The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-07-31
THE Hill INvEsrIGATION.
Mr. Coleman Testing MIR. Hills Knowledge
of EIeyatOrs

WASHINGTON, July 30-The Hill investga-
tion was resumed this morning. Mr.. Hill
was recalled by Mr.. Coleman and questioned
in regard to contracts for elevators. He said
he had invited competition by circular
letter Five elevators were removed from
| appraisers stores at New York because they
were worn olt, and replaced with new ones
Superintendent of buildings Jackson report
ed the elevators worn, and witness received
bids upon that report He made no perso-
nal inspection OF the old elevators He in
vited proposals for replacing these ele vators
from another firm besides Hall & Co. He
concurred in the report of the committee of
experts on elevators without having made
any personal inspection of the different ee.
vators, and as to the alleged superiority of
the Hall e Co., machines. He considered
the Hall & Co., elevator had merits not pre-
sented by other elevators, its principal ad-
vantage being in its construction.
Mr.. Totten objected to the examination as
irrelevant, and Mr. Coleman said he desired
to test the knowledge of the witness in re-
gard to elevators, to show that he had APP
proved the reports OF the committee of ex-
perts without knowing anything OF the mer-
rits of different elevators.
Mr.. Hill said his information and obserya-
tion on the subject was that the Hall eleva-
tor was the best and that was the reason it
was adopted for general use.
Mr.. Cnleman said he proposed to show
that the witness had fraudulently given
Hall q Co. the contract for elevators for the
Chicago building and that he had acted in
dependently OF the specifications Mr. Cole
man asked if witness had made report on
Nav 90 1870 In tbR Spprataru Of
sury in regard to the Crane elevator.
Mr.. Hill said he did not remember, but if
there was such report it would be on file
in the office.
Mr. Coleman offered in evidence a letter
dated May q, 1879, from r. r. Crane of Chi
cago, ILL.,, to the Secretary of the Treasury in
regard to the contract for elevators for the
Chicago building, in which he claimed that
his company had been illegally and wrong
fully debarred from bidding on that work.
Mr.. Coleman also submitted a report made
by Mr. Hill on the same subject in which
he argued against receiving n second set OF
bids for this work on the ground that great
haste in putting in the elevators was neces-
sary.
Mr.. Hill said the elevators were USED in the
Chicago buildings in hosting material at the
same time the building was completed. He
admitted that it turned out there was suffi-
cient time to have readvertiSed for bids with
O',V N0iHS ms tiS "OiA oH tHe DullulnS.
Mr.. Coleman requested to be furnished
with copy of the plan for putting heating
apparatus in the Chicago building upon
which bids were invited. He then read a
letter written by Mr. Crane, of Chicago. to
the Secretary OF the Treasury in May 1879,
in which it was stated that Cranes bid for
furnishing elevators in the Chicago building
was wrongfully rejected. The letter says
Crane put in bid for steam elevators in ac-
cordance with the specifications, but it was
afterward decided to use hydraulic elevators
without giving Crane an opportunity to put
in another bid. Other correspondence was
introduced tending to show that Hale & Co.
had monopoly of the elevator business for
the government under the present supervis-
ing architect.
spirited colloquy sprang up at this point
between the counsel, in the course of which
MIR. Coleman intimated that Mr., Totten rep.