Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-03-27
THE LYDECKER TRIAL.
sounder Sparrow Tells how he In
spected the Tunnel Work.

spected the Tunnel Work.
HE IDENTIFIES HIS NOTES, AND THEY ARE AD
MITTED As EVIDENCE AFTER SOME oBJEcTIoS
BY THE DEFENDANTS couSsEL-THE PACKING
DEFECTIVE, AND IN SOME PLACES LACKING.
The third days session of the Lydecker court
martial was begun promptly on time this morn.
ing, all of the members being present. Col
Piper took a few minutes to adjust his trap.
pings. and shortly after 10 o'clock Gen. Crook
called the court to order, Sounder Sparrow en-.
tering at the same moment, The Judge advo
cate then read the record Of yesterdays pro.
ceedings. the process occupying much less time
than yesterday.
| The judge-advocate, upon the conclusion OF
his reading, was about to read from a paper
when Col Dodge said: II should like to sug.
gest that we
RECONSIDER THE VOTE OF YESTERDAY.
Have you anything more to say?'
II was just going to read the decision which
the court arrived at yesterday" explained the
judge-advocate. This evidently referred to the
| fore adjournment yesterday afternoon. There
was a little conversation among the members,
Col. Flagler remarking, with mysterious unin-
telligibility, that there might be some more
hSHt W De tnrOWn upon tn1S question now,
and the court finally decided to withdraw.
sPARRows' TESTIMONY YESTERDAY NOT ADMITTED.
The consultation lasted fifteen or twenty min
utes and at its conclusion the judge-advocate
read the decision of the court which was that,
having considered the proposition Of the coun-
sci Tor the defence to admit the testimony of
Andrew j. Sparrow as given before the court
OF inquiry, have decided that it be not 80 adj
mitted
Major Davis then began to examine Mr..
Sparrow, who said that he was an inspector of
masonry, lived in Potsdam, N. Y, and knew
Maj. Lydecker somewhat" He said he was,
by occupation, an inspector of masonry, the
process Of inspection being performed by
sounding"
THE SOUNDING TEST EXPLAINED
This was done by means of steel rod from
five-eighths to an inch in diameter and 6 to 10
feet long. With this rod a blow is struck
against a wall of masonry. the note which gives
Oh certain sounds indicating the character Of
the masonry behind. II solid a sharp ringing
Is given of by the rod if dry the ring will be
dulled; If little hollow there will be a slight
reverberation, and If very hollow the reverber-
alton will resemble the roll of a
drum. There are also certain inter-
mediary sounds indication other conditions
de has been able to verify the results of his
soundlngs and has obtained about IS per cent
OF veriications. The greatest is about SO per
cent and the lowest 80 per cent. He was en-
ployed IN Nov. last by Mai. Lydecker to ex-
anime the Washington tunnel, and occupied
until Feb. l, 1889. His work did not consist of
sounding, alone. He had made cavities in the
Inning at various points.
HE IDENTIFIES HIS NOTE BOOKS.
Here the major unrolled large bundle that
had been placed before him and brought forth
mass of small note books. These Mr.. Spar
row identified as being the records of his ex-
aminations of the cavities made in the tunnel
Continuing. MIR. Sparrow stated that he ex-
amlned over 14.000 feet and made about 300
openings. The points at which the openings
were made were determined by the sound of
the rod. III the sound indicated bad work he
opened the masonry. Taking one of the books
he, at the judge-advocate's request, read a few
sample descriptions Of cuts
do those notes so refresh your memory as
to recall your knowledge of those cavities?" in
terrupted the major.
The reply was that the notes. as they were
read, brought the cases before his mind The
judge-advocate, having satisfied himself as to
the Identity OF the notes. was about to state
that he should
PRESENT THESE NOTES AS EVIDENCE,
with the consent of the defense, when Mr..
Swift interpOsed a momentary objection. He
wished to be perfectly sure that Mr. Sparrow
made the notes and the reports himself. and
asked few questions. He then stated that the
defense proposed to admit them. reserving the
right to call the attention of the court to the
lnsufficiency of the measurements of the cavi-
ties. At this Major Davis and Mr. Swift held
consultation
There Was apparently
SOME HITCH IN THE ARRANGEMENTS.
Tor some minutes were consumed in this way.
AT last Major Davis announced the acceptance
oy the defense OF the notes with the reserva-
ton. The examination then continued. and
Mr.. Sparrow explained his method of sounding
the Washington tunnel. He had q man to
strike with the rod while he listened to the
sounds. In many instances he had cuts made
and found his estimates correct in about IS per
cent OF the cases. The work of sounding
occupied from November to about
February 2 The holes were intended to average
about % feet distant; As the rod denoted an
extended cavity holes were made more fire.
quently, and where the work seemed solid less
frequently. Major Lydecker gave him instruc-
uons to give the tunnel full and fair exami-
nation, to determine its character as far as pos
sible, to take nv own time and to report to him
my findings in detail"
THE DEFECTIVE PACKING
From his observations and investigations Mr..
Sparrow considered that the brick-work of the
tunnel, as a whole-the majority--is fairly well
laid; the packing behind is in a very loose state.
and In many instances is lacking entirely.
There are few places in the tunnel that ap-
pear to be nearly or quite solid, but no con-
tinuous places of any length, The actual pack
ing is very far from being up to the specifca-
tons.
The bricks were good and also the cement,
but the sand was not just what he thought it
should be.
on CRosS-ExAMINATIoy,
by MIR. Swift, MIR. Sparrow stated that he made
no special examination of the bricks in the
tunnel. He had come here from work on the
New York aqueduct. The method of sounding.
as applied to this character Of work. was first
used early in 1888. He first used the rod in
April or May, 1880. 1t was not his discovery
or invention, nor did he first apply ii.
He was an inspector on the New York aaueduct
at first and on May l, 1888, became supervising
inspector. He was not informed at first of the
specifications for work on this tunnel, and
not until after he had begun sounding was
he informed that portion Of the lining was to
be dry packing. Major Lydecker nor any one
else had offered interference in his investi-
cations in this tunnel
MAJOR LYDEcKER's INSTRUCTIONS
did not denote or indicate a suspicion Of any
particular person. At one time he came into
the tunnel, and to where Mr.. Sparrow was
working, telling him that he was to understand
that he, witness, was exclusively employed
under him, Major Lydecker, and that he should
have all aid necessary. His reports to the
major contain just what he found where he