The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-01-22

written?"
Capt. Gillette wrote me letter, in
which he called for specific answers to
certain questions" Mr. Cooper said. u
did not want to answer those questions,
and to avoid it, l wrote that personal
letter.
Col. Barr said he offered the letter to
snow the condition Of mind of the wit
ness at the time. and before the letter
was written. He wanted to show that
the witness was in the same state of
mind before he saw Capt. Gillette as he
was afterward.
The court retired to consult with regard
to the admission of the letter. and in a
few moments Gen. Otis returned and said
the court would have to see the letter, as
II had no knowledge of what it con-
tanned. The letter was then turned over
to Gen. Otis.
rms IS the letter, a personal letter to
capt. Gillette from Mr. Cooper, which was
placed before the board of inquiry. in
Whlch Mr.. Cooper first stated that Capt.
carter mad been lenient with the contrac-
tors IN return for their favor in boost.
ing MIN along in Washington, through
whlch boosting" Mr. Cooper considered.
or thought, Capt. Carter had received the
appointments as military attache at LON
don, and on the Nicaragua Canal Com
mission.
The court" Gen. Otis said, when It
IetuIheu, sustains the objection of the
accused" thus ruling the letter out.
Inc contract price for mats in the Sa-
vannah river work was 95 cents per square
yard, Mr. Cooper said. Col Barr here
concluded his examination OF the witness.
mag. W. 5. Stanton, member of the
corps Of engineers, with headquarters at
OsWego, N. Y, had prepared quite a list
u questiohs Tor the witness, and began
to interrogate him.
In answer to question IN, No; ctor
ton, Mr.. Cooper said Capt. Carter had
never read over the specifications of any
contract with him, and asked him If he
clearly understood them. Mr.. Cooper said.
however that he did clearly understand
all the requirements in the Specifications
under the contract. He said well trimmed
brush was preferable in the work. he
cause more hight and a firmer foundation
could be secured with it. Under the con-
tract of 1896 none of the brush was well
trimmed, to the best of his knowledge and
belief. He did not think any brush had
been well trimmed under any contract in
the full meaning of the term well trim
med"
would well trimmed brush increase the
price," Maj. Stanton asked.
Il should say it would" was the re-
ply; 'it would involve more expense"
IF it increased the price, why was it
retained in the successive contracts?" was
asked.
Il cannot answer that" he said. Il was
entirely in the field, and never consulted
as to the preparation of the specifica-
tons"
Did Capt. Carter ever ask you to make
any suggestion as to how the work could
! be cheapened, or made more effective?"
Maj. Stanton asked.
He did with regard to the field work"
was the reply. and with regard to the
! amount of rock to be used, and also as to
| the best method of carrying on the field
! work, but never with regard to the speci-
| fications."
The details of field work, he explained,
| were as to the amount of rock to be used
! on mats, and as to the best method of
constructing dams. In the breakwater
| there were used 125 mats, he said, four
| single course mats and 121 of three courses.
| There were none of more than three
| courses under the contract of 1895. The
! hight of a one course mattress under the
! specifications would be twenty-five inches,
he said, but practical points might some
! times increase that. The hight of two
course mattress would be twice that, CT
| fifty inches, less four inches, taken off on
| account of the overlapping of the grillage
poles. In the same way, he said. the
hight of a three-course mat should be
five feet and seven inches.
What hight did Capt. Carter tell you to
accept for a 3-course mattress?' Maj.
Stanton asked.
1T was four and a half feet as l remem-
Der it," the witness SAID.
| "Did the training walls built with the
mattresses described retain their hight or
did more brush have to be added?' was
asked.
"They settled very nearly one-half, when
the rock was placed on them" was the re-
ply. 4 can't say whether storms or action
| IF the sea effected them"
| The amount of hight gained in the tram
ing walls in the river for each one course
mattress was less than a foot in the mn
| ished work. he said. In no instance was IL
more than a foot. In the Oh works extra
brush and sometimes extra mattresses
were used to bring up the hight. There
would have been renewals necessary with
| fascines. he said, but not so much
| s"Theu is it a sound conclusion that tlght
fascines make a better training wall?'
| Mai Stanton asked.
"Decidedly, taking the price into consld-
Grafton" was the answer If the price
ner square yard to be paid, is the same
then the fascines will be much cheaper
Thev will make a more durable wall ana
cost less for maintenance.
"Tt is required" Maj. Stanton said,
"tbat the contractor shall have respon-
sible representative on the works. VINO
was that representative under the contract
of 1862 o, >, ,,.o, +bo ra-
ply. -. oo,,oa 70 tho de-
Walton of the mattresses in quality from
what the specifications called for| was
asked. ~. ., ,.o- the
reply. ,.-.oroos9n osl,ed
Maj. Stanton. A.
81 do. 1 called his attention 10 tne
matter myself" was the answer.
"What did he do?" was the next ques-
ton. o.,. 1, favor or
the brush. saying it would fill up ana 90
hetter work. was the reply
'"You say you clearly understood tle
specifications
II do" was the reply.
"Did YOU ever make demand on tne
RESPONSIBLE representative of the cohtrac-
tor that he put in mats as required py the
specifications? Maj. stanton asked;
II don't think l did" was the reply
"Why not?"
"Recause 1 realized that the demand
sbould be made by Capt. Carter. Inc
mats were being made as Capt. carter
wanted them. l obeyed orders ana ala