The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-20

the tearing up of said road was to replace it
with more modern, 10 wit an electric road,
which we know is bei1g done in this city to-
day with one OF the best cable roads in the
world, namely, the Ellisstreet branch OF the
Omnibus
can cite the jury to such work as the mar
row-gauge depot, the POwell-street road, the
California-street road, the Union-street road,
the Alameda Electric road, the stockton and
Sacramento Electric roads, the Eighth-street
Electric road in Oakland, the Madison-street
road of Seattle, the Portland Gable road, and
nine years of experience with the State Harbor
Commissioners as to my ability.
Mr.. Stilwell in his report states that the
chief engineer is made judge of the quality OF
all material.
viii say in answer to that tbs q stereotyped
form which has been in all specifications from
time immemoriaI and if the chief engineer is
not judge of this who should be?
will say furthermore that no extra bill or
charge has ever been made without the sane
ton of the board.
note what Mr. Stilwen says in regard to the
quality OF rock, and would say in answer 10
that that the quarry is open to inspection, and
that the Grand Jury can satisfy themselves as
TO the amount of clay and dirt it Is possible, If
so desired, to mix with the rock. claim ii 1t
was never separated the percentage would be
very small.
Mr. Marsden Manson says that he built sec
ton ga of the seawall with broken basalt rock
and cobbles. ! would like toask Mr.. Manson
if it is not fact that most of the cement did
not have to be broken in like manner?
C. E. Grunsky makes the voluntary state
ment that he has never passed al opinion on
the rock on Telegraph Hill, and does not know
the location OF the Holmes-Gray Bros. quarry.
With regards to the cement, it is what is
known as the Dillingham;, well-known stand-
ard brand, and has been extensively used by
Colonel George II. Mendel, United States Eli
gineer, and Herman Schussler, engineer OF the
Spring Valley Water Company, who used it al
most exclusively for the dam at Crystal
Springs Five thousand barrels of this cement
nv
President Crockett and Chief Engineer Jones of
the San Francisco Gaslight Company.
l will say here that it is curious to note that
| the comparative tests made by Lieutenant
Kuhn were all between thu cement OF J. w.
Grace Company and the Gillingham. From
the fact that j. w. Grace Company are sup
posed to be business firm and well up as to
the methods and forms of bidding on material
in the various city and Government offices,
was the only one who bid in direct opposition
to the terms OF the specifications and blank
have known that the same was Illegal and
could not be considered. 1t seems to me that
it is a question of "sour grapes"
Furthermore, / will say that the cement
tested by Lieutenant Kuhn was taken from q
barrel of cement which had been opened and
exposed to the rain, and consequently damaged,
and that StilwelI's agent, in obtaining it, was
obliged to dig the same out of the said barrel
in order to obtain the sample.
We have on storage in section 3 of the sea-
wall some 1900 barrels of this cement, deliv-
ing been on hand some four or five months.
invite the test of this cement by the Grand
Jury, but prefer the sample to be selected by
others than private detec tives.
AS to the question of opening barrels and re.
moving portions OF same, l win say before the
same could be done J. D. Spreckels Bros. & Co.,
McNab d Smith and the States Inspector and
Cement Clerk would all have to be in collision
with the Gray brothers.
AS for Mr.. Stilwell's conversation with Con-
tractor Mattingly, L refer you to Mr.. Mattingly's
voluntary letter to me, which / herewith sub
nit a copy of, marked exhibit 5.
/ must say that / admire Mr.. Stilwell's con-
sistency, that while branding me incompe-
tent, he is willing to adopt my suggestions, as
communicated to Mr.. Jordan of the CALL, for
testing the arches and piers with weight not
less than five times that which it viii ever be
called upon to bear. / will go him one better
and say that am willing, at any time, to have
q 15-ton steam wagon concentrated on q roller
3 feet in diameter and feet long, rolled over
every part of the foundation.
In conclusion ] may say the work is at pres
ent being thoroughly investigated by two OF
the most capable engineers the coast,
namely, Professor Frank Soule of Berkeley and
Professor Charles D. Marx of Stanford Uniyer
sity, and / assure you that ! willing to
stand or fall by their report. Respectfully sub
mitted, HOWARD c. HOLMES,
Chief Engineer of Board of State Harbor Com
misSiOnRrs