National Republican., 1888-05-06
IN EXPENSIVE BLUNDER.
CAvING IN OF THE ORDNANCE
Isl lLDING FOUNDATION WALLS.
had Management Upsets Three Months
Work Too Much Politics aud Not
Enough skill Weak Excuses for the
Mi-hap.

The Wurl, ON the new ordnance building
at the navy yard, is progressing very slowly.
Although over six months has passed since
ite commencement the brick walls have
barely been started, and in some places the
foundation has not been laid At Others II
has reached heightOr about two feet above
ground. A large force Of men from Balli-
more aud Maryland have been put at work
under the direction Of one I I. Pugsley,
who Is said to he the architect. He Is a
wCll-kuowu politician aud seems to he max
ing use OF his opportunity to assist the
uaity, At tile recent tiasco Of attempting to
hold a meeting Of the National Independent
Culorcd Union. In this city iand in which all
the delegates proved To he ulcchuldcrsl,
punsley was tue only white DcmuGrlt
present
Since the various pieces Of msmanagc-
ment in the yard under this administration
notably the almost irrcpnrahlc damage to
The $50. 900 steel gtm - have been cNpOscd to
tho public by the RErtBLtCAN, stringent
orders have been isslled by the authorities
IN power there tu the CmplOyc, directing
them NOT to talk to visitors. aud the mem
hers NJ the press have been told that il they
wanted any information about the work
being done to apply to- the bosses. II is al
most needless to say that this was done in
ur,tcr to Keep all pieces ui nisnanagemcnt
from The public. and II was understood that
any cmplONc giving Oui information would
hc ,,inlmarily bounced. Notwithstanding
This uIdtr Information was received last
week that through CarrlcssucSs or bad man
agcincui part uC the work IN connection with
The nCw building had been almost destroyed,
aud that 1t would cost tue government quite
q sum Of money 10 undo the damage done.
Acting Ui this information RErJBflCNN
reporter on Friday morning visited the yard,
and, not being known. was allowed 10 in
spcCt The work without Interference for
some minutes. Noticing a large force Of
men nj work near The center of the build
Ing he vcntuicd to approach, and discovered
the bad work that lie had been told of. II
scrns that in connection With the new
building 1t was decided to lig u monster
gun pit, and force Of men we've put ut It.
IT, dimensions were to nc about y! feet
square by ~ feet deep. Good Drogrcss was
made. and finally the work of cOncrctlng
was begun. While the north and south
sides of the pit had hceu securely hraccd,
but little attention had been given 10 the
other sides. The reason Tor this was not
known. ON Friday night, April -, the
immense amount or earth ou the west side
broke lpusr for a distance of At least thirty
tect and tons Of earth. stone. &c, plunged
into the pit, undong AT a moment the worl,
Of q month or more Fortunately it Oc-
cured at night, for If It had happened dur.
iug working hours q number Of lives might
have been sacrificed. The officials attempt
to pglia,c the hluudcr 10y saying that water
from the sewer had caused the earth tu
loosen. hut the " Urkmcn say that there was
10 more water IN the pit thnu previous 70
The accident. a large force Of men were at
uncc put 10 work to remove the debris and
um the day Of the reporters visit they had
estimate this mistake will cost the goveru
m,nt about $1,000. not counting the delay
to the erection Of the building.