The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-09-09
.B0IH Sides on YHH CASE.
Custom House Repair Trouble
Calls Forth Some Remarks
FROM THE CONTRACTORS SIDE
And Mr., E, W, Wells Having Been
Pulled Into the Controversy Has
Something to Say Apparent
Looseness at Washington,

".
The announcement of the removal Of
Superintendent BachmRn, Of the Custom
House repairs, made exclusively in the
IHTELLIaRScER on Saturday morning,
created no end Of talk, and will eyentu'
ally lead, 1t is to be hoped, to athorough
investigation oithe whole affair. Mesars,
Bachman, Baggs and Todd have all made
statements concerning the matter, in
which they claim that the work has not
been done according to specifications,
and that the removal is due to Mr., Bach
man trying to hold the contractors to
the plans aud approximations,
With q desire to deal fairly with all
parties, an INTRLLIaEScER reporter
called on Mr., William Fissel who has
charge OF the work for Messrs, Mccarthy
and Baldwin, the contractors,
He was in q, rather bad humor, and
spoke his mind pretty freely about the
ex-Superlntendent and the gentlemen
who are associated with him 10 the con-
domination OF the work, Concerning
Mr.. Todd's statement that the foreman
had showed him the third story plan
when he had asked for the plan Of the
frat, he simply unrolled a sheet Of paper
with the plans Of all the floors upon II,
This he seemed TO think reiuted
Mr., Todd'R statement and branded the
whole story as buncombe. He then
came down 10 the statement that the
work had been torn down because the
bay was six inches Too small on the In.
side. Here he produced the plans and
specifications and pointed to the follow
Ing clause: "The cut stone must be
made In every particular I conform with
the adjoining part Of the old building as
to quality, kind of material, workman
ship aud construction, and shall DO 81
inches thick the entire heighth, exclusive
Of moulded projections"
He then showed that tue
scale OF the plan called for
the bay TO be IS feet 0 inches, which
with a 81 inch wall left the inside Q
inchesto small for the staircase and ele-
yator, and asserted that the tist work
was torn down so II could be built lS
inches thick and thu giye the Q inches
space required inside. MIR. Todd's state.
ment that the wall should be Of solid
stone IS refuted by the clause In the speci-
lcations that says 1.-THE new work shall
conform to the old building" and fur.
Their on that the work shall be "baCked
up with hard burned brick and cement
Concerning the sharp.edgel or hared
door.jambs, Mr.. Fissel showed a plan oil
the first floor, on which the iamb Is un-
doubtedly q radial jamb, and not per
pendicular iamb as is asked for by the
superintendent.
Concerning the octagonal work which
the ex.Superintendent says is called for,
MI. Fissell claims that the only place
the plan calls for an octagonal building
Is on the frat floor elevation, and that
there, a circular wall Is drawn inside,
aud dotted to show that 1t Is to BIZ Of
stone, while the space between the cir.
Gle and the oCtagon is left blank. He
claims that the inside and outside draw.
ing, both, could not be complied with
because they do not conform with each
other and the specifications. He lays
the fault Of the building not being larger
aud OF solid stone upon the specifications
and plans, and charges the whole trouble
to the incompetency Of the Superintend.
ent, and the fact that no detailed meas.
urements are given, and the entire work
left to be done by scale measurements,
He says further, that hedoes not beiteye
that MI. Bachman was removed on &C.
count Of any complaint made by the
contractor, but because Mr.. Avery,when
here, found that no is incompetent.
With reference 10 the double thick
glass TO be used instead Of plate glass, he
said that the appropriation would not
cover all the improvements contem.
plated, and that Mr.. Mccarthy had ask.
ed Mr.. Bachman 10 recommend double
weight glass for the basement and rear
windows, and that the difference be.
tween the price Of 1t and plate glass, be
expended upon other parts OF the
work. Also, that no glass has been or
dered, and none will be till j. A. Holll.
day & Son furnish the contractors with
a bill OF all the glass needed In the
building. The matter OF using plate glass
and American double think In the base
ment and rear windows will all depend
upon tho decision OF the Department
Re also showed that the wooden llntle
was put in over the door, behind q stone
lintle, to fll out the space for ~plastering
and that a brick strain arch wpuld be
built over It, so that II would support nc
weight. He claims that the stonework
they are building, with alternate six and
ten inch beds, Is superior to the workir
the old house, because 1t gives q foul
inch bond for the ~brickwofk In every
course, which bond doesnot exist in tht
old work He made several other state,
ments and seemed able To back them ut
BY the plans and specifications, andlon
the whole made out a very good case fol
the contractors.
Mr., E. NJ, Holiday, of j. A. Holiday
& Sons, took exception TO the statement
that the window frames are not well
built, and stated that he deies any mil
In the city To turn out better. He alsc
said that they were 10 do all the wood
work, and that their orders are 10 give
the best In all cases, that the mill can turr
out; and that they could have done The
contractors \ much cheaper Job had theS
40 desired.
Mr., Flssel said In conclusion that pub
lie sentiment was against him because
tho people had only heard the stories o
IN oIka. III ord chat No a,ouIJ 4,