The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-04-03

IHOSE tGE COChs.
The Grounds and Building Committee
Question Superintendent Calder.

The Grounds and Building Committee
Question Superintendent Calder.
Chairman Gunst called the Committee
on Grounds and Buildings to order at 7:l5
i. NJ. yesterday. IN Committee Room No.
3 Of the City Hall. Present. besides lie
chairman. Messrs. Brock, Brlgggs. Ming.
Noble. Neale, kOuntree and Snead.
.,l ,utsnaw, city Engineer. was
also present. by hVnatIVn. ahd tne CLERK
Of the COMMITTEES, Mr.. Frank L. Bates,
was In his place.
Chairman Gunst called the attention
of the committee TO the letter of the CITY
Engineer, dated March 3 1885,. outlining
certain proposed changes In the force OF
the CITY Hall. especially in tile boiler
and engine-roOms.
The letter has been published in full
but was read by Clerk Bates. and Colonel
CutshaW addressed the cOmutttrc %.
after its reading. saying that II set forth
the judgment OF his office IN the matter,
and leaving the question with the COM
mittee.
Mr.. Calder superintendent OF the CITY
Hail. was invited TO appear before the
committee 10 reply 10 questions as 10
the duties Of himself and assistants. lie
said he mad been IN the city Hall since
its completion and occupancy. and that he
had charge of the boilers and engines
and the care Of the piping OF all kinds
in IL, whether OF gas, water, heat, or
what, including the electric light wire
pipes.
lie mentioned incidentally that there are
twenty-one miles in length OF electric
wire and over twelve miles IN length OF
other pipes. In the house, and SAID hat
since he had taken charge no accident
of any kind had occurred.
He thought he knew his business and
that his assistants also knew theirs,
he had no doubt. lie and his men were
fully equipped for emergencies and re-
pairs necessary to the machinery what
ever ii might be.
Then Mr.. Briggs wanted 10 know why
Mr. Calder should have reported those
gauge cocks, which were found out OF
order. when the committee visited the
boiler room yesterday, when ne might
have repared them, and put them In good
order. with the help OF his men?
Mr.. Calder ansW cred simply that he had
reported them, without answering this
direct question. and added that he did not
know why the committee did not give him
new gauge cocks.
lie was evidently laboring under ex-
element when he entered the room, and
at this point he seemed TO fairly hiss with
pent-up steam OF internal wrath. when he
flung upon the table copy Of the Even
ing Leader Of yesterday. and said:
II object 10 this article in this news
paper, the head lines particularly. Look
here And he read. An Explosion in The
city Hall-Might Occur at Any Time OW-
ing To- Defective Gauges"
Mr.. Calder proceeded:
Il resent this report. Ii is untrue, and
| III.
exists. and nobody can show it,
The committee heard Mr.. Caiders out
burst quietly, the chairman simply re-
mlndng him that the newspaper in ques-
ton was not in discussion, AM --- exam
inatiOn proceeded.
Replying 10 Mr. King, Mr.. Calder said
there were safety valves on the boiler. ana
burst out again in denunciatlCn OF the
Evening Leaders report or thursday
visit of the committee TO the boilers.
MIR. Snead asked him how many gauge
cocks were out Of order. and the superin-
tendent said that those on thc hlsh prs
sure boiler were O. K, but those on me
low pressure boiler were not. lie aodeu
That the lCw-Wessure boiler couldn eN-
plode II IL wisfed TO- ana mat IL oniy ar
ried from 2 TO pounds OF steam. hr.
Snead said he had mad 10 years eAyeLtehee
with boilers, ana machinery. ana II me
has a good fireman, and proper salety
valve that is enough. All this tax about
explosion. said MI. Snead. Is only muNh
ado about nothing" and remarked, in MS
dismissal OF the subject, that II was rlulc-
ulcus. and no ate ntiOn should De pdld u
But. when Mr.. Rountrec. who was lis
tenine quietly all this time. began TO
question Mr.. Calder. the committee ulu
not seem 10 agree with Mr. Snead.
Mr. Rountree declared that there was
danger and great danger, TO these oOlleIa'
or any boilers. without pIoP.t a,u sbn,,Id
I'VE suage cocks. one OF them shouiu
show steam and one should sho" "atei.
lie saw steam only on thursday down
stairs and one of the guaees "ou'u Ho'
work al all. - .-,,o... oo.,,.
Of his engine were never out or oroer;
and with proper attention none snoulu
yer he out OF order. lie wanted 10 know
of Mr. calder II one boiler Was not ciaSA-
Cd, and If 50, why! -. 49,. "a
n,itted tnere was rivet head on IN Boi'er
No. 4. Then he told how he mad showed
Inc Waterman how TO work the injector
ana turn water In the boiler, ana Ensl-
neer Disney had been told 10 sho" the
Waterman how 10 90 this also
Ihen Mr. kOuntree made the point that
these two were leaving hazardous WORK
ia be done by an Inexperienced man. aId
Mr.. Snead said that no fireman "oult
nre "A boiler without seeing 10 the state OF
Mir Kountree questioned Mr. Calder
about Mr. Ioier, his assistant, ana MS eA-
perience as an engineer and MT Caldet
said he was able 40 start OF stop an en-
zine and had been trusted with the Clty
Hall boilers for several hours at time.
MIR. Calder admitted that the gauge COCKS
are out Of oru,r. and tnat the arcn DrlcAs
I'M the boilers were down, in TWO OF them
worse than in the others, also.
MIR Gunst had heard that Mr.. IoleI
had run everything for two days once.
and Mr. Calder denied 1t, and SAID that
once when Mr. Disney was SICK, ne Sal-
der) did the work himself, while MI lVier
tttenoed TO his usual uutits.
Engineer Disney was called on next, and
old OF his serving his time at and leaving
me Richmond Locomotive Works as
PRACTICAL machinist and engineer, and re-
living TO Mr. ROuntree, said that MT.
roler was a willing and faithful man, and,
n case OF need II alone. could stop the
machinery until Mr.. Calder or himself
ould come TO II. and the delay until then
would he the only thing 10 cause trouble.
Mr. Disney told OF the great amount
Z renair work done by him on the ma
chinery, and said that nothing had been
paid out for repairs since he had been
tbera