New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-02-23
THE CEILING INQUIRY.
SEVERAL WITNESSES BEFORE THE ASSEM-
BLY, INVESTIGATING COMMITTEE
SULLIVAN, EUGENE WOODS AND OTHERS
SULLIVAN DEFENDS THE REAL EsTATE

TRANSACTION WITH ANDREWS.
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TkBUSE.l
Albany, Feb. 22-when the Committee on Appro-
priations met this morning AssembIymsn Larmon,
Of Washington County, ono Of fits members, moved
that John snaIth, the contractor for the Assembly
ceiling work should be required to produce his books
tomorrow for the inspection OF the committee. MT.
the counsel of snaith, objected to the
committee requiring the production Of the books SO
soon. The committee, however, voted unanimously
that Mr.. snaith should be compelled TO produce his
books tomorrow. Then Matthew Hale, the counso
Of Mr.. snaith said plainly to the committee that ne
should advise Mr.. snsth not to produce HIS books
tomorrow. Mr.. snsith, however, has occasionally
in the Of this investigation disregariod tho
advice of HIS counsel, and may therefore, surrender
his books.
Franklin II. James, of Albany. tho architect who
supplied Charles b. Andrews, tho Superintendent Oh
Public Buildings, with the preliminary plans for tho
new ceiling proposed for the Assembly Chamber was
the first witness. The first BIT of evidence Of vsl5
that he gave that Mr.. Andrews, in authorizing
tho contractor to substitute paper- machc spardres
for carved-oak spandrels, had essened the cost oil
that work to the contractor by twothds. Mr.. Jsncs
also said that Mr Andrews had paid him $3.50 for
bis plans; and that no had told Mr.. Andrews. on
rough estimate, that tho probable cost Of the new
ceiling would be 100000 $4,000. This took no
account Of the cost Of taking down the sandstone cell
ing or inc cost Oh up INC Assembly,
Mr.. James, in reply to questions by Assembyman
Gallup, one OF the Ceiling Committee. said that no
should deem It his duty, II any reductions In inc
amount OF ironwork made IN any building beng
constructed under hts charge or IL papio>machc was
substituted for carved oak, to inform tho owner OF
the building in order that he might reducseB
In the bills submitted to him by the builder. ut.
James added that he examined the work during its
progress and pleased with II.
nrhorA "a hmm sch
Cole to Lin, 4" that Mr.. snaith made largo amount
Of money by this work. What do you thnkf" Dir.
James smiled, and then said You may not be pleased
with my answer but must say that do not think
that Mr.. snalth made much money"
Here Hamilton Fish, ir, broke In with tho remark:
But, Mr.. Speaker, you would not impeach the 70
port of our expertsi"
Mr. Cole replied, smilingly: al not impeaching
Il. have doubt that the experts very near
the truth when they said that Mr.. snaith did this
work at a cost 20 himself OF only s165 1000, and,
therefore made Sl06,0o0. l wish to find out from
this man what his idea Of tho cost Of the work was
Then Sir James said: Permit me to warn you,
Mr.. Speaker that heartily admire Timothy J. suli-
van the contractor who had charge OF the ironwork
and OF the snoring up Of the Assembly stairway
I am prejudlced In his favor, and, therefore, my
testimony as to the cost OF tho portion Of the
work with which he connected win be biascd'
Mr. James Aen at the request OF the committee, des
crbed at length the engineering difficulties OF snoring
np the stairway. He said that too hard blow with one
of the steel hammers used by the workmen would have
precpatod the whole stalrw ay upon their heads. The
weight of the stairway had to be shifted from mo 10
time The work was, therefore, exceedingly delicate
worlin gInen under these circumstances, earned the
go day that some Of them got This necessarily
brought large expense upon Mr. Sullivan. The
removal OF the sandstone ceiling Of tho Assembly
Chamber was also risky operation. lie had heard
that State Engineer Bogart had said that It would be
impossible TO shore up tho Assembly stairway. that Il
must DO taken down He had also heard that James
". Eaton. tho former superintendent of the new
Capitol had said that II cost 100000 put up tho
Assembly ceiling and 100000 TO take II down.
