Perth Amboy evening news., 1911-08-16
FIND FRAUD IN
CAPITOL WALL
Tearing Away for Addition to
Building Reveals Secret.
Special to the EVENING NEWS.

~f~N'NN ~
Trenton, August 16:-In remoV-
ing the Indiana stone from the west
erly end of the State House prepar-
atory to erecting the new addition
authorized by the Legislature it has
been discovered that the interior
of the wall was never properly con-
structed and to put it in proper
condition will cost the state $500.
The front wing Of the capitol was
completed in 1889 and was erected
following the fire of March 81, 1885,
which completely destroyed the old
front portion of the building. The
contractor was the late Robert S,
Johnson, of this city.
The stone was carefully removed
from the end of the State House
to use it on the front of the addi-
ton, in order that the front of the
new part might exactly match the
present front. In this way the
whole interior construction Of the
wall has been exposed, showing the
faults. The exterior stone work and
the interior terra Gotta appear to
have been properly laid. 1t was in
the brickwork between, forming the
center of the wall, that the work
was skimped.
The exposed work shows that
most of the bricks were simply laid
in loosely without mortar or other
binding material. In some sections
the bricks were stood on end instead
of laying them in the proper man
ner. In some other sections the
wall indicates that the bricks were
merely dumped in loosely from the
bod.
When State Architect George E..
Poole, who drew the plans for and
has charge of the construction of
the addition, discovered the condi-
ton Of the wall he became fearful of
the result should a p~rotraCted storm
break. The wall Will, necessarily,
have to be exposed some time while
the walls of the addition are being
erected, and while there is believed
to be no danger of the old wall col
lapsing as 1t stands now, Mr., Poole
thought a severe storm might dam
age 1t so that it would fall. He put
the situation up to the State House
Commission, composed of the Gov
ernor, the State Treasurer and the
State Comptroller, and 1t has de-
cided that the wall must be
strengthened. This will be done by
putting a concrete facing on 1t.
This will be accomplished by
building a cribbing a few inches
from the old wall, a story at a time,
and then pouring in the concrete.
As the concrete for the first story
nardens, the second story section
Will be erected in the same manner,
md so on The concrete will run
nto all the bad sections of the wall
thus will make 1t as solid as
t should have been when originally
The work will cost $500.
he State House Commission de-
ided 1t would be too risky to con-
building operations without
trengthening the wall.
nt +-~+to~ ~oenI1o tho Stren-
enA Sght- Gsde after the Are Hai
love the capitol to Newark. ibis
roposition was defeated after a
picturesque political fight. The
front was then authorized
The walls were to be of solid fire
proof brick masonry, faced with
light colored Indian stone, known as
Salem Oolithic."
The first appropriation for the
front was made in 1885 and was
$50, 900. In 1886 a further appro-
priation Of s225,OOO was made.
The new addition will cost $780,
900 and will extend the front of the
capitol forty-three feet to the west.
1t will provide additional accommo-
dations in the office Of the State
Treasurer and the State Comptroller
on the first floor, the Offices of the
Court of Chancery on the second
floor and the State Library on the
third floor.