Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-06-19
A VERDICT SOON.
CONTINUED from First Pdoe.)

WI ~ South dSsaAi tuls buptTflslCu. 1OulQ
have told Mr.. Covert or Mr.. Sasse TO oversee
the work.
Witness said he knew Of no empty rooms in
the War Department. Witness said he supposed
II Col Ainsworth had applied to the depart
ment Tor a competent man to superintend
1t would have been allowed.
Mr.. Harvey asked some questions in regard to
the work done in undermining the present
weather bureau building. The building had
been underpinned, the witness said, Chief En-
gineer Smith being in charge Smith, he
thought, was on duty at the bureau.
CHIEF CLERK TwEEpALx.
Chief Clerk Tweedale was the next witness.
He thought the department would have de-
tailed man to oversee the work had the rc-
quest been made. Engineer Smith. who had
superintended the work at the weather bureau.
Was marine engineer, he thought
Inc Witness thought Mr.. Covert, as superin-
tendent OF the building, should have reported
any danger to the Fords building. Covert
would be the superior to Engineer Sasse The
witness did not know whether Mr.. Covert per
formed any clerical work outside of superiu-
tending the building.
Mr.. Tweedale said that the words in the con.
tract ITO the satisfaction of the officer in
charge Of The building" would, he thought
apply to either Col Ainswortn or Mr.. Covert
Later the wines said that the words were a
matter OF construction. and il Col Ainsworth
drew the specification he probably meant him.
self by the words.
FRANK 4. HOPKINS.
Frank z. Hopkins said he was In the hard
ware and sand business. He had sold Dant
sand for the work on Ford's Theater. The
sand had been Of the very best quality Of river
washed sand. Dant had told him that the sand
mustbe OF tho very best quality, - the work was
subject to inspection.
The witnessed crumbled mp a bit of the
g. - =
be was OF opinion that the mortar did not show
any OF his sand The sand he had furnished
was at least two three times as coarse as the
sand which seemed to have been used in the
mortar. Had delivered Ave wagon loads Of
sand Had seen no other sand at the building.
JAS. A. coSNoR-
Jas A. Conner, a reporter on the Post said
he had interviewed Mr.. Covert the day after the
inquest Had asked him who was responsible
for the work done on the building. Covert
had said that Col. Ainsworth was directly in
charge.
Witness had interviewed Col Ainsworth also
and Ainsworth had said that the contract had
been given to Dant not because he was the
lowest bidder, but because he was an expert
Covert had also said that the clay foundation
to the building was easily sufficient without
rock. Both Brown and Covert had told wit
ness that the order about running down stairs
had been given without any regard TO any dan
ger OF the building.
Mr.. TwEEDALE RECALLED.
Mr.. Tweedale was recalled and in answer 10
Mr.. Warner said the feeling among the clerks
generally in the War Department was in oppo-
sition to going to the records and pension
building. He thought this arose from the feel
ing that large decrease in this force was i'm
minent. Did not think it arose from any feel
ing against the head of the bureau Had heard
~ al H. a.
but thought these clerks were in the minority.
Witness knew personally little about Mr.. Pot
ter's dismissal.
Some papers we're given Mr.. Tweedale. who
read them. The papers showed that Potter had
q standing above the average. Another paper
showed the statement as made by the War De-
partment that Potter was discharged for inefi-
cheney, and the inquest at this point adjourned
until o'clock.
After Recess.
This afternoon the first witness was Mr. J. NJ
Wheatley dealer in cement. in business with Mr.
Cammack. He considerd the Rosendale cement
sold to Mr.. Dant was frst-class OF its kind. 1t
was q magnesium cement and slow in hardening
Could not tell from locking at the specimens
from the Ford's building how much cement
there was in il. The mixture was bad, but he
could not tell whether there was any cement or
lime in it. The usual proportion FOR mixing
Rosendale is o re part OF cement to two OF rand.
Such proportion would be much harder than
the specimens. This would depend somewhat
on whether il was the first or second setting
In three months Resemble would We, as hard
as Portland cement After twenty years ex-
perlence he did not know that fresh cement was
better than old cement
Witness did not think there was q general
knowledge of cements among builders. As a
rule, builders want the cheapest article they
can secure. Would think that Camber-
land cement would have been better for
this purpose. but at the end of
three months the two would be equally strong.
but the magnesium sets slower. Good cement
after setting well should bear q pulling strain
OF forty pounds to the square inch. He did
not care even to guess as 10 the strength Of the
crumbling specimens submitted to him.
Frederick Lotus. a son of the man who was
killed and on whom the inquest was being
held, told of the last time he saw his father
and how and when he was removed from the
Inflated structure.
DIR. scHAEFFER-
DIR. Schaefer was next called. He gave his
profession as n medical man and late or alleged
deputy coroner Of the District He told of
identifying the body Of Mr.. LOTUS. who had
met his death instantaneously. DIR. Schaeffer
told Of a further examination he had made
yesterday at the cemetery. He described the
wounds on the body. which was still recog-
liable. The body had evidently been under a
large mass OF masonry, and. as the neck
not broken nor the skull fractured. 1t was
probable that he had been suffocated or crushed
to death by an immense weight
sTEPRES BATES.
Stephen Bates, a clerk in the Inflated struc-
ture, was next sworn. Admitted that he had
signed paper in favor OF Col. Ainsworth.
Did not know anything particular about the
excavations but told of u conversation be had had
with Mr.. Sasse TO the foundation Of the 7 iers.
Mr.. Sasse said that the earth was strong enough
for foundation and he himself had no fears of
the safety Of the building. II he had had he
would not have been afraid 10 60 direct TO Col.
Ainsworth or any one else with his complaints
Witness was shown a clipping from The
STAR in which was reprinted this circular let
ter In favor of Col. Ainsworth. He identified
the names of all who had signed the paper. OF
these six names were those of section chiefs
Mr.. Bates was then shown the original petition,
which he also recognized, well Is his sigma
ture.
BUTLER FITCH.
Mr.. Butler Fitch was next called He was
clerk in the Ford's Theater. On the Monday
before the accident he saw the unsafe
condition and ut once asked for
Ave DAYS leave of absence. He
did not say much about this, for he would have
been called an nlarmist. and if the building had
not fallen he would have been disciplined aud
called coward for his fears. All talk about their
being warned not to run down stairs because