Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-09-24

TO EXAMINE THE TUNNEL.
Laeues Townsend says He WIN Go
Throagh 10 Thoroughly.
WHAT n SAID ABOUT cnAHass REsPscTnso Tn
MASONRY LINrNo-THR MEN WHO RAKE THEM-
now LIEUT.. rowNssNDs NvKsTIaArloN VEL N
MADE
The charges e. to the character Of the work
done In the new aqueduct tunnel which. as TEE
STAR has stated, have been presented TO members
OF the Senate District committee by persons for
merry emp.oyed on the work, will probably be
thoroughly investigated. II not by the Senate Dis
trlct committee by the engineer otic'rs In charge.
Lieut.. Townsend, who as Maj. Lydecker's assist
ant. has immediate supervision OF the work, told
STAR reporter to-day that he proposed to make q
tnorough inspection Of the tunnel, SOUND
ing and drilling holes at short distances;
10 make, in fact an examination such
as could not fail to detect any defects
the conversation with the STAR porter, said he
ieit very well satisfied that the work in the tunnel
nad oeen done carefully and thoroughly: These
had given them the weight OF his name, were TOO
grave TO be ignored. The public, ne said, had
rignt 70 Know and TO be satisfied as to the cnar-
acIer OF the work, and he hoped there would De
rull Investigation.
TIE KENDALL BROTHERS CHARGES.
Lieut. Townsend said that the mechanics who
were engaged on the work ought to know II any
one did whether the work was being done prop
erly or not. He for that reason paid more atten-
the bricklayers, In a letter they published q week
ago, than 70 other charges made. In this letter
II was alleged that the work OF lining
the tunnel was not done according 70 specinca
lions, and that In many PAGES open spaces had
been left from two to -FOUR feet between the brick
upon the publication Of this letter, TO MT. william
Kendall, asking 10 be informed at what points
such spaces as he described had been left In re-
George and William kendall, said:
81 would state that the Kendall Brothers are
District committee and point out the imperfect
parts and faulty work" and adding: "If it be-
comes IN order 70 nave g.
thoroughly disinteresJed." Lieut. Townsend re-
garded this as q refusal TO indicate 70 hun
that the detective work existed. He
said that In making the investigation that he
proposed he would 90 over f1rst the work or the
inspectors now employed on the tunnel, as 1t was
intlmated that there was coliusion between them
and the contractors. Then he would examine me
other parts OF tue WORK. Lieut.. Townsend said
that there was anything wrong IN the work he was
the Of1cer that was lmInedi tely responsible, for
the selection or removal OF the inspectors Was LETT
almost entirely with him. He believed the inspectors
he had In his employ were honest and efficient
Some men he had refused to recommend Tor APP
Some men had been removed for permitting care
less work 10 be done. There was an inspector, he
said, at every point where work Was going on, and
the engineer officers were compelled to depend on
them
DOING WORK OVER AGAIN.
There had been, he said, bad work discovered,
and it had been torn out and done over again.
Scores OF men had been discharged for doing care
less work. Some of this bad work, Lieut.. Town.
send said he had discovered himself and ordered
N hs tnrn ont w nal here Wa had
or careless work In the tunnel that had not yet
been discovered. Lieut.. Townsend said that all
OF the men who were making charges were
persons who had been removed from the work ex-
cept two. He thought, however, that their state
ments should be heard, because sometimes the
truth could be recalled only through such persons.
The two men not removed were two of the Kendall
brothers. AS Lieut. Townsend understood t. two
OF the tour Kendall brothers, bricklayers were sus
pended or laid on, and the other two then struck.
THE CHARGES.
senator ingalls, has recommended that the per-
sons making charges shall lay them before the
Secretary OF War or the District Commissioners.
1t was expected that charges and af1idavits would
be filed at the War Department TO-DAY and an In
Iucas VINO was until tSe slh Of as
last, employed on the work as an inspector; the
Kendall brothers, who worked as brickmasons
w Was the on and the Geo work SH
engineer. Mr.. Coryelrs charges. which
have heretafOre been ventilated respected mat
tCIo VI engineering SKILL anu Ju ikmcut Us W tuc
character OF the lining and accuracy OF measure
menta The charges made by the others. and
which MI. Lucas says he can get the statements
OF many workmen to substantiate, reflect on the
character and durability OF the work, and indicate
an understanding between the inspectors and the
contractors and subcOntractors 1t Is charged that
the packing between the brick arch has been done
largely by unskilled labOrers, and In many cases
no nlling was used at all, the fraud being con-
cealed ny building masonry bulkheads at inter-
walls, completely filing. II Is claimed that the
purpoSely careless construction was passed by the
Inspectors as being sound work; That II the con
tractor Vas satisfied the inspector found no fault,
and that the workmen received lnttmauOns that
the best way TO p.ease the contractors was TO
hurry the work on, even II they sighted It.
THE CONTRACTORS.
A STAR reporter was informed at the ONCE OF
Beckwtth Quackenbush, the contractors for the
the tunnel to-day that neither member Of the firm
was in the city. Their orders were, 1t was stated,
al the ONCE that the specification OF contract
should be faithfully observed The brickwork In the
tunnel is done by Bremen 4 Co., under an agree
ment with the contractors At the tunnel to-day
q STAR reporter was informed by An inspector tina I
one OF the Kendalls was laid on the work because
he was not needed. subsequently some other per-
son was put to work and ne WAS not He there
fore informed his brothers, and they took their
tools and LETT. The inspector Was Informed that 1t
was trades union matter, the man who was put
to work being q nOn-unlon man.
A COI0red Lawyer in Trouble.