Daily Kennebec journal., 1906-10-23
OTHER FIGURES.
". D, PenneII Of Lewiston,
Gives Mill Valuation.
Examined Edwards Plant Last
February at Agents Request.
His 0ujuion Of Makes Of Machinery Clashes
With Opinions Of Other Experts.

| hearing throughout yesterdays scs-
sion. At the opening Attorney Will
| hanson for the city asked for a copy
of the schedule that was to be used by
| the witness in his testimony This
Attorney Baker for the company de-
clned to give him until proper time"
After som" discussion it was left that
way, Mr.. Baker asking some prelimi-
nary questions before the schedules
We're passed around.
Mr.. Pennell came to Augusta. went
down to the mill and met Mr.. Pratt.
| asked for Il schedule of the machinery
and then went into No. ! mill. i'll the
lower room. Mr.. Penncll described
| his method of looking over each ma
chine, taking off the bonnets and boxes
| that conceal working parts, cxa,nin-
ing bearings and studs upon which
gears run and Of otherwise carefully
examining the machinery. He also cX-
amined the wheels. canal canal walls
| and other items that compose the wat
er power.
| He went on to say that there are
several ways of stating the value of
such property. among them the value
| per spindle and also per square foot
| of floor space. The witness spent the
best part of two days figuring out his
results and then wrote Mr.. Pratt a
letter giving him the sum of the work.
The schedules that We're to he used
| by the witness were passed at this
| time among the commissioners and
counsel AS soon as Attorney William
son saw the schedule he at once OBJ
jeCted to its use, as he claimed that il
contained much that was of an arSu
mcntativc nature and that his notes
| We're really his testimony. This he
objected to because it would give undue
prominence to Mr.. Pencils testimony.
There was considerable argument
among the attorneys and Mr.. William
son made formal objection. Counsel
for the company insisted on the use
of the schedule by the commissioners
and Chairman BaSSett ruled, after con-
Sultation with the other members of
the board that they themselves were
competent to pick out from the type
written data, that which was OF value
and that which was not
In regard to mill No. | Mr.. Pennell
said that he found it Very different
from what he expected to find it. The
rooms are exceedingly dark and lit
struck me that all tho structure was
| worth was What the beams and wood
work would bring for fire wood and
| what the bricks WOud be worth after
they had been cleaned. to use in another
building. In examining the beams and
| noOrS he found beams that had been
spliccd and had the appearance of be-
ing in an unsafe condition. ON the
second floor he said that he measured
the bookings under one end of a ma
chine and found them to be from AZ
TO Az inches. The rooms were very
low posted indeed. the windows very
small. On the whole he considered the
building very poorly constructed for
one i'll which to put machines The
annex was in Very similar condition,
being SO years of age
| In No. he found the floors umsatis-
factory the arrangement of towers was
not adapted to tn" best results and the
beams were out of line. The upper floor
Ing was in rather bad shape. Asked
whether he found some of the machinery
being operated down in the cellar. he re-
piled that he did not remember. In ref
ercnce to the light Of Mill No. >, he said
that the lighting facilities were not up to
the standard set by modern mills, were
not proper for the conditions TO-DAY
He was asked how important he con
sIiercd the light question. In reply Ii.
said, II consider it orn of the most i'm
portant things that you have To deal
! with. 1t is essential to good work.
Number :; mill he declared very nm
satisfactory in many ways. There was
evidence Of settling, the walls We're
cracking. the beams We're out Of plumb
and it had been necessary to build a
tower on one side to retain the walls.
Should say that the walls We're seven or
eight inches out of plumb. The basement
beneath was of no value for manufacture
ing purposes for it was flooded at times.
THIS building is also subject 70 I'll" same
objections to light as are Mills No. /
and No. .. AS the building was but %
wears old. the witness should say that
the present conditions Nvcrc traccahlc 20
faulty construction IN the first place
The building contained a large percent
age ot looms as the witness remembered
it.. some on the third floor. causing CON
siderable vibration. which was objection
able. The looms should be on the ground
| floor. He could not say whether he no
ticed that the looms were slowed down
on account of this vibration or not.
| While inspecting Mills No. and No =.
the witness called Mr. Pratts attention
to some or the brickwOrk that he con
sidercd very poorly put together.
He was asked the question as to
whether i'll general arrangement extra
floor space. extra towers and with the
| ma cfrnery scattered. the whole arrange
mcnt would be ar expensive plant to run.
His reply was that he would have his
machinery as close together rs possible.
This plant is patched UP like the Dana
mills at Wcstbrook-a patchwork quilt.
| In conclusion the witness placed a
value Of $3.50 per spindle on the buildings
or approximately $4,000 for the lot.
He then took up the machinery. He
went first into the picker room. found
some of the pickers TN fair shape and
some to be very old. The trunk system
| in use was not the best In the Hill mill
Mr. Pennell has the Robinson trunk. 81
feet iii length and n great deal OF Girt
is given an opportunity to fan off in
passing that distance. Everything in this