The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-04-15
COL. BARR WANTS FIGURES.
CONTINUED from Eighth Pase1

remember that you dtd recommend tue
annulment of MIR. Twiggs' contract Jan.
!, 1892" Col Barr asked.
Il cannot recall that did If you Will
let me see the record can tell YOU
Don't you remember writing to the
chief of engineers about the time Of the
fight between MIR. Twiggs and Mr.. Con
ant?"
Il believe I did, now, that you recall it."
did you not then recommend the'annul-
ment of the Tw,ggs contracts"
Il do not remember that l did, but If l
did it was right. I would like to see the
record on that subject. l do not propose
that my inspectors shall be beaten up
while on the works"
Col. Barr then read letter TO the chief
of engineers from Capt. Carter stating the
circumstances of the fight between Mr..
Twiggs and Mr.. Conant. and concluding
with recommendation that Mr.. Twiggs'
contract be annulled.
1T ought to have been annulled," Capt.
Carter said
But it was not annuiled was it?'
mo, sir; il was not
of $500 was due Mr. Twiggs i'm Octo-
Der and 5000 in January he would have
lost more by the annulment of his con-
tract in January than he would in Octo-
Der would he not?"
''Of course, So, 900 is more than 81. 700. But
l thought his contract should be annulled
no matter what was due him. That did
not enter into it,
The next subject touched on was that of
the caving bank just above the river i'm
provement. Capt. Carter thought that
amount of the material deposited in the
channel at its upper end He would not
estimate the amount so deposited.
LAS the Atlantic Contracting Company
was getting so many contracts In your
district why did you not advertise for
thirty days, send out and get other con-
tractors. and encourage competitions" Col
Barr asked.
THE regulations do not require that L
should advertise for thirty days. / did
try to get competition here, but you can't
drag men in unless they want to come 1
did not send out to people l did not know
anything about, but l tried TO encourage
free bidding on the work.
A letter with reference to the construc-
ton of the wharf at Tybee was read by
Col Barr. This letter to the chief
of engineers stated that there was not
time to advertise for thirty days, and
asked permission TO enter into a contract
without advertising. Capt. Carter was ask
ed if he did not have the regulations in
mind at the time requiring publications for
thirty days. He said he did not consider
that the regulations so required, and that
that matter had not entered his mind at
the time he wrote the letter.
Col. Barr questioned Capt. Carter very
closely and at length upon the subject OF
the Hirt money, the $132. 10 charged against
Mr.. Hirt for his failure to promptly re-
turn diving suit belonging TO the snag-
boat, which was engaged in raising the
steamer Santee. Col. Barr wanted to
know why the snagboat was crippled with
out the diving outfit. 1t was necessarily
crippled, Capt. Garter said with an i'm
portant part of it missing.
Capt. Carter considered that MIR. Hirt
should pay for the time of the men when
the boat was idle on account of the alb
sence of the diving outfit. With the 1872 10
he wanted to reimburse the appropriation
but found he could not do that. He did
not turn il into the treasury, because he
wanted to use it on the river improve
ments in the district He thought Mr.
Hirt should do an equivalent of work for
the time lost.
1t was true, he said, that the snagboat
was laid up in Savannah at the time Mr.
Hirt asked for the use of her. All of her
expenses were paid by MIR. IIirt while he
was using her. She was brought back
from that work and laid up in Savannah
again.
amount due by Mr.. HiTt he said he prob
ably had one of his clerks figure it out
and report 10 him. He then wrote to MIR.
Hirt for the money, his idea then being
TO reimburse the appropriation. which he
found he could not do as stated.
Col. Barr then asked Capt. Garter to
take the pay rolls for the period in ques-
ton, relating TO the snagboat, and to
figure out just how the S132.1O was ar
- Al
rolls for the snagboats for the period dur
ing which Mr.. E1irt had the boat and the
period Immediately following. Capt. Car
ter said he would not be able to figure out
the amount without the time rolls and the
subsistence rolls, which were in the en-
gineer office. The pay rolls alone would
not give the necessary data.
Col. Barr questioned Capt Carter closely
as to whether the snagboat Satilla, which
had been used by Mr.. Hirt, was not out of
commission at the time he wrote and de-
manded the $13210 the intimation being
that there was no record showing that il
was doing any work. and the pay rolls
indicating that it was out of commission.
Cant. Carter said he could not say, but
that the records would show what the
boat was doing. Mr.. Blair stated he was
satisfied that the records of the Office
would show that the snagboat was actual
da and Western Railroad wharves at the
time.
Cant. Carter was asked If he had moi
made the statement that Mr. Sterly told
him he had spent the Hirt money on his
trip to Patchogue. l.. ]. Capt. Carter was
under the impression that he said Mr.
sterly asked him IL he could use the
money, and he had told him no he could
not do il.
Capt. Carter's testimony before the
board of inquiry on this point was read
Oils statement on that occasion was thai
Mr.. Sterly had told him he used the money
on his trip to Patchogue
Capt. Carter said he may have madt
that statement before the board, but tina
he afterward- learned differently. and wa!
not allowed by his successor 10 correct his
testimony given at that time He pointed
out one or two places in the record OF The
proceedings before the board where h,
asaid Capt Gillette had refused TO allow
him TO correct his testimony though h,
said he had asked to do so.
'"Did you not learn after you make tn
statement that the Hirt money was no
received In the office until several month,
after Mr. sterlys trip to Patchogue?' Col
Barr asked
ives I have since learned that fact any