Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-09-27
THE AQUEDUcr SCANDAL.


THE AQUEDUcr SCANDAL.
Lisal ToWusend Makes Ooae 0hock.
Ing Dtsc0v0fioa.
m vrSDs FEAT I'M czAnon lAvB NOT BEEN n
AeesRArRD-fHs rNvEsrroAfIox RDu NED ~ Irn
fo-DAr, wrn REPORTING PRssExi.
Lieut. Townsend did not cine out Of the aque-
QUOT tunnel until O'Clock yesterday Afternoon
Then he had Q very grave face. I was evident
That the discoveries he had made had confirmed
or more than confirmed the suspicious aroused by
,ss tne hole above the srick arch. where
the reporters accompanied him Tuesday. As
matter Of TACT Lieut. Townsends dis
coveres were OF such Q startling char
acter that the hole found Tuesday appeared
20 be mere trifie The work he examined Tues
oay, No said TO . star reporter, was reputable
compared with that found yesterday. His re-
searches yesterday were still confined TO the sec
performed under the Inspection OF O'Brien the
euo-lnspector. On this work the Kendallx, the
0 0sSd who have made charges. were en-
Townsend Indicated that the Kendalis In no way
have exaggerated the state Of Affairs in their
statementA
ROTTEN WORK.
Lieut. Townsend drilled hole after hole through
the brick arching and only In few cases found
anything like semblance OF masonry packing be.
tween the brick and the surface of the live rock
beyond. There was some boxing at the side, but
evidence OF an attempt to Oh in the space. Lieut.
townsend, In speaking OF IL TO Q STAB reporter
to-day. said the rottenness OF the work was as
founding. he had decided to-day to take report.
ers with him into the tunnel ~ want them TO &c"
be sate, with grave smile, mot 90 much 70 md
Dad wSrx; but % see there 10 any good WORK
HOW n WAS DONE
The evidences found yesterday undoubtedly In
dicated thoroughly organised conspiracy, in
which the men Immediately engaged on the work
and the subinspector, II not Others above him,
must have been involved Even the reports made
spec Ing the amount OF cement used must have
been dOctored. One check on the work was
sasse az !bs n the
age amount OF masonry work ~ be done per lineal
YARD yard OFT or rod Is known 80 II was known about
appear TO have been ''doctored."
how HI WAS DRcEIvRD.
Lieut. Townsend SAID to-day that he could not
see how be had been deceived. whe he or the
chief inspector went through the tunnel and came
TO where work was being done the workmen.
the arch, would have stones ready 70 close up
openings 80 the appearance OF the work would be
ZION TO some portion OF the work which he was
afraid. he said, might settle or do something else
70 distract attention. Il was easy enough 70 thus
work Inspected by O'Brien has been Investigated
Lieut.. Townsend stiIl has hopes that the work
under other inspectors may not be OF the same
character. "The discoveries made, he said TO q
STAR reporter, ''Lhlow discredit upon the entire
tunnel Every inch or 1t must be Investigated,
s ana naorougn H. should pc done oy oo1ra .,
ANXIOUS 70 see what have LEFT 10 stand on, as
ble."
Lieut. Townsend, speaking OF the work exam
lined by him yesterday, said the only masonry. or
preJense at masonry. above the brick arches, was
to time when some one happened 70 be near who
was not In the ring. Lieut. Townsend thought the
contractors, Beckwith & Quacken6usn, were not
as they were paying q fair price per yard for the
work. He thought it was fortunate that the
stories got out at the time they did.
THE INVESTIGATION TO-DAY.
Lieut. Townsend, as stated above. decided to-day
to permit reporters to accompany him on his fur
Their trips through the tunnel This decision was
reached after a tax with Maj. Lydecker. Lieut..
Townsend said he thought II was necessary now
that the reporters should 60. ne selected another
down the Rock Creek shaft.
He went down about O'Clock and was accom-
panied oy sr.s reporter SS s and M briggs, the as
tractors Mr.. A. c. Buell., representing tine con-
tractors afterward 1oined the party.
ess sss O. 81 kSsP Ses sna
This was work inspected BY sub-inspector
Mcnamara. When the nrst hole was drilled
to the drin Lieut. Townsend tnereupon made
the men cut hole In the brick arch. It was
found that above the arch thtr re was very solid
pacAlng or dry stone without cement though the
contract calls for cementeu masonry.
GLAD HI LEFT tn. WORK.
Capt T. W. Symons, who was formerly superin-
tending engineer Of the AQueduct tunnel re. used
to be interviewed to-day. He said, however, when
be left the tunnel he LETT It for good ana was very
glad OF It.
Comvre~. Win uuv.~r,~.s.
IMPRESSIONS OF INDIGN ALTON AT THE CAPITOL ABOUT
THE FRAUDa
The recent Developments In regard to the char
acter of the work done In the new aQueduct are
not overlooked by Congress Senator Allison, chair
man Of the Senate committee on appropriations,
thinks sun1cient fraud has been exposed TO de-
mand q thorough, searching inquiry. He will
probably submit resolution authorizing
0s s,ss to MADE mns
that some action should be taken al once. He is
prominent member OF the District committee. and
tunnel was made to him. II seems 70 be the
general opinion that it would he proper for the ap
propriations committee TO take the imitation,
It was through That committee that the
several supplemental appropriations have been
obtained. Wnen the question OF providing more
9 sas LINING s
the contractors were examined. They gave every
assurance OF the durable nature OF the WORK be-
There is outspoken Indignation among members
OF Congress OF both houses because Of the develop
ment OF these frauds Senator'S and Representa-
tives declare that the responsibility should be
fixed, and, AZ one OF them put Il to-day, 'Some-
body ought to land In the penitentisi y"
The Army engineers come in for Sc
we're criticism. II Is apparent fru.n
the sentiment In Congress that some decisive
action VIII be taken senator Allison was engaged
10 the copper-trust inquiry. but ne WIN probably
determine the course TO be pursued very
soon. The action OF Lieut.. Townsend yesterday
terday In refusing to permit reporters 70 accom-
pany him on MS tour OF inspection Is not favor
AMY construed In Congress. Tue theory Is that
the on1cers who are entrusted with the supervis-
ion OF the work and who are responsible for IT,
ought not 10 b permitted 70 make The investiga-
ton.
Badly Injured While Cumming.
Mr. NATHAN soPRR's LIFE IN DASGER.
While out cunning In the marsh on the Eastern
branch this morning, Mr.. Nathan Soper OF 11th
and o streets, met with q serious and perhaps
fatal accident. He went with his father-in-law,
Philip Hutchinson, about U'c.0ck and was
GA no~