The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-20
Engineer Holmes Explanation
as to the Detectives
Report.
HIS VIEWS OF MooRE's STORY
Numerous Details Given In His
Communication to the Grand
Jury.

StlIWelI III recent communication 10 IAe
Grand Jury:
To the Grand Jury Of the City and County, Of
San Frdneisco-GENTLEMEN: In answering the
accusation contained in the anonymous letter
of Mr. 4. S. Moore and the report OF Detective
StilWeQ l desire to submit the following, ana
viii endeavor to answer the statements IN the
order that they appear in the report Supmltteu
to your honorable body:
First-The people OF the State OF California
were asked to vote on the issuance OF ana sale
of State bonds 10 the extent OF S6OO,OOO by act
of LEGISLATURE approved March II, 1891, one
and half years before 1 was appointed engl-
neer of the State Board OF Harbor Commission
ers; the estimate of the amount required De-
ing made some time prior 10 this date, conse-
quently it would have been impossible Tor me,
as engineer of said board to have made TINS es-
innate. This estimate am credited with by
both Stilwell and Moore. (See page 20 OF the Dl-
ennial report OF the said Harbor Commission
ers for the years ending 1892 and 1894 and
marked exhibit l..
the Harbor Commissioners advertised Tor blds
for the construction OF the Union Depot toun-
dation, and on November p, 1892, the san
Francisco Bridge Company decided 10 me for q
nominal sum a lot on the corner OF Green and
Sansome streets; also that when the bids were
opened Bateman Bros. were the lowest bidder,
but their bid was refused for the reason that
Holmes declared that they were incapable OF
doing the work. The facts are as follows:
The Harbor Commissioners received bids Tor
this foundation on February %, 1898, and all
too high by the Commissioners, and not by the
engineer; not that they were too nigh Tor the
amount of work to be done, but for the amount
of available money in the harbor improvement
fund. The plans were then modified as TO the
length of foundation, it being shortened some
200 feet, and the depth or concrete piers re-
dueed from 2412 feet to 20 feet. This was all
under my advice THAT is, the reduction OF the
amount OF work..
signed an agreement on November 3, 1892,
to purchase from the Anglo-Cal1fornlan Bank
-nv l.rAAr
and Sansome streets for the sum OF sly 800,
subject TO q lease to the Gray Bros. from said
bank, dated June IA, 1892, copy of which
lease, and the opinion OF +. 8. Stratton, attor-
ney, as TO its bearings upon said foundation
contract, l submit-maKked exhibits and 3.
The agreement to purchase may be found in
the real estate Office OF Thomas Magee, and
also desire to state that he mad this lot Tor sale
on October 81, 1892, at the above figure.
The manner in which paid for the lot VIII
be found in the records of the San Francisco
Savings Union and the Anglo-Californian
Bank.
With regards to the cable railroad that Moore
refers to, and in which he claims that was
the trusted engineer, desire to state that l
had the same holdings in the said road the
said Moore, and that he was my partner in the
contract and all profits accrulng from said
contract, and in all commissions which were
derived from sale OF machinery, he shared
equally with myself. Furthermore, if the
stockholders were dissatisfied, as he claims
they were, they showed this dissatisfaction in
lowing the completion OF the first.
AS for the bridge Moore speaks Of, the San
Francisco Bridge Company had a contract with
the Spokane Gable Railway Company before l
knew said cable railway company was in
existence, and, while 1 am not IN any way de-
tending the said san Francisco Bridge Com
pany, l desire to state that the cause OF the
bridge falling the first time was from the wash
ing out of the false work before completion by
the sudden rise OF the Spokane River, and on
the second occasion by careless blasting on the
part OF the Spokane Water-power Company.
Moore SAYS that l spent seventy half days and
eighteen full days in the conduct of a lawsuit,
making ffty-four days IN all. have no cause
to regret the same, as it netted me about 1856
per day in an accounting suit against this said
Moore, In which his own attorneys forced MN
to allow me some $4,000 in place of the $3.50
which his balance sheet-dOctored for the pur-
pOse-showed was due me.
The records of the Harbor Commissioners
office will show what my report was as TO FIRE.
mont-sreet wharf, and the same records viii
also show that the Powell-street wharf is in
first-class condition. Neither OF theseAYharves
were built during my term OF office.
AS for my INCOMPETENCE, l challenge either
Mr.. Stilwell OF Mr.. Moore to find any private
individual or corporation that have ever been
employed by that VIII say disparaging word
as 10 my ability l refer to such people as the
California-street Railway Company, the Pow
ell-street, the Union-street, and to such men as
Alfred Borel, George A. Newell, William Cliff,
Martin q Ballard, W. j. Adams and many
others.
As to the asphalt pavement which Mr.. Moore
speaks OF, l win say ! am willing the jury
should call any expert in that line OF business
to pass upon the possibility OF getting uni
form surface of bituminous rock upon per
fectly level plane. Furthermore, in answer to
MI StilweL challenge him to find depres-
sion even one inch in depth, and l stand ready
to food the surface OF the said pavement with
water for the benefit of the Grand Jury.
1t is a matter of record in the Harbor Com
missioners' Office that I condemned several
hundred tons OF bitumen before getting salts
factory material for the much-abused pave
ment, and only accepted the same upon condi-
ton that the contractor file q bond TO keep ii
in repair Tor the period OF five years, this not
being called for in the contract or specifca-
tons The papers are on file with the board,
and can be seen al any time.
/ fail to understand what Moore means when
he refers to plastering the piers
Moore says that !, while the trusted engineer
of the above cable-road drew down rebate on
special material. I will say here that ! was
never employed as engineer for the above
railroad, and never received compensation as
such. There was no special material only
such as was furnished under the contract and
in accordance with the specifications, or on a
percentage basis. All profits and percentages
Moore shared equally with myself
Ii Mr. Seerls refused to be paid for refrain
ing from bidding on the ferry foundation con-
tract fail to see how that affects my integrity.
L challenge Mr. Charles Paff TO show the
cracked concrete arches.
For the benefit OF Moore and Stilwell I have
on record in my Office cement tests, which
can produce if required.
AS to favoring any particular brand I think
am getting credit for more authority than ]
am entitled to, as the contracts are awarded by
the Harbor Commissioners and not by the
engineer.
Irefer you to page % of the aforementioned
biennial report, exhibit /.
Moore says in his report he will give you
names of other importers later on, which were
from 10 to 20 cents per barrel cheaper than
the cement furnished. He has evidently for
gotten to do so. He says that this cement
would not pass inspection-with this man
Holmes. Well, if it would not the State did not
want 1t.
desire to call the attention of the jury to
the accompanying specification in answer to
this charge marked exhibit a.
Moore in the next paragraph says: 'tThe
engineers first estimate and final plans failed
to agree" l will say that said engineer is
guilty of neither estimate nor plan.
AS 10 the estimates, the first was made prior
to his appointment and the second by a special
architect employed by the board.
In closing, Mr.. Moore says: "Mr. Holmes has
paved the way for the street railroads to easily
violate the law enacted by the Legislature pro-
hibiting the right OF way across the State
property" etc. In answer to that l will say that
while this is wholly matter which lies with
he board and not with its engineer and that it
Fas thoroughly investigated by the Grand
Jury and the board exonerated; if | in COM
polling three street railroads to use two tracks
instead of, as prior to my appointment, two
railroads were using four tracks-if this is paw
ing the way plead guilty,