Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-12-29
MORGAN EXPLAINS
HIS CONCEALMENT
OF PIERS BULGE
Discharged Engineer Says That
He Sought to Save Face of
Harbor Commissioners

II was In the belief that his admis-
sion concerning the bulging out of
Pier o Mould save the harbor board
from disgrace, tnat J. G. Morgan, for
mer assistant engineer, decided to con-
fess that he had falsifIed In the mat
ter.
Morgan told the story to the Star
Bulletin today, rather slowly and rath-
er hesi.atingly as he looked back over
the weeks that have elapsed since he
first learned that the wall was bowed
out and resolved to keep the matter
secret even froi5 the toard itself.
He declares That Charles r. Forbes,
chairman. and members of the board
knew rothing about the bow in the
wall, blt that Forbes and Mccarthy
knew that II md cracked at the cor
ner. II was a. this time that the
dredging was o,5ered stopped.
Feared Design Attacked
Il see now that was in the wrong, .
said Morgan today, but | felt that
the wharf was safe after its first
bulge. + thought the design of the
wharf would he attacked IL the fact
that the wall was out was announced,
when as a matter OF fact the wall was
never designed 10 allow the sort Of
hydraaiic fill that the Lord-Young
people forced into 1t.
''The wall went out in about three
days TO the extent o: five inches, but
am confident that it stopped as
soon as the filling ceased. II the fill
had kept on it would undoubtedly have
gone still more"
Declares Contractors Knew
Morgan declares that he and the
contractors wera fellow conspirators In
the game. They knew the wall was
out as well as ne, though I'D Lord had
previously laughed when warned that
the hydraulic flll would raise trouble,
he says. Morgan tells Of how he him.
self iuggled the figures SO that the
carpenters nigh. set up the top section
OF wall in line.
Il wo ild find out how much the cop
per plug was off, he says, land then
give figures to the carpenter so the
forms would % in line. | did not
feel that this was any great crime so
long as the wall was safe, anyhow.
Sees Revelation Coming
cit was not until after the meeting
on Saturday %hen the decision was
made % have an investigation by two
engineers that I decided to tell all, !"
says the former official. Il saw that
the investigation would show that the
waH bowed, and that the disgrace
would then fall on the board. decid-
led to put the blame on myself"
Charges Playing Politics
Morgan makes another remarkable
statement 10 The effect that the mo-
1ion Of Commissioner Mccarthy to dis
harge him dishonorably instead OF
Excepting the teadered resignation was
"a political moye-that the colonel was
playing politics.
Maybe ! am biased in this regard, y
Morgan admits, 'but the first thing
Mccarthy said On the night Of the ex-
ecutivs session was not for the safety
OF the wall bu. the likelihood of its
preventing appropriations for future
jobs"
Greesr IS Exonerated
William Greger, inspector, knew
nothing of the bulge in the wall, ac-
cording 20 Morgan, as ii happened at
the time Greger was off the job with
"a blackened eye from the mix with
Victor ives. Morgan says that he him.
self was the sole territorial representa-
tive on the work then for several
days, during which time the line went
out.
He hoped to I'rotect Forbes. also, by
eonfesslag. No. that Forbes knew of
the bow, he says, but that ne would
have 1een attacked for it il the first
Investigation nad been made. Forbes
expressed the belief i'm a letter to the
board Wednesday that the action by
Morgan was "t1 save his chief in. a
sense of mistaken loyalty.