The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-06-25
SITTING THE CHARGES.
THE RIVER AND HARBoR INVEST
CATION BEGUN.

Curtis on the Stand-The Substance
of the Charges Against the Govern
rnent Contractors Brought Out by
Mr.. Curtis statement-The Big Sale
ries That Mr: Curtis Says He Was
Offered-The Cross-Tides Dam and
the "straw Bids" for Contracts
Why Mr.. Curtis Resigned From the
Engineer Service.
Inspector General Hughes began the in,
vestigation Of the charges preferred by W.
r Curtis against Greene & Gaynor, the
government contractors in charge Of the
Savannah river and harbor improvements,
Yesterday afternoon. The investigation
is being conducted in the United States en-
gineer's Office. Mr.. Curtis was on the stand
until within few minutes of 6 O'Clock last
night, when an adjournment was had until
$50 o'clock this morning.
There were present at the investigation
Lieut. Carter, Col George A Mercer, in the
interest of Capt. Greene, and Messrs. w.
G. Charlton, ESQ, W. W. Mackall, Jr.,
ESQ.,. and ]. Randolph Anderson, Esq,
friends of Lieut.. Carter. Mr.. Charlton
took notes Of Mr. Curtis testimony.
The inspector general had mass OF docu-
mentary matter from the department at
Washington, and duplicate clippings from
the newspapers of the interviews
with Mr.. Curtis, in which the charges
were contained. The inspector gene al
held one copy Of the publications on which
be based mis- questions, and Mr.. Curtis had
the other The questions were direct and
sometimes almost crisply brief. The line Of
o1t 70
hearsay from all published charges and to
bring the charges down to facts. When
this was done there did not appear to be
much that was tangible IL them.
Mr. CURTIS STATEMENT.
Mr.. Curtis Introductory statement COW
cred his connection with the United States
engineering department in various places
down 70 his employment under Lieut.. Car
ter. He testified that Dir. Gaynor ap-
preached him when he was in Lieut.. Car
ter's office, and before the Fernandina con-
tract was awarded to Greene & Gaynor,
and told him that he hoped he would be
appointed inspector; and that. afterward,
when he was pretty sure OF getting the con-
tract, Capt Greene told him, that
he would have him appointed in
spector, and would pay him $500
a month to go to Fernandina, and would
have Lieut. Carter increase his pay. Capt.
Greene also promised him profits in the
Tehuantepec snip railway and railroad
stock, but Mr.. Curtis said that he had never
got anything but check for 800. and did
not get the railroad stock at all That's
why lost confidence in Capt Greene" he
added.
Mr. Curtis denied that he told the Times
reporter that Capt. Greene had said that
Inspector Brown was worth $50 a day to
him, nor could ne say of his own knowl-
edge that Brown was removed through
Capt. Greene's influence. He said that
when he had the conversation with Capt
Greene, about Dec. 20. he didn't know that
the latter had the contract. He expected
to have it, though, if he didn't have it then.
Capt Greene said then that he had headed
off tine only man he was afraid OF, Ritten-
house Moore, letting him have the work on
the St Johns river bar, Moore recipro-
eating by giving Capt Greene the Savan-
nah and Fernandina harbor contracts.
THE FERNASDIsA OFFER.
Mr.. Curtis said that Capt Greene ad-
mitted before Lieut. Carter that he had
offered him $500 month to go to Fernan-
dina; that it would be all rock work there !;
that Curtis measurement would be ac-
ceDted by Lieut.. Carter, and as the rock
would he buried twenty feet under water
no one could know anything about it, Capt.
tA41SGooAAAk
vannah river improvements. that be would
have lost money If it hadn't been for chang
ing inspectors, and repairing dams, part1cu-
larry the cross-tides dam, where rock was
taken from vessels and put in forty or fifty
feet of water.
Mir. Curtis was asked il there is any
check on the contractors in the measure
ment of stone used at Fernandina. and he
replied that there is not, nor could there be
xvff
The inspectors measurements are taken,
and the rock once thrown overheard, no
one can tell what the measurement is Mr.
Curtis said that Capt Greene, in discussing
the Savannah river Improvement re-
marked that it didn't make much difference
to him about an inspectors measurement,
as he would get his pay. anyway. He
didn't specify where" Mr. Curtis said, ''but
understand he referred to the Savannah
work.
Mr.. Curtis was asked what he meant
when he said that Capt. Greene had been
paid twice for the same stone, but he dis
claimed having made any such statement.
1T was mistake of the reporter he ex-
planned. San instance of this kind he
said, came under my observation on a
barge of rejected stone in Connecticut
CAPT. GREENE's RESIGNATION.
Mr.. Curtis information on many points
was from hearsay. He said that Capt
Greene was in charge of the work at Savan-
nah and Charleston under government en-
ploy and resigned in July 1882, but was not
relieved until the following November
when he blossomed out as a contractor
having originated the mattress work which,
for the first year, was done by the govern
ment by hired labor. Myron Bangs, Mr..
Curtis said. got a contract without compile
ton and through Capt. Greene's influence
he was paid from IS, 900 to $4,000 extra
for large logs used in the work, whereas as
q matter of fact they were detrimental to
the work. Very shortly thereafter Capt.
Greene became a member of the firm.
The inspector general asked If it was an
unusual thing for engineers to resign to bid
on work. Mr.. Curtis replied that it is not.
and if after resignation their bids are
too nigh they are usually taken back in the
service He admitted that while in the
United States engineers office at Louisville,
KY, in january year ago, he had him.
self resigned two or three weeks before
bidding on stone for locks. There was
90,00O to 100000 available for the work.
THE cRoss-TIDEs DAM.
Mr.. Curtis was questioned as to the cross
tides dam, and he said that he went to Fer.
nandina in 1884 and didn't come back until
the spring of 1888, and didn't know any
thing about the work while absent, but
from observation he said that he knew that
a dam which has no better foundation than
the cross-tides dam cannot stand There
never has been 20 feet OF water in the river
channel, Mr.. Curtis said, except during a
food