired by the contract
far in advance Of the brck- work, contrary to the
requirements OF the specifications.
IN SUPPORT OF THE FIRST CHARGE,
your Committee finds, besides these patched,
stones now in piace in the building. One hundred
and twenty-five OF these should have been reject
ed. OF the dfty-two patches, thirteen are bad
patches. Either should not ex1at, and are not
or the 457 cavities and deficiencies in faces OF
stones filed with ''stopDugs" the larger proper
ton are small spots, half IN inch square or more
Of surface, and are four square inches Of
surface Or more and varying from that size to forty
Of the twenty-tbree cracks eight are deemed
bad, and OF these eight three are very bad
IN SUPPORT OF THE SECOND CHARGE,
your Committee ind ten stones not On their natural
bed that should have been go set; these Of the
forty bad JOINTS resulting from unevenness Of the
stone in thickness or length; aud i've stonea that
should be rcscI.
Under the third charge, s'That the anchors ire
no: according to the specifications" Commit
tee finds the anchors are not galvanized but cover
ed With coal-tar varntsh; nor are these Of the d.
mensions shown or required by the plans.
bsen cnt in the city Of Chicago" Is not denied.
UNDER THE FIFTH CHARGE,
your Committee finds that the stone work has been
to fourteen feet, and the varying courses Of stone
protrude fnwards for the brick work bond from six
inches to thirty inches. !
OF the 376 delivered up to July g. ten bad been |
condemned by the Inspector. Five OF them were |
Inferior. One was cracked. Seven were patched |
and thirty-th1es we're filed in places With s*stoo-
ping"
These facts substantially sustaln the charges
made az herein summarized.
TO BETTER UNDERSTAND TIE EXTENT
II these deficiencies. it seems proper to state tho
lmounr Of tue stone set aud delivered.
It is reported By y the Superintendent in
ID the building and ut that date 395 were delivered
IN the ground. This would give in the building
bout so. 600 cubic feet Of stone. By Comparing |
he defects and deficiencies above named We have:
nferoF or defective stone. e.......-....... ...257
Number OF stones patched. .............5 Sc
Number OF stones bad joints =. ~ al
Number Of stones With cr1cks cks..........,. q
xnm ber OF stones to be reset or removed . |
Number OF stones not on their natural beds 80. 10
1oldi uetect5... ...~.- ..,,..,B4 |
Defects to cubic feet, therefore, stand about ]
ne to sixty-one, or one to every sixth stone.
This representa- the proportion Of total defects
arge and small, to the whole number Of Gu biz feet
d the building But rs before stated some Of |