Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1881-08-20

contract with McCormac < Sweeny |
for the erection of the house; the
price to be paid was $55, 900, and
the specifications, among other
things, provided that the building
was to be finished by the first day
of January, 1885,; that the arehi-
tect and board Of commissioners
shall be at liberty to make any
alterations in the plan, form, con-
struction, detail or execution, de-
scribed by the drawings and specif-
cations, without invalidating or
rendering void the contract; "that
the architects duty shall consist in
settling all deductions of or addi-
tions TO contract price, whica may
grow out of alterations OF the de-.
signs or changes of plans after the
same is under contract and that
the contractor shall furnish, at his.
own cost and expense, all the ma
terIals used and the labor, and put
up the building in a good and,
workmanlike manner, according to
the true intent, spirit and meaning
of these specifications, plans, eleva-
tons, sections and detail drawings,
either of which shall be as binding
as the whole.p
1t was first discovered that the
contractors intended to construct
the north end of the building of
common brick, without stone trim.
mings, steps, or even a door lead
ing into the yard. This manifestly
would have spoiled the whole
building, since the contrast between
this and the other three sides would
have been so great as to mar the eff
feet of the whole. The contract
and specifications made no allusion
to any difference between that front
and the others, and the architect, IN
exhibiting his designs to the court,
had shown them a beautiful view
of the west and south fronts, and
had publicly assured them that the
opposite fronts least and north) cor
responded exactly. Yet when the
question arose as to how this end
should be constructed, the cnntrac-
tors reminded the commissioners
that the architect was to settle all
disputes, and the architect, on being
appealed to, promptly decided
against the commissioners, and de-
clared he had no recollection OF
ever having made any statement
formerly on the subject.
After this it was vain to expect
that the work was to proceed with
out trouble. The commissioners
were compelled to let an unsightly
building go up at great expense or
to make changes not contemplated
by the court in accepting the plan.
Choosing as they considered the
lesser of the two evils they agreed
with the contractors that the latter
might omit the heating apparatus
and the water tank from their con-
tract and instead should erect the
north end of the building as it now
appears.
They released the contractors OF
these two items because the tank,
valued at one hundred dollars, was
useless after the introduction OF
water-works into the town, and be-
cause the heating apparatus, they
were convinced. was aOt of the
most approved pattern, and a bet
ter and safer one could be provided
by the commissioners at a less cost
than would be required for the
change in the building according
to the architects estimate.
This change of contract in regard
to the north end of the building
was promptly reported to the
County court, received and spread
on the minutes.
1t was also ascertained that the
iron joists on the court room floors
were so far apart as to make the
building dangerous, and that the
roof was not sufficiently strong
|, without extra bracing, and that the
! tower also needed bracing to make
it safe in a high wind.
The commissioners agreed to al
! low tor the extra iron beams needed
t 81, S45. %; for the additional supports
for the roof $1S5, and for the brace:
and other work in the tower 1921.
: "a; in all, 81, 16O.47.
The first or Office story was also
ascertained not TO be fire-prOOf, anC
to preserve the records a fire-prOo
! vault was placed in the register
: office at an expense of $500. Thi'
extra expense was partly reduced
: by the substitution of wooden fol
: iron shutters on the first floor, thu
, difference in favor of the county
e being, according to agreement
D $3.50.
, There was also allowed the con
tractors, for extra stone work anC
g other items, $471 AS.
These were all the changes tina
r were made in the contract, anC
were promptly reported to thu
Quarterly court by the commission
!, ers as fast as made. After thes,
changes, the contract between tn,
, contractors and the county stooC
thus:
Original contract price of building .S55, OOO.O
i Extra iron beams on I'd floor.........-. 1852
Extra timbers in roof 1891
Strengthening tower.......-................ 22.2
i ! Vault. OOOIU
Extra stone work, etc..................... ala
s5S,I8l.8
! At the April term, 1879, G. g
. Smith, one of the commissioners
resigned and L. p. Howard, a mag
! istrate of the county, was elected il
his stead by the Quarterly court
O In July, 1879, G.. w. Bunting, tn
original architect of the buildin,