The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-04-01
WITHOUT REGARD TO HOURS.
COURT MARTIAL LIKELY NOW TO
HOLD TWO SESSIONS A DAY.

huu MAJ w lklaE0 OF
Vicksburs on the Stand-They Con-
slider Capt. Carriers Work All
Right and His Construction OF
Specifications and Contracts Cor
rect-Mr. Ripley Again Under Cross
Examination.
The future sessions of the Carter court
martial are not to be limited TO the hours
prescribed by the articles of war.
Gen. Elwell S. Otis, president of the
court, received a telegram yesterday from
Adjt Gen. H. c. Corbin, stating that the
President had given authority for the
court martial before which Capt. o. NJ.
Carter is on trial to sit without regard to
hours
This means that the court martial can
sit as many hours every day as the mem
bers of the court desire In accordance
with the articles of war, court martial
is allowed to sit only between the hours
of 8 O'Clock a. m. and o'clock p. m. The
present court has been meeting at 10. 1890
or II O'Clock every day and adjourning
shortly before o'clock. 1t is probable
now that the court will hold both morning
and afternoon sessions.
1t is absolutely necessary, Gen. Otis
said after the telegram had been read
by Col. Barr, that this case be expedited
as much as possible. All of the officers
of the court take that view of it, Capt.
Penny, after he had heard the telegram,
objected to an adjournment at that time
and wanted to continue the session of the
court until O'Clock. Another officer NOV
ed that the court adjourn to meet at
o'clock. Both of these propositions were
voted down by the court, and a motion
to adjourn to 10 o'clock this morning was
carried.
The court will probably meet at 10
o'clock every morning now, and adjourn
at 2 o'clock for dinner, then an afternoon
session may be held from to O'clock
In that way the testimony can be gotten
in much more rapidly, and two days work
can be gotten in where heretofore there
mas been only one.
1t looks as if there were a desire on the
part of the war department to have the
officers composing the court back at their
posts. Even in the event of any trouble
with Spain the court would continue its
adjourn indefinitely. 1t is probable, how
ever, that even with two sessions a day
the court will be here at least four weeks
longer.
Col. Barr did not appear to like the idea
of the long sessions on account of the
record. He stated to the court that he
did not have a sufficient number of Sic
nographers to keep up the record from
day to day. The record now amounts to
q - ..-ftl,
500 exhibits, making total of something
more than 500, 900 words.
There were Two military and one civil
engineers on the stand before the court
martial yesterday The questions dealt
with related wholly to the engineering
features of the work, with a little some
thing about Office methods in connection
with letting contracts.
The examination of Mr.. Fl. C. Ripley
was discontinued for while, for the pur
pose of putting on the stand two officers of
the engineer corps, who came here at the
instance of the defense.
Maj F. A. Mahan, stationed at Mont
gomery, Ala, in charge of river and har-
bors on the Alabama and West Florida
coasts, was the first witness. He was
asked a number of questions by Mr.. Blaii
with regard to details of specifications
lie considered that the lath yarn used
to bind fascines complied with the specif-
cations calling for tarred rope. Mai Ma
han thought the specifications had been
complied with in the details which were
submitted to him.
Under the specifications for the con-
struction of the Cumberland sound ietties
he was satisfied six courses of mattresses
should have been put in as a foundation.
In Capt. Carters project of expenditure
for Cumberland sound, he did not consider
that in using the phrase mattress heart
ing" it was Capt Carters intention to
violate the project of the board by using
mattresses instead of stone. He con5id-
cred the words mattress hearting" refer
red entirely to the old project, where mat
tress hearting was used.
1t was good engineering, he said, for the
officer in charge to apply for permission
to commute a portion of the jetty work
at Cumberland sound into dredging. IN
der the circumstances % cents a cubic
yard was not excessive for the dredging
there on the ocean bar
1t is thoroughly proper Mai Manan
said for the officer in charge to call for
one bid on the three different types of
mattresses. 1t should be in the discretion
of tho officer to use whichever kind he
thinks proper
The military fascine mattress suggested
by Capt Gillette, he said, would sink
much more quickly on an ocean bar than
would the brush mattress built by Capt.
Carter.
The green fascine in the court room, he
considered, complied fully with the speci-
fications calling for brush fascnes. On
the cross-examination, he said if the spec
ihcations called for fascines from 80 to
100 feet in length. ana those furnished
were from 10 to IS feet, the specifications
would not be complied with. Fascines of
that length could be used wherever nee
essary
Mai Mahan said he usually endeavored
to advertise thirty days for bids, except in
certain cases. He looked upon advertising
largely as a matter Of form. He never
sent out but one copy of specifications ex-
cept where he absolutely knew a man ex-
pected TO bid.
Maj. Mahan stuck closely to his interpre-
tation of the mattress hearting" phrase,
making little change in his former state
ments when cross-eXamined.
Mai. Mahan made a clear, concise and
positive witness, his IDEAS conforming 70
those of Capt. Garter upon the work in
this district. He thought Capt. Carriers
Interpretation of the contracts let in this
district correct, and considered the work
as explained 10 him had been well done.