Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-06-19
A VERDICT SOON,
(COnttnue9 from Eirst pnunN

I dF'TJIITU IOT-
Could not say. but supposed that CT IN a; sn'
/. worth could detail this supervision Cn,ui5
the work W oversee
Witness said he knew of no empty rooms :,
tne war Department. Witness said he sunnooa5
} II Col Ainsworth had applied to the danar,'
ment Tor competent man to superintend
it would have been allowed
Mr.. Harvey asked some questions in regard n
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 TwEEDALE
Chief Clerk Tweedale was the next witness.
He thought the department would have de-
tailed man to oversee the work had the re-
quest been made. Engineer Smith, who had
superintended the work at the weather bureau,
was marine engineer, he thought
| The witness thought Mr. Covert, as superin-
! tendent of the building, should have reported
| any danger TO the Ford's building. Covert
| would be the superior to Engineer Sasse. The
witness did not know whether Mr.. Covert per-
! FORMED any clerical work outside of superin-
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 witness said that the words were a
matter OF construction. and if Col. Ainsworth
Grew the specifeation he probably meant him
self by the words.
FRANK Z. HOPKINS
Frank E. Hopkins said he was in the hard
ware and sand business. He had sold Dant
sand Tor 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 the very best quality as the work was
subject to inspection.
The witnessed crumbled up a bit of the
mortar from the building and said az once that
ne was OF opinion that the mortar did not show
any OF his sand. The sand he had rurnished
was at least two or three times as coarse as fire
SAND which seemed to have been used in the
mortar Had delivered five wagon loads of
sand Had seen no other sand at the building.
JAS. A. coYNoR.
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
mad said that Col Ainsworth was directly in /
charge "
witness had interviewed Col Ainsworth also |
ana Atnsworth had said that the contract had |
Deen given to DaDt, not because be was the /
lowest bidder, but because he WAS an exnert /
Covert bad also said that the clay foundation
TO the building was easily sufficient without |
rock Both Brown and Covert had told wifi
had Ten given without any regard to any dam
ger CT the building.
IR. TwEEDALE RECALLED.
MT. Tweedale was recalled and in answer TO
Mr.. Warner said the feeling among the clerks
generally In the War Department was in oppo-
sluon to gong to the records and pension
Dullding- lie 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
Irlse inst Ekaa h.az1 ,s-l ]
OF clerks who made charges against Ainsworth /
but thought these clerks were in the minority.
Witness knew personally little about MIR. Pot
ters 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 Wa ba-
partment that Potter was discharged for inefii-
Cheney, anu the inquest at this point adjourned
until O'Clock.
After Recess
This afternoon the first witness was Mr.. NJ.
W heatey. dealer in cement. in business with Mr..
Jamnlack. lie considerd the Rosendale cement
sold TO Mr.. Dant was frst-class of its kind. 7,
vas a magnesium cement anc slow in bar5en;,c
Iould not tell from looking at the specimens
rom the Ford's building how much cement
mere WAS In 1t. The mixture was bad, bar he ,
'ould not tell whether there was anv cement or
line IN 1t The ufual proportion FOR mixing !
iosendale is o &c part of cement 70 two of sand
such "a proportion wonld be much harder than 1
he specimens. This would depend somewhat
N whether it was the first or second setting. ;
n three months Hosenoale would set as hard {
6 Portland cement After twenty years ex- G
erience he did not know that fresh cement was I
ettcr than old cement. ,
Witness did not think there was a general 7
nowledge of dement's among builders As
uie. builders want the cheapest article they
an secure. Would think that Cumber-
and cement woald have been better for I
his purpose. but at the end of
hree months the two would be equally strong
Ut the magnesium sets slower Good cement '
fter setting well should bear a pulling strain 1
iorty pounds to the square inch. lie did
OF care even TO guess as to the strength of the
rumbiing specimens submitted to him
Frederick Lotus. a son of the man who Was
iiied ana on whom the inquest was being 4
cid. told of the last time he saw his father
nd how and when he was removed from the
I-fated structure. 1
DIR. scHAEFFER- s
DIR. Schaeffer was next called He gave his v
rofession as a medical man and late OF alleged il
equity coroner of the District He told of s
Identifying the body of Mr.. Lotus. who bad ?
et his death lnstantaneously. Dr. SchaefTer
'id OF further examination he had made |
esierday at the cemetery He described the G
ounds on the body. which was still recor- | =
apie. The body had evidently been under a
rye mass OF masonry. and. as the neck was Q
Of broken nor the skull fractured. it was Q
robable that he had been suffocared or crushed I
death by an immense weight
STEPHEN BATES
stephen Bates, clerk in the Inflated struc. | y
ire. was next sworn. Admitted that he had b
gned paper in favor of Col. Ainsworth q
Id not know ANYTHING particular about the !.
lcayators, buttold OF conversation be had had &c
ith Mr.. Sasse as TO the foundation of the ,jers u
r. Sasse said that the earth was strong enough a
" q foundation and be himself had no fears of q
lie safety of the building. 1T he had had he
ould not have been afraid to go direct 10 Col
lnsworth or any one else with his comrlaints | M
Witness was shown clipping from The :,
TAB IN which was reprinted this circular let =
= In favor of Col. Ainsworth. He identified q
lie names OF al who had signed the paper. OF
ese SIX names were those of section chiefs
r Bates was then shown the original petition. | M
hica he also recognized, as well as his sigma :,
re. Il
BUTLER PITCH.
Mr.. Butler Fitch was next called He was
ERIK in the Fo-d's Theater. On the Monday
fore the accident he saw the unsafe
ndltion and at once asked for NJ
re days leave of abeence He |"
d not say much about this. for be would have p'
ZEN called an alarmist, and if the building had 4.
u fallen he would have been disciplined aud 81
He'd coward for his fears All talk about their &C
ing warned rot to run down stairs because 81
was unseC mlv so to do WAS the roaros, 49,, | II