Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-11-19
THE TUNNEL INQUIRY.
Testimony OF Contractor Quackenbush
and Chief Inspector Kirlin Before the
Military Court To-day.

The eighteenth day of the session of army
officers charged with the inquiry into respon-
sibility for ''shoddy" work in the aqueduct
tunnel commenced this morning. All the
members Of the court-Gen. Ruger, Col.
Hodges and Col. Craighill and Lieut.. Davis,
the recorder, were present. Lieut.. Townsend
and his counsel, Capt. Chester, were also on
hand, while Mr.. Ross Perry was, as usual,
watchful of the interests of his clients Beck
with and Quackenbush. Two of the Kendall
Bros. and Sub-contractor Palmer were inter
ested spectators.
The court donned its uniform and was ready
for business at 1895, at which time John
Griffin, colored, of Alexandria county, Va, was
requested to hold up his right hand and
solemnly swear that he would state only that
which was true. He said he was engaged in
the tunnel as a mortar-mixer, and always did
his work we'll. His examination-in-chief and
cross-examination lasted less than five minutes,
but he got just as much for his attendance as
If he had testified for five hours.
TESTIMONY OF CONTRACTOR QUACKENBUsH.
j. 4. Quackenbush, contractor, was then
sworn. He, with Clinton Beckwith, contracted
for work on the aqueduct tunnel They sublet
the masonry in the tunnel to P. F. Brennan,
and Brennan took in a man named Emery as a
partner. The sub-contract with Brennan and
Emery for brickwork and packing commenced
1887. On May 8, 1888, the work was renewed
with Brennan and Palmer as sub-contractors.
The agreement between Brennan and
Emery and the contractors was then read. It
showed that the sub-contractors were RESPONSE
BILE in every respect for the construction OF the
tunnel; they were to provide the labor and
tools while Beckwith and Quackenbush were to
furnish all the building material. For brick
masonry the sub-contractors we're to be paid
81 per cubic yard stone masonry, S1.5O per
cubic yard; dry stone packing, IS cents per
cubic yard.
The agreement between Brennan l. Palmer
and Beckwith d Quackenbush was read. It
was dated May 8, 1888, and by its terms Bren-
nan Palmer were bound to complete the tun-
mel to the satisfaction of the contractors, engi-
neers, and the Government inspectors. Brick
masonry was to be paid for by Beckwith d
Quackenbush at the rate of S275 per cubic
yard; rubble stone side walls, 18 inches thick,
81. so per cubic yard rubble packing, Sl.25 per
cubic yard; concrete masonry, sl.50 per cubic
yard.
Mr.. Quackenbush, continuing his testimony
said that the lining of the tunnel was COM
menced at Rock Creek east, in January, 1887
There was no sub-contract for the excavation.
Superintendents Healy and Leroy were the
only official representatives in the tunnel of
the contractors. They, with Engineer Clark
and the timekeepers were instructed to watch
the progress of the masonry as well as that of
the excavation. The superintendents made
daily and weekly reports. They reported bad
work on couple of occasions and witness un-
derstood that those who were responsible for
that work were discharged. Witness was very
particular in giving instructions to employees
because he had had more than one previous ex-
perience with
LAZY woRKMEN AND DISHONEST INSPECTORS.
Witness requested Col Kerlin to be very
careful in appointing inspectors. Witness said
the contract prices were not large enough to
admit of the contractors employing inspectors
OF their own-they relied to a very great extent
upon the government inspectors Witness could
not say positively that anything more than
actual wages was ever paid any workmen, as an
inducement. No money was ever paid any
workmen to witness knowledge, for sighting
the work. Twenty-three per cent was the
actual amount of cement and sand used in the
last contract. Building authorities say that
the percentage should be somewhere between
1S and 25 per cent
There was no work done in the tunnel on
Sundays. Witness had seen the defective pack
ing and thought that it was done through the
laziness and pure meanness of the workmen.
The packers evidently concealed the shoddy
work from the contractors superintendents. 1t
would be impossible for such work to be de-
tected unless a man was watching all the time.
If you had been there an inspector"
asked Gen. Ruger, 'could you have detected
bad workY'
Eyes, sir" replied Mr.. Quackenbush, ''they
couldn't beat me-"
Witness said that careless work could not be
it simply gave the lazy workmen more time to
loaf. The progress of the work was
NOT FASTENED BY DOING IMPERFECT WORK.
To this latter statement Gen. Ruger took ex-
ception, and he and the witness had brief
controversy as to the soundness and common
sense of the witnesses reply.
Col. Hodges-"Did you take as much pains
to see that the work was as thorough as you
would have done had it been directly executed
by you?"
Witness-After long pause-"Thats rather
difficult question to answer" Another pause
I'm some respects I did, and in others did
not"
Col Hodges pressed for more direct reply,
and witness finally said 81 don't suppose 1
really did"
THE WITNESS CRoss-ExAMINED.
On cross-examination by Capt. Chester, wit
ness said that he received, through Mr. Leroy,
a communication from Major Lydecker calling
his attention to the fact that bad work had
been frequently reported and that a continu-
ance of that work would cause an annulment
of the contract. Witness did not reply to that
letter, but he thought his engineer did; and he
understood that the men who were to blame
were discharged.
Capt. Chester asked witness why il was that
in theeagreement between the contractors and
sub-contractors there was no reference made to
the specifications which bound Beckwith and
Quackenbush to the United States. "Was this
omission Intentionally asked the captain.
mo, sir" said Mr.. Quackenbush, lit was
not"
Witness said he never saw on his pay-rolls
the name of any United States inspector en-
ployed in the tunnel, and he had no vouchers
which showed such payments. Witness trusted
to the judgment of his paymasteK, and the
paymaster is responsible to the bookkeeper.
Small amounts, such as $5, $40 or SIS might be
paid by the paymaster without causing any
comment by witness.
AS TO CORRUPTION.
Captain Chester-"Were you ever ap-
preached by any one employed by the United
States in the tunnel with regard to securing
for him an increase Of salary?"
Witness-"No, sir"
Captain Chester-"Did you ever hear
through any Of your responsible agents Of
such approaches having been made to them?"
Witness-"No, sir. never even heard ru-
mors of that kind"
CHIEF INSPECTOR KERLN ON THE STAND.
The next witness was ]. H. Kerlin, principal
inspector of the aqueduct tunnel Mr. Kerlin
described his duties and said he commenced as
inspector on November 15 1885, and still con-
tinues. His compensation is $175 per month.
Recorder Davis read the various orders and in
structions which had been given witness by
Major Lydecker and Lieut.. Townsend. Witness
instructed the sub-inspectors to see that the
work was done in accordaAce with the specifica-
tions. Witness discovered several pieces of
bad work. which he described to the court