The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-02-25
THE ENGINEERS EXAMINED.

carry on Tho work.
THE ENGINEERS EXAMINED.
Messrs. Dunlap and Houston Before the
Street Committee.
e. Mr.. Dunlap, why was not an csti.
mate made for the first month?
a. lie had not filed his bond. There
was some delay on account of sickness,
etc, which may be explained. BY Mr..
Miller's advice did not mako the esti
mate.
g. llc charges that S05S.3O. which
was up to January 3, is much less than
90 per cent. of tho amount of work
done during tho first month.
a. That was the estimate made in
tho regular way. We went over it nd
made that estimate. OF course he did
n great deal more work in preparing
plans and hunting for stone and all that,
which don't have anything to with.
e. Was S95S - tho actual 90 per cent.
OF the work that he did under the con-
tract with the city?
A. That is what wo end Favored to
get by making an estimate in the usual
way.
Q. Will VIC DO able, if that question
comes up, to defend that estimate in
1T was accurate?
A. Yes, sir, the cross section was
made at first, and levels around after.
wards to show how much had been
taken out.
q How was this mistake of So, 3S6. 0G
made?
A. l wrote you letter this morning
that explains that.
e.. Well. please explain how this
mistake was made?
A. Mr.. Houston figured out decimal
at the wrong place. In so much gut
ter.ng. multiply by 40 cents ward
would be so many dollars. Tho decimal
point was moved one place to the right
too far.
q Are there no checks in your Office
so that such enormous errors can be dc.
tected?
A. was busy with all the monthly
bills at that time and asked Mr.. Houston
TO hurry up with the estimate, and /
didn't have time to go over it with him.
Mr.. Hall was figuring on it too. 1t was
just at a time when wo had q great deal
of work to do.
q. Why was not this matter reported
to the Council and tho com nittee, Mr..
Dunlap?
A. We didn't notice it. / didn'tro-
tice itnntil we were pretty near ready
to got up the third estimate, and then
said something about it to Pate rson's
man, and Didier said he knew that
there was something wrong, that he had
too much. He told me that he knew he
was getting too much.
q. When did he tell you that?
A. About the time we were ready to
get up the third estimate. All csti-
mates are made right at the end OF the
month, you know-last day of the
month.
.. That was made on January 9?
A. That was the first estimate. This
was made on January 30. Saturday, |
believe it was.
q. Last OF January?
a. Yes, sir.
q. Was it discovered at that time?
a. Yes, sir
q. Why was not this reported to the
street committee?
a. Ii was not in my KNOWLEDGE
until that time. Wo felt safe
about it. Didn't sec any necessity of
reporting it to you. There was no
loss to the city because in max
ing the estimate 10 per cent. is saved
back any way, and there was good deal
OF work we didn't make an estimate ON
because it was not finished.
Q Is this the only mistake that has
been made In these estimates?
a. Yes, sir, as far "a my kno Wedge
goes
z. Was there not mistake made
some time ago about another estima.eo
Wasn't you the one that said somethiny
to me about it?
"A. assistant Engineer) No, sir; this
is tho only error l know Of.
q Well. as | understand, then, this
is the only mistake that has been made
in the estimates and that was discovered
on January 80, at the timo the third
estimate was made?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. What havo you got to say about
what Mr.. Patterson says in regard TO his
paying his laborers and other employees
on the basis OF this erroneous estimator
a. Well, nothing. because have no
right to recognize his sub-contractors.
~. understand thai hot 40 ,ov