The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-03-20
PATTERSON LEFT
FULL STATEMENT
Letter to the Dam Committee
Which Was Never
Produced.

| A day or two after the first session
of the committee appointed to investi-
gate the Nuuanu dam. Mr.. Patterson.
1.-The cause of the difficulty" was called
to Kauai and appeared but once before
the committee. Before his departure
he placed the following letter in the
hands of Senator Chillingworth. What
disposition was made of the document
by the committee is not known. 1t
was not made public in the meeting
and is given here for the first time.
| Honolulu, March z, 1907.
| Chairman, Senatorial Committee.
| Dear Sir: wish to reduce to writ
ing my knowledge of the Nuuanu dam,
such as I would testify to If called be-
| fore you the second time. I do not
| wish to shirk any duty, but must be
| earning living for my family. l
have made arrangements to go to Kau-
| al tomorrow evening, where / have q
settling tank to build. This Is my rea-
son for writing thus. On March inst.
before your honorable body / made a
statement that there was on the plans
and specifications g. certain stone wall
in the inner toe of the dam known as
a rubble wall, but did not state that
this wall was marked on plan with lead
pencil drawing, which l now wish TO
correct In the specifications you will
find this class of work called for under
the head of Sec. 4, masonry. It reads: |
All classes of masonry shall be depos- |
tied in strict accordance with the lines
and grades established by the engineer |
The lines and grades of said wall was
established by the engineer and ac-
our working plan BY this clause |
you will notice that any masonry that |
the engineers located is in accordance
with specified reading. Still further in
Sec 4, you will find in class 6, the work
specified as rubble masonry shall be
of clear stone of suitable size,
quality and shape. laid in mortar COM
posed of one part cement to three parts
Of sand. Special attention being given
to having the beds and joints full of
Here is where the debate came
On proportions of cement to be used,
The engineer contending that contrac-
.or must measure the cement in unbro-
zen containers while the contractor
he should measure the ce-
nent in loose and broken barrels. On
his point they hung until Mr.. How
and struck out the work.
Now I wish to state to your commit
zee what I know about the whole con-
roversy of the DAM / reported to the
Governor about the way the work was
,eing done and also loaned him a book
N Dam Building, and Causes of Fail
Tres Of Dams He went over the work
With me and seemed satisfied I was
light. He, himself, in conversation
With me, said the wood core wall
hould be built out of cedar, also asked {
bout the way the dirt was being put
n and wanted to know if we wet the
ayers or scarified it any way before
lacing on another.
II told him we did not, and there was /
o place in specifications where it COM s
elled the contractor to wet the lay c
rs. He then said it ought to be done. :
saw the Governor a few days after
nd he told me he would choose a COM
littee of engineers of home people and }
ave them go over the work. He ask 1
q me if I would be satisfied with what {