The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-05-23
ROW OVER The
CITY HALL ROOF
The Mayor Sides With
the Complaining Metal
Roofers.
Declares He Will Net Sign De.
mands for Pay for the
Work.
Broderick and Creswell Stand to
Their Guns-An Investigation to
Be Held.

The members of the City Hall Com mis-
slon-Mayor Phelan, Auditor Broderick
and City and County Attorney Creswell-
had their first fight over City Hall con-
struction matters yesterday and for time
the discussion threatened to become acri-
monious.
Some time ago committee of metal
roofers called on the Mayor and repre-
sented that the roof was not being con-
structed in proper manner or according
to specifications, and asked that he make
an investigation. He looked into the con-
tracts and later stated that there was
nothing to base the complaints on.
Later. however, he sent metal-roofer
as an expert to examine the roof as to its
capability of resisting the sun and rain.
This person reported that the cement that
covers the corrugated iron is certain to
crack under the hot sun of summer, and
that leaks will follow, because the specifi-
cations for the cutters have been so
changed that the channels will not catch
the leakage, but will permit it to seep
into the walls and thus into the building.
When the Commissioners met yester
day the Mayor was primed with the re-
port. and when committee of the metal
roofers made protest against the work
going on he backed them up.
Engineer Mellis denied the statements
of the men that the roof was not being
constructed according to specifications,
but their complaint was championed by
the Mayor, who said that if the plans were
not arranged so as to insure roof that
would not leak he would refuse to sign de-
mands for payment of the work.
II am inclined TO give credence to the
statements made by these men," said the
Mayor. "They are dissatisfied worKmen,
and are, of course, DESTROYS of bringing to
light all defective work that is being done
on the roof. For the purpose of satisfying
myself l have called in experts to aid me
in my Investigations, and they have cor
roborated the statements of the mechan-
les. The roof is being constructed of con-
crete laid on flexible iron Frame and it
will surely shrink and crack, and the cop
per gatherings having been eliminated.
the rain will not be carried away. Now,
in view of these facts, l desire to say that
l intend to place the response bllity upon
the gentlemen of this commission who
awarded the contract, and / will not sign
demands for payments under the contract
until it can be demonstrated that we are
hsving roof built that will not leak
Then Com missioners Broderick and
Creswell grew wrathful. They declared
that the style of roof now being con-
structed had been selected after careful
study of authorities on roofs; that they
had consulted competent engineers. who
were far better able to judge of its merits
than those who had reported it to be
faulty.
would not leak" declared Auditor Brod-
erick, 'and you Will not be able to get a
demonstration that it will not leak. 1t
will probably let in some storm water. I
want to say right here, however, that it is
as good roof as can be constructed, and
am willing to take the responsibility of
going right on with construction"
Comm issioner CreswelI expressed him.
self likewise, and added that the commits
sion had known for eighteen months that
roofers interested in rival styles would
object to the work and try to pick flaws in
it in order to throw discred it on t he CON-
mission ana the manufacturers OF the ma
terials used.
Mayor Phelan in assisted that a mistake
had been made in changing the copper
gutterways to cement channels, but the
Auditor disagreed with him, stating that
copper gurterways gave malicious persons
a chance to cut them and flood the build
ing either for spite or to give mechanics
an opportunity to repair them.
he stated that holes In the old roof that
were supposed to have been caused by
rust had been shown to have been cut
with chisels and that it had cost several
hundred dollars to repair the damages.
He demonstrated to the satisfaction of
himself and Mr.. Creswell that the solid
cement cutters contemp plated would
not leak perez ptibly and that because of
the pitch of the roof the damage of cracks
and leaks on the slopes was small.
IL n, cfo tod hat hoC ~,
had been influenced to do away with the
copper by reason Of the experience of the
Capitol at Sacramento where whole Sec
tions of metal lad been torn off and
stolen. IT, however. there was anything
in the story that the iron used is not up
to specifications the Auditor desired an
Investigation, and it was decided to in
spect the roof during the week and probe
the matter thoroughly.