The Port Gibson reveille. [volume] (Port Gibson, Miss.) 1890-current, 1904-05-19
Our New Court House.

cost, contract and construction o.
the building than ''hearsay,"
will endeavor to write a few fact:
in the matter. 1t was determined
to remodel the court house and
build a new Jail last June, 1.-THE old
Jail having been condemned, both
OH account of insecurity and for
sanitary reasons. Accordingly
plans and specifications were adopt
ed and a contract let in July to
Messrs. Lewman & Co. for $a2, go.
This contract included building the
wings to court house proper, a por-
tico in front, tower and jail a
clock was to be put in the tower
also enlarging court room by re-
moving south wall, thus including
old grand jury room, and space oc-
cupied by stair in new court room.
1t being understood that the old
walls were in a bad condition and
would need strengthening in many
places and that new floor tinbers
would be needed, and old openings
closed, and new doors and windows
put in, in old part of building, a scale
of UNIT prices was agreed upon,
viz: for excavation, 81 per cubic
yard for concrete, $I.o5 per cubic
foot for brick work, $I.oS per Gu
bic foot; for plaster, SI.o5 per
square yard, and for all lumber
used in bracing or strengthening
roof and for snoring, S7o per M. !;
this latter price included all nails
and iron bolts used in connection
with the lumber, and also labor on
same steel beams, TIC. per pound
and cast iron, lintels, ETC., SC. per
pound. Immediately after the con-
tract was made, it was decided to
add three feet to each wing. This
necessitated preparation by archi-
tect of new floor plans, putting in
longer and stronger steel beams
and spacing them closer to receive
the hfepro66ng. This being extra
work, was charged at UNIT prices.
1t being decided a new slate roof
was necessary, it was put on at
cost of $40.
After removing the rear (south)
wall of the old court room, it was
found the roof trusses were not ad-
to sustain the weight of the
tower. Therefore they had to be
and three large brick
piers were built from the ground to
secure floor, and these augmented
by cast iron columns to support the
weight of tower and roof, (the
fourth column rests on three steel
beams across corner of 6reproof
vault. All this came in at UNIT
prices.
In September another contract
was made for putting in U. S. sys-
tenn of freproof floor in second story
for $4,000. Very naturally the board
thought this included a wood floor
on top of concrete, and plaster cell
ing on under side, but the architect
ruled that a wood floor and plaster
ceiling were not included in a con-
tract for U. s. system of freproof-
ing. UNIT prices again.
I will here say that a clause in
the contract left all disputes as to
the work between the board super
visors and the contractors, to be de-
cided by the architect. In justice
to the contractor will say there
was no extra charge for floor of
court room, and he made a lib
eral Cd reduction on his bill for
plastering. The architect decided
that the chimney stack in rear of
Jail, for steam heating, was an ex-
ira and the contractor S bill for same
about $425, which he reduced to
$500. It was found the walls of
old building were badly cracked or
bulged in places and foundations un-
dermined. This had to be strength
ened by brick pilasters and concrete
under foundations, the old walls
having been built without footing
or projections.
With the contracts. new roof and
extras, at UNIT prices, the cost of
building is little over $52, 900, to
which must be added S per cent.
which the architect was to receive
as commission for furnishing plans,
details, supervising and incidentally