Mr. Valentine, Of the firm OF Crawford & Valentine,
contractors, Of Brooklyn. testified that no put In
bid for the work. and that he understood tho ceiling
was 10 DO Of oak. In his estimate he had figured
the cost Of the stairway At 10000. a man nhsh'
mako good deal b. snoring up tn Assembly
stairway no said, and then again, he might make
nothing 1t was an experiment.
Elnathan Sweet, lr formerly state Engineer, and
now president OF tho Hilton Bridge Company Of
Albany, testified that his company put IN a bid for
the work OF removing tho Assembly Chamber ceiling
and putting In another. Their bid for Se74,5Oo,
and no sent It by a messenger 20 superintendent
Andrews. lie made the bid from his personal IN
vestlgation, but he consulted Isaac G. Perry, tho
now Capitol Commissioner. concerning the probable
cost OF the WORK. He estimated that, considering
profit, be could erect a new ceiling for $4,000
and stairway for 100000. lilo proposed 10
erect oak ceiling lie read tho specifications
for twenty minutes, and thought they provided for
quartered oak panels, carved. al never dreamed
that tho words papior-mache were in tho specin-
cations,' said no, or would have modified my
bid Considering the risks Of tho work, l thought
| the margin OF profit narrow
Mr. Alnsworth asked Mr.. Sweet ~ he thought
there anything suspicious about the letting OF
| the contracts.
IL think the only thing suspicious about the
| letting,7 replied Mr. Sweet, was tho haste with
which It made; but that Is overcome, in my
opinion. by tho fact that there nocd Of this
work being completed within certain time. 1t
TO me, too, that the public forget that this
work was extra hazardous
Timothy j. Sullivan, who has figured in the work
so extensively. was the next witness. Judge Greene
questioned him closely. His bid was s2735G6 so.
Mr.. Sullivan said that no familiar with tho ceiling.
because no had put the roof had dono some
of the centring Of the arches. lilo examined tho old
ceiling with the Ceiling Committee last spring. and
ported Il rs unsafe. The staircase had been ont OF
order for four years lie the specifications long
before his BID sent In. They contained the al
formative clause relative 10 the substitution OF pgper-
mache. OF this material he had only general Enowl.
amount OF his bid which was put higher tha 40
count When no saw Colonel John II. Mooney IN New
York he iiad ln'e1tlon OF making a bid. lie ala
NOT ask Mooney 10 make bid and no d,d no. know
that Mooney Intended 10 mako one Moneys bid
brought TO Albany by him, as the committee
tried 10 proyc lie went into a long and detailed
statement Of tho work done by him the grand stair
case. IN raising IT, and In doing the ronwork IN thc
| Assembly ceiling 10 explained that tho work was
OF an exceedingly delicate nature requiring care
His testimony was directly contrary 10 thc report
made by the experts IFS COOK OF estimates was
presented and showed that 10 hal lzured on
So3GG77 10 as tho actual COS. Of the work and hah
allowed little over 100000 10 cover rshs and
| profits An allowance OF 50 600 was mado by him
in his bid for the PAPER maohc. Tho old iron IN ihc
ceiling was claimed by Contractor snath. and w
Sullivan took II from him and credited him with that
| amount IN was worth about $3.50.
The money for Tho properly purchased by Mrs.,
| currency and gold by Ars. Andrews Tho witness
had been trying for some years TO get hold Of thls
property but the price had been too high. and hey
did not buy It until II roduced 10 what he though
| II was worth. lie declared that Mr.. Andrews had
| received nothing from him sc consideration for
| getting him portion Of tho contract NJ. snlvnn
| fold a pretty straight story Regarding Eugcnc
| u+.ns eaIf hnf Ia EpeNx N