The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-03-13

whole story left without touch ooIlie
of those contractors must be hypnot-
lists. The plea of economy doesn seem
to go.
1t is time to take another visit TO the
grand nave, which is a grand sWinoie
as well. 1t is the floor OF this winch
has caused so much discussion Mr.. Bell
of the firm which put the floor ln' was
at The Call office last night. He said
his floor was In every respect first class,
but admitted that he put 1t In at
$12, 900 less than it could have been done
under the original contract The
board" explained Mr.. Bell, said they
wanted this money to use in another
place. I understood it was TO go To-
ward the marble wainscoting in the
nave"
Very we'll But when the ooaro per
mitted Mccarthy to put IN marble IN
stead of glazed brick 1t was oistlnct-
ly stated that he was to nave TOT TINS
and other changes, any one ol which
would have been richly prontaole TO
him anyhow, the total sum OF sZ4lo.
Mr.. Bell was asked where ne sup
posed the $4,000 saved on his contract
had been applied. Naturally MI. Bel
did not know. Neither does anybody
else who seems ready to tell. But 1t
was applied TO some use; the people
paid it.
But while in the nave it is worth
while to look at this marble about
which such Growing has been done
Every charge of extravaganza, every
hostile criticism is met by the jubilant
rejoinder: But look at our narpie.
Well. let's have look, taking along an
expert SO as to be able TO appreciate
Harry Fenworth is an expert cutter
and filter of marble For three months
he worked ON this famous Walnscotine,
and he pronounces 1t defective ana
dangerous job When 1t is remembered
that the marble cost 10 cents less loot
than the glazed brick it replaced and
that for making the substitution the
contractor got extra pay, TINS TACT
seems peculiarly irritating.
THE whole north end" said Mr.. Fen
worth, has fallen over an inch. He
took out a rule, and demonstrated that
the marble had settled until between
the two extremes of the end wall there
was the difference indicated
Look at this three-inch marble band
around the cornice," he continued. 1t
has settled five-eighths of an inch In
nine feet.
The members of the holding on the
cornice," he went on, have only one
fourth of an inch bearing on each other.
According to all rules of architecture
and building, they should have an inch
oy-fn1 In
plugs are used TIA conceal the hollows
created by this shiftless method. 1t is
a scheme for saving marble. but it is
bad work"
Mr.. Fenworth called attention to
many defects which the eye could
verify. Slabs supposed to be firm
enough to stand indefinitely are so
loose that they respond to touch of
the hand. Other slabs standing side
by side are out of alignment. Where
slabs come against door frames the
junction is crude, and about the edges
discoloration has already set in.
Among the many weaknesses exposed
are two of a perilous nature. The great
slabs over the doors leading from the
nave to the ferry are insecure. Some
day." said the expert, they will fall
instead OF DelnS property AdSteHeu ny
TT bolts to a beam they are held by
eighth-inch wire which catches in the
marble three-quarters of an inch The
vibration of the doors. will loosen these |
wires and the slabs will come down,
likely with fatal results
Mr. Fenworth also declared that the
caps were so f1imsily fastened as to
be liable to come down at any time
Then ne took a glance at the mosaic
floor. The worst l ever saw" was his
comment. There is as much cement
in it as marble
1t will be recalled that the State
agreed to furnish the cement. Con-
tractors have not been backward in
taking advantage of this.
The outline printed this morning
shows some of the grand nave work
which Mccarthy was paid for emitting.
The grand knave will be the spelling of
some name before this cruel war is
over.