Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-06-17
BAD WORKMANSHIP.

BAD WORKMANSHIP.
Moro Testimony ut the Inquest ON the The
ster Disaster.
EVIDENCE GIVEN BY THE MEN WHO WORKED ON
THE UNDERPINNINa OF THE PIERs-THE sU-
PERINrENDENr OF THE BUILDING DENIES ANY
RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PROPER PERFORM
ANCE OF THE WORK.
Yesterday afternoon after The Stars report
OF the coroner's inquest was concluded Mr..
Sasse. the engineer of the wrecked building,
continued his testimony and told in detail what
his customary work at the building was up to
the time OF the disaster. He said he was a Ger
man by birth, but naturalized citizen since
1863
JAMES MPHERsoN
James Mcpherson was next called to the
stand. He said he was bricklayer by profess
sion and was employed on the repairs at Ford's
Theater on the morning Of the disaster. He
said he was working with a man named Scott
under Mr.. Dant. He had underpinned build
ings before, but not such large buildings as the
one that had fallen down.
Mr.. Dant had told him that they were to do
whatever Mr.. Sasse or Mr.. Covert told them;
that Whatever pleased them would be satisfac-
tory to him.
Mcpherson went on to tell how they did the
work on each pier, and identified by means of
the photographs the place where he was at
work.
Mr.. Thomas asked the witness il he would
ever undertake such another job again, and the
young man stated most emphatically that he
never would. He had been too much fright
ened. He was just under twenty-seven years
Of age, he testified, and he did not know why
Mr.. Dant did not have some older man to super
intend the work. Mr.. Dant did not give them
any directions. but told them to do whatever
THE NORTH PIER FELL
1t was the north pier that fell. All the others
had been underpinned and Scott was at work
on this one when the crash came. The work on
this one was being done just as the others had
boon. He considered the joints properly made,
though he admitted that he had never before
been intrusted with the task of UNDERMINING
pier that supported big building. This time
no snoring was used. nor were there any needles
used in the wall. He did not know anything
about the weight that was above him, and did
not consider that there was any danger con-
nected with this work.
MIR. Harvey, the contractor member Of the
jury, took the witness in hand and by cross
examination endeavored to get him to admit
that he had not done his work we'll He ad-
mitted that he might have done some things a
little better. If he had known that the piers
supported a weight of fifty tons he never would
have gone under them at ALL
NJ. Warner got the witness to admi. that in
the light of recent events the work was not
properly done. and that his life, AZ the lives of
others. was put i'll peril by the repairs being
made when the floors were not shored up.
The witness denied that there was any in
stance where in underpinning he had gone
around the pier and left a core Of earth In the
center
At Mr.. Warmers request Bricklayer Scott was
recalled and asked about the matter of danger
IN his work. He said that in view of what has
happened he never world again undertake to
underpin building unless it was shored up.
CALEB L. sAYRE.
Caleb L. Sayre, a houseraser and mover, was
called and testified that in his opinion no man
in his right mind would try to underpln such a
building without snoring up. Furthermore, he
did not think that such young men N McPher-
son and Scott should have been intrusted with
such an important piece Of work without con-
slant supervision by some one older and more
experienced.
SUPERINTENDENT COVERT.
Mr.. VIM. E. Covert, the superintendent of
the building at the time it fell, was next called
upon to testify. He was asked by Mr.. Thomas
if he had any statement to make to the jury be-
fore proceeding to testify, but said that he had
none.
Mr.. Covert was asked il he had had anything
to do with the repairs to the building and
again said that he had not. He saw the work
frequently, but only from curiosity. He had
no authority over the contractor and exercised
none. He did not know anything about build
ing himself. He was told not to give Dant any
instructions, but Col. Ainsworth told him that
II anything was done to endanger the safety of
the building to telephone him at once. He no.
ticed that there was no snoring being donc. but
did not know enough about building matters to
know that snoring was necessary to the safety
Of the building. So far he knew there was
no one whose duty it was to superintend the
work. They took it for granted that the con-
tractor knew his business, although he did
think now that Mcpherson and Scott were
rather young to have undertake such q deli
cate and important job.
Mr.. Covert said that he was not an expert in
matters connected with bricks and mortar, and
did not know that Col Ainsworth knew any
thing more about them than he did.
AINswoRTH IN CHARGE OF THE BUILDING.
There no one who could have told
whethe the specifications were not carried
out. Col Ainsworth was in charge of the
building and the next was Mr.. Brown. the
chief clerk
Mr.. Harvey asked Mr. Covert if he remem-
bered saying to him: This is an unfortunate
occurrence, but every appliance known to
science and all possible skill had been used to
avert it." MIR. Covert said that he did not re-
member making the remark, and furthermore
he said 1T was not true.
Several of the members of the jury then
asked Mr.. Covert if he did not remember say
ing to them, when they were all in the building
together that the old brickwork there was the
finest work he had ever seen. Mr.. Covert
could not remember having said anything of the
sort. although the members Of the Jury tried in
various ways to jog his memory.
Mr.. Thomas asked him il he remembered
having told Mr. Roche,a reporter from the Post,
that Col. Ainsworth assumed all the RESPONSE
bilitv for the disaster. Mr.. Covert denied this
also, though he said that he had seen SO many
reporters that he could not remember Mr.
Roche. As n final question Mr.. Thomas asked
Mr. Covert If everybody in the Office from the
highest to the lowest, had left all the RESPONSE
bility for the security of the building with the
contractor. with Mr. George W. Dant, the
man who had the contract for making the re-
pairs"
Mr.. Covert said that it never had occurred 10
him that it was dangerous to keep the clerks in
the building during the repairs. He had felt
no fear and did not think there was any danger
Neither Col Ainsworth nor Capt Thorpe had
ever expressed any apprehension as to the
safety of the building. The roping off of a part
of the floor was done by himself at Mr.. Dant's
request
"A to the ling OF the clerks not to be run
mir nd do stnir