Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1893-12-05
LETTERs FRoM LIE PEOPLE

OF course there are two sides 10 every
tale. As one side of the almshouse story
has been told. kindly allow me space to
tell the other side.
The report of F. b. Rice and Joseph A.
jackson, acting as an investigating COM
mittee on the work involved in the con-
struction of the new almshouse. does not
contain anything which is new or surpris-
ing to me. In fact il is only what might
have been expected by me from certain
elements which entered into the compost
ton of the committee who prepared this
report. An architect who was defeated in
the competition for the preparation of the
plans, and who has not lost any opportu-
nifty of showing the disgruntled state of his
feelings is not apt to view the work of the
successful competitor with as liberal an
eve as an entirely DISTINGUISHED party |
might. since the lens of prejudice is prone
to distort ones vision. Again, in the con- |
nection a certain biblical quotation is peril |
nent; Thou canst see the mote in thy /
brothers eye, but thou canst not see the |
beam in thine own"
Now as to the report itself. The first |
item touched upon is the steam heating |
and plumbing, The committee say they
find that the plumbing and steam heating
plans were made and furnished by the |
plumber for his own work, and that there
were no specidcations-the original ones
having been discarded because too high.
/ wonder where the committee obtained
this information? Had they extended me
the courtesy of a question concerning the
matter they might have learned my record
book shows that on October "a, 1892, a
complete set of plans were delivered to the
| steam filter, and that on July Z, 1898, n
black print of the cellar plan with plumb
ing marked thereon was delivered to the
plumber. and on the following day the black
print was brought to my office for further
detailed explanation and returned to the
plumber on the same day. On July IL,
| 1898, the plumbing specifications and all
the floor plans with the plumbing fixtures
| marked thereon were delivered to the
plumber. And if, to-day, the plans fur
| nished and the plumbing work done at
| the almshouse are compared, it will be
| found that the plumbing fixtures have the
same relative positions as indicated on the
plans, and the main supplies differ from
the specifications only in the quality and
manufacture of the goods furnished. As
no estimates were made from my specifca-
| tions, cannot understand how the COM
mittee can claim that my original specihca-
| tons were discarded because too high.
BY referring to any of the regular plumb
ing contractors in the city, mot any of
whom have as yet to my knowledge ever
seen a copy of the plumbing plans or speci-
were made will be found correct
Next with regard to the mason work.
The committee state that the plans call for
concrete footings four feet wide by two
feet thick under the main walls of the
building. Very true. The architect did
not demand more than sixteen inches in
thickness, for the very simple reason
that when the excavations for the cellar
were made il was found the bottom was
much firmer than was anticipated. and
there was absolutely no necessity for put
ting in two feet of concrete. In making
this change l exercised an architects pre-
| rosative-the power to make changes be-
ing given the architect by the terms of the
contract, and the conditions of the specih-
cations. That no error in judgment was
made is proven by the fact that not even
the slightest settlement of the building
has occurred nor are there any cracks in
) the walls of the structure. Concerning
this matter Mr. Nissan has said he would
not be afraid to risk the building upon
} twelve inches of concrete. The implied
; injustice 10 the other contractors who
figured on the plans is not warranted. as
! in lieu of the concrete left out Mr. Thomp-
( son did an immense amount of plastering
> not called for in the plans or speeifca.
tons, for which he received no allowances
whatever. Were the committee ignorant
: of this, or did they forget it. or was the
: oversight intentionAls The committee alsc
state they found eobble stones in the con
crete larger than two inches in diameter
Do the committee realize that when tn,
concrete was put in, the workmen wer,
: laboring under gravel embankments rising
to the height of eight to ten feet in places
: and that it was well nigh impossible Il
4 throw in the concrete without dislodSin.
3 some of the ''cobbles" referred 10 ? This il
s one of the smallest matters the committe'
a could have referred to. The east wall O
/. the boiler house is not bulged on acceun
a of defective mason work. The wall WA
+ originally straight and all right and wa
f not built with the intention Of using it as
n dam. and when it was put to that purpos
e it naturally showed it was not built to re
n tain body of water. As l have state,
: many times before, cannot see where tn
o slightest blame can be attached to the ma
N son in this matter. Should he wish t
N speak for himself he might b
9 able to throw more light on thi
4 subject. The committee also stat
: that the plans call for twenty windoN
= openings TO be bricked up, and that thi
3 brick work has been left out. Were tn
A committee SO blind that they could not Sc
the extra areas which were built aroun
Il these twenty window openings, and tina
a the spaces originally intended to b
Il bricked up are filed with twenty windo'
frames with sash and glass complete, an'
"a for which no extra charge appears EN
tremely funny the committee did not Sc
10 this. The charge that no provision j
"a made for the range or mantel shelf in tn
kitchen that the stone trimmings are no
~ | cleaned that the rubbish has not bee
n cleared out of the cellar, and other item
which remain as yet undone, are absur
: in the face of the fact that the building
/. still under construction, and no claim ha
I been made by the selectmen, the cor
N | tractor, or myself. that the work is finishe
A or completed. The mason had alread
been notified of all he has to do on tn
building in order to complete his porto
of the contract, and he will carry ont M
instructions before he makes any clair
In that he is entitled to final payment.
Now a word with regard to the carpeI
=, ter work At the outset of their report tn
- committee state that all of the oarpente
work that is completed is very well done
= for which words of praise we are dull
= grateful. But they have discovered tbs
W four flights of stairs called for by the plan
- are left out. Had the committee invest
=, gated further they might have learned this
- three of these flights were to have lie
- from the dormitory floor to the attic. bJ
the selectmen deemed one flight in Ii
"a center of the building as ample approac
"A to the attic. and, therefore, ordered thu
Az the three flights referred to should be LEI
out, as they feared the easy access to II
"a attic from the dormitories afforded
"a these stairs would prove too much of
"a temptation to the inmates TO convenient
10 disappear. thus, causing considerable Al
;s noyance to the almshouse keeper. tt
ar disposition of the fourth flight of stall
m 1eading from prison annex to laundry
as still under consideration by the selectmel
Al They have not yet decided whether to hay
err the stairs put in or to close up the openir