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 8 Nouid 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 hack over
the weeks that have elapsed since he
first learned that the wall was bowed
ont and resolved to keep the matter
secret even frosI the loard itself.
He declares That Charles r. Forbes.
chairman. and members OF the board
knew nothing about the bow in the
wall, bat that Forbes and Mccarthy
knew that it mad cracked at the cor
ner. IL was a. this time that the
dredging was otdered 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. l thought the design of the
wharf would he attacked il the fact
that the wall was out was announced,
when as matter of fact the wall was
never designed TO allow the sort of
hydraulic fill that the Lord-Young
people forced into it.
THE wall went out in about three
days TO the extent OF five inches, but
am confident that it stopped as
soon as the filling ceased. If the fill
had kept on il would undoubtedly have
gone still more"
Declares Contractors Knew
Morgan declares that he and the
contractors wers fellow conspirators in
the game. They knew the wall was
out as we'll as ne. though Ed Lord had
previously laughed when warned that
the hydraulic I'LL would raise trouble,
he says. Morgan tells Of how he him.
self juggled the figures so that the
carpenters nigh. set up the top section
OF waIl IN lire.
II wo lid find out how much the cop
per plug was off, he says, land then
give figures 10 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 when the decision was
made 20 have an investigation by two
engineers that / decided to tell all,
says the former official. Il saw that
the Investigation would show that the
wall bowed, Md that the disgrace
would then fallFs- the board. | decid
ed TO put the blame on myself"
Charges Playing Politics
Morgan makes another remarkable
statement to tho effect that the mo-
tion of Commissioner Mccarthy to, dis
charge him dishonorably instead of
accepting the te.dered resignation was
a political move-that the colonel was
playing politics.
Maybe / am biased in this regard,
Morgan admits, "but the first thing
Mccarthy said On the night of the ex-
eeutivs session was not for the safety
of the wall bu. the likelihood of IT'S
preventing appropriations for future
jobs
Greoer IS Exonersted
William Greger, Inspector, knew |
nothing of the bulge ip the wall, ac-
cording 70 Morgan, as it happened at
the time Greger was off the job with
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 lTotect Forbes, also, by
confesslag. Not that Forbes knew of
the bow, he says, but that ne would
have oeen attacked for it if the first
investigation nad been made. Forbes
expressed the belief in letter to the !
board Wednesday that the action by !
Morgan was. TT save his chief in a !,
sense of mistaken loyalty