Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-06-10
Nh. BROWNS STATEMENT.
ASKS AN INVESTIGATION,

tnat the danger wat past.
ASKS AN INVESTIGATION.
Col. Ainsworth Wants the Responsibility
for the Wreck Properly Placed.
Col. Ainsworth. chief of the Office Of records
and pensions, which occupied the wrecked
theater building. has requested an official in
vestgation Of the accident with view to fixing
the responsibility.
Acting Secretary Grant has acceded to the
request and has directed Adjt Gen. Williams
to designate court Of inquiry. The
selections have not vet been made but
Gen. Grant SAYS that the board will
be made up of three members. an engineer
officer. a quartermaster who has had experience
In bulldingarmy posts, and some officer belong
inc to another branch of the service Gen
Grant was DESTROYS of choosing as this
third member an expert civilian architect or
builder. but he was unable to do 80 because the
department has no jurisdiction over civilians
However, 1t is believed that the govern
ment can profit by the experience Of this
class Of men by calling them before the board
as expert witnesses. Secretary Lamont is ex-
pected to arrive in Washington from Chicago
early this afternoon and Acting Secretary Grant
will submit the names of the board to him for
approval before they are made public.
ARMY OFFICER PRESENT.
Attention has been directed to the fact that
the work Of excavation was being prosecuted
without the supervisory attention Of any army
officer who was qualified to judge OF the char
acter Of the work. DR.. Ainsworth is
an army officer, colonel. but he
Is member OF the medical corps.
and is not supposed to be acquainted with the
technicalities of building and architecture. But
it is said by Acting Secretary Grant that this
fact is not unusual, and on the contrary nearly
all of the government construction is arranged
for by the quartermasters, who, of course,
exercise super vision over the construction OF
army post buildings. but really are obliged to
trust largely to the integrity and experience of
the practical builders who contract to do
the work. Bitter criticism is passed at the
War Department upon the statutory law which
requires all contracts to be let to the lowest
bidder, resulting often in low-grade work.
though rarely in such catastrophes as that Of
yesterday.
Capt. Thorpe's Statement.
Capt. NJ. T. Thorpe, chief Of the supply d.
vision of the War Department, has charge of
the records relating to the contract for the ex-
cavation of the building. He refuses
to allow the schedule of bids
for the work to be seen, and said to STAR
| reporter this morning: II don't know any
thing about the condition of the building or the
cause Of the accident. The building fell and
lots of people were killed. That's all 1 know
about it."
His attention was called to report that there
was great disparity in the bids, and that the
one accepted was SO much less than the next
lowest that it was not believed that it could be
properly executed.
were fourteen bidders for the work and the
bids ranged gradually from $3.50 to 90, 200.
The lowest bid was that of George
W. Dant and the contract was awarded
to him. "Dant." said Mr.. Thorpe 'is an
expert in his line and was well known to US as
skilflul and reliable man. Therefore. as his
bid was the lowest we had no hesitation in
awarding him the contract"
MIR. Thorpe was persistently urged to make
a statement in regard to his connection with
the work on the building, but refused to do SO
on the ground that his official position pro-
hibited ii.
Suggestion About the Building.
To the Editor of The Evening Star:
Possibly the utiitarians may object, but I
suggest that the walls Of the old Fords Theater
building be now taken down, the foundations
and other masonry, if there is any, removed,
the excavation be filled up with clean fresh
earth brought in from the country, the lot
properly graded and soddcJ. a simple fountain
and sides OF the lot, and the whole named
Lincoln Place. j. A. JUDsoN.
Congress Should Do Much.
To the Editor of The Evening Star:
In response to your appeal of yesterday for
help for the suffering occasioned by yesterdays
catastrophe l herewith indorse my check for
eos. Really. the United States should give all
the relief necessary, but the dead cannot bury
themselves, the crippled and little children cam
not earn their support and the widows must not
have occasion to beg. Therefore all who can
should render some assistance without DELAY
Congress should do much for the unfortunate
ones as soon as il convenes. VIM. MAYsE
Church Offerings.
To the Editor of The Evening Star.
Will you kindly call the attention Of your
readers to the fact that the offering at Epiph-
any Church on Sunday morning will be de-
voted TO the sufferers by Fridays disaster?
Very truly yours.
RANnnI nrI II McErM