Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-11-08
TUNNEL TESTIMONY.


NOurtOx inquiry.
YURrHKR EVIDENCE A TO srAr-p Am panxrro
BETWEEN THE ARCH AND TIE BRscx wosx-A
RECESS TO WAIT YoR WITNESSES.
Inc aqueduct tunnel court convened at 1880
O'Clock this morning. Thomas Davis, q laborer,
who was first called as witness, testified that
he was employed in the aqueduct tunnel as q
packer, first in June, 1887, until the close OF
the work in September, 1887. He worked in
Foundry branch west The packing on the
sides, said the witness, was done according to
the specifications, the stones being laid in
cement, in layers. he worked with another
packer, q colored man named Harper. When
the springing Of the arch was reached the work
was rather sighted. Some of it. about one.
third, was dry packing, but there were no
spaces left. Over the key
THE WORK WAS sLI0HTHD
1t was difficult place to work in; the men
would get up and throw stones in, and then
build nice bulkhead at the ends. 80 that
when the inspectors came in it would look
D.c 1e new pin The first bay was generally
sne "nle. Then the bricklayer would usually
run TWO bays before the packers | did
t t;r WORK sS About two-ffths Of the
solid s snSSe tbrs So bays would be filled
would be slighted. This was done hecs,,se
they were hurried up by Emory. the bosa br;cI,-
layer, the one who hired the wis.aess He wnnid
tell the packers to ''shove them IN yiyht lively
bricklayers were waiting, and be caref ii bot TO
let the inspectors catch them" Mr.. jas. Lani-
gan was inspector. Emory did not see the
spaces left He was on the platform
about once day. He would toll the
men to hurry about once a day. When
IlaniQan fnr ko.Nk &ho
packers would take advantage Of him. Witness
was paid by the day. He had heard Lanigan
speak to Emory several times abo ut bad
work being done. The two would then talk it
over, and once or twice he Oanigan) ordered
bad work taken out, and it was done. There
was an Inspector over Lanahan who ufbed to
come in at about IL o'clock every day, whom
the men called Colonel" He would inspect.
the work and look around, have a converse
ton with MIR. Lanigan and then 60 out. Some
times he stayed as long as half an hour.
THE COLONIES LIGHT.
By cross-examination Captain Chester
discovered that the sub-inspector was
The coming of the colonel would be known in
advance by the approach of his light. A man
could not stand on the floor Of the tunnel and
see the work going on above him.
''HANDY MAN."
The witness was discharged and Robt. Con-
don, who styled himself a miner, was called.
He was asked when he began work, and re-
piled:
well, didn't think it would ever come to
this, an SO never took account" It was at
last discovered that he started in 1886, working
several months. His goings and comings in
the tunnel, it seemed, were regulated entirely
by the making and exhausting of the various
appropriations. The first year he packed: was
by trade track-layer, but not a mason; in
fact, he was what is called "a handy man."
While engaged as packer he worked in Rock
Creek heading, first east and then west There
was sometimes but one packer in a ''shift," but
at other times there were two. The inspectors
were there when there was but one Boyce
and Masters were the inspectors. Behind the
witness knew. Above the arch the witness al
ways did the best work he could. Often he
ran out OF mortar and would call for more.
waiting sometimes an hour before he got it.
Oyer the key also the packing was done as SOL
adiy as the character OF the roof would permit.
sometimes they would have two boys to pack
at once and then in about half the cases the
packing would not be solid
Some trouble was had in making the witness
understand questions, until it was discovered,
upon his own confession, that he was little
deaf In one ear, and then he was aimed with
the well ear toward the court and things went
on more smoothly. Emory was the boss. He
told witness to do the packing we'll Both Boyce
ana masters watched the work very closely.
AMAN THEY CALLED "coLoHxL"
came in about twice day. He often got up ON
the scaffold and stayed UP there to watch the
work. He never found fault with the work but
always told witness to use plenty of cement.
Usually the bricklayers had to stop and help
witness pack; without their help he could not
keep up with the work. Mr. Boyce ordered
them to help him. Witness received 80. so q day.
In certain part of the work Dorsey was fore
man. At one time he ordered witness to get
out, as the work was got going along fast
on with his work, and would not let Dorsey in
terfere.
Condor was evidently telling straight story,
and impressed the court with his testimony
He spoke rich brogue that puzzled the stenog-
discharged shortly after IL o'clock, and as there
were no further witnesses on hand, the court
took recess until 80.