The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1904-02-25

s lafSon are but arbitrary Since this in-
stanalon there has been no complaint
of the presence or suspicion OF the ex-
istence of sewer gas, and the location
Of the closets Is such that if the pres
Se,,ea did actually exist there could be
no s7efrinaTt 10 fhe heath or lives of
fhe aecupants OF the State house.
This determination on. the part Of the
committee TO make this arrangement
ssysas most fortunate. as subsequent
events provea. for the discovery was
abailt that time made that the old
Swater closets had been silently and un-
s1isuec4iney venting their gases
4hraneh secret and unknown f1ues in
fha brick walls of the building into
Tire ofices upon the lower floor and
spreading disease and death among the
Statess employees. The commission Of
sanitary experts appointed by Gov.
HeyWard, while critieizing some de-
ais Of Tie new work. ordered the old
closets peremptarily and Immediately
removed from the building. and in this
f3ar,aHd MFR E,lens the sanitary I'M
sDeetf,T Of yolu,al biz. ioinad The crates
orsfire ulaces "a several of the Offices
s vers s5ireetlv connected with these
closets and had IA he herIneticalIy
sealed ,,,,Fif fi,es old work was removed.
from the bui itdirg z
The condemned closets had been in
stalled at great expense to the State
sl1naer the direction of the. commission
wl,ieh arec4ad the Splendid ten tlouS-
ssna dollar steel ceiling, q, The main
lobby. nearly Is wears ago, largely un-l
fJers sian s,Inervision of Senator Mar
shall Who was then secretary of state.
iyypg desire to IMPRESS ,ipon ven the
fss.f. tha4 yt,,1 have not been put in pos
/ sessian f,f anT evidence Or statement as
to the aparent condition of the State
horse npon the day wi1ensthe accept
ance was made and the final install
u,ert paid TO: the contractor We,
~therefore INFORM YOU that when the
fWr@k svas accented and the naona. paid
! tee ~ ty7e enrnnission was made
s,.3 q he r,os with AN of its ACCESSORIES.
sn.eared 81 Y,ereect condition. and
! severv 70 sFnr,f. Ia;d 5I,nder the contract
ssvas free from craeks or apparenf de-
fects. and this uoxWiths thstanding test
period OF nearly or cutie month had
eIapsed from the date when the build
INC was rendered. during which period
we. were satisfied that a. sufficient test
had been made. During said period
there were several Drecipitations OF
rain, notably ola the 18th day Of May,
1902. when the rain began to fall about
2 o'clock IN the morning and continued
until about 4 of the same morning.
during which time ueaely an inch Of
wat fell. Rain followed again on
the 14Gh. falling during the night, and
on the 18th, when IN 81 minutes 3-4 OF
an incn of rainfall was registered.
Under this severe test the roof ap-
slasTad 80 he perfeet as far as Drotec-.
f;an from. water IS, concerned. This
ss+sfaroay4 iss nnada on ofHcisI ;yfor,na-
fioT. eiysT, rs nv the Inited States au-
fiorifies- - q
We confess with the utmost eandor
t;1at in some respects. particularIy as
roof and the foor Ights. we have
nof baaa aitogether pleased witt, the
result Of work. But these at the
worst are not as serious as would have
been bIunders involving the censtruc-
ton OF the stone work, and other more
permanent portions of the building,
which has come I'D TO the full measure
Of the exDecta ton of the commission.
1t is well to remember, however, that
we are too prone to dweE upon that
which has not come fully up to cur
expectations, while ignoring the fact
that this man probably succeeded in
more iynportant matters where another
would have been subjected to- just
criticism.
IN this communicate or ia any Of the
steps leading 40 to the opportunity
which has been accorded us by your
honorable BODY to set ourselves right
in uaking<oGr cause common with that
OF either the architect or contractor,
and have endeayored to divorce our
selves insofar az possi.ose from them.
First OF all, thoNgh out Of Office, we
are in a measure servants OF the people
and OF the general assembly, an0 If
that tribunal deeias the State to have
suffered injury from either, our first
duty is to the State.
However, it is but justice to say that
we have found the contractors in all
their dealings with us honorable busi-
ness men, whom FEe believe TO be above
suspicion OF fHrong doing, and who
sought to i've up to the true intent and
meaning Of their contract with the
State.
We desire it iteundersteod that we do
not SSclaim that it is impossible that im-
positions have been practiced upon
this commission by the architect or
contractor, for If any vital defects ex-
isl IN the building or serious mistakes
can be shown to have been made, these
must have been the outcome Of the
commission having been nlisled, but we
do assert in the most positive manner
that the findings and the conclusions