Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-03-07
Legisla; ors Disposed to Resent
Covert Attack on the Late
Engineer c. L. Linley
SHEER AT IMPROVEMENT WORK
Several Newspaper Articles Have In
timated, in Connection With the Re-
cent Elevator Tragedy at the State
Capitol, That Elevator Machinery
and Planning Thereof Was Bad.
snec,,, to T,mes-Republ!can

Special to Times Republican
Des Moines, March THE coroner
Jury making the inquisition into the
circumstances attending the death py
accident of two women in one OF the
elevators at the state house has no.
yet reported findings, but is tak'HS
time to go over the evidence and con-
slider all the phases. The matter has
continued to he topic OF discussion
among legislators and others. ana
among them there is disposition TO
resent a covert attack on the ill-fate1
engineer, c. L. Linley, the brilliant
young man who lost his life the next
day after the fire at the capltoi.
Sundry newspaper articles nave ap-
peared here in which sneers have been
cast on the work of the engineers who
planned the Improvement work which
was ordered by the last legislature.
The intimaton has been made that
the elevator machinery and the whole
planning thereof was very bad. AS q
matter of fact the elevators were In
full operation and tested and thorough
ly examined by Engineer Linley be-
fore his death. They were pronOunced
as perfect as entirely new elevators
could be made. The company which
put them in probably took especial
pains because of the conspicuous po-
slion Of the elevators. They have since
been examined and the only possible
fault was that OF slight leakage
around the piston or valve packing IN
cident to the newness-nothing that
could cause any serious disturbance.
Then there has been more or less
criticism of the plans which were made
for the general repair work under
direction OF Mr.. Linley. 1t has been
stated that the fireproof quality of the
main structure and the stability Of the
whole capitol has been destroyed by
the great holes knocked in the stone
walls of the basement. These were in
cident to the new heating apparatus or
electrical equipment ordered by the
last legislature by specific enactment.
The plans We're prepared by the abiess
engineers that could be secured. The
work was done under the personal
, supervision of MIR. Linley. The plans,
SO far as it was necessary to have
them examined for a final approval,
were gone over by Professor Bissell
OF the state college. AS a matter OF
fact the criticism of the work of these
various engineers is entirely without
other foundation than the desire of
fault finders to stir UP contention. The
wisdom Of the last legislature in Or
dering new system of heating ard
ventilation has been evident TO all dur
ing the present session. The senate
end rs heated and ventilated accord
ing to modern methods and there has
never been the slightest complaint from
the members. This is in striking cone
trast with two years ago when a COM
mittee was appointed to find out why
the rooms We're almost unfit for any
use. And in the north end OF the cap
still in use the house has been many
times in condition to invite illness
among the members. while committee
rooms have been abandoned because
of the inrpossibility Of ventilation. The
condition of the house became so bad
a few days ago that the house passed
a resolution ordering ventilation, AMI
cold draughts on numerous members
this has been secured at the risk Of