Answer. Where they are exposed to the weather it is very defective construction, and should always be avoided, particularly in a salt atmosphere where joints tend to and hasten disintegration. The capitals for the Capitol are in two pieces, but for Charleston, for the reason assigned. would be better in one. Question. Did you take an inventory of all other rough and cut stock for the Charleston custom-house that was pointed out to you by Messrs. Dixon and Weber, and what is its character and value? Answer. I did; and found it to consist of several parts of architrave and parts of cornice in an unfinished state, with the exception of one piece, all amounting in value to $4, 188 95. Twenty-nine oneeighth () pieces of capitals, twenty-six roughed out, and three partly finished, valued at $4,326 97; and thirteen blocks of rough stock in sheds and yard, valued at $2,300. The whole stock, labor, &c., amounting in the aggregate to $10,815 92. Question. Is this valuation based on the prices charged in the invoice for stock, labor, &c. Answer. For the twenty-nine parts of the capitals it is, but for the parts of architrave and cornice, and the thirteen blocks of rough stock, on the contract, as far as it is possible to interpret it. Question. Is $10,815 92 a fair or reasonable price for the stock, rough and cut? Answer. It is a very high valuation. Question. About what percentage of that sum would be a liberal market price? Answer. About fifty per cent. Question. From your experience as an expert and knowledge of specifications and other papers upon which proper and reliable contracts are usually made for the erection of other works of like character, state what is your opinion of the papers before you, purporting to be a contract upon which the marble and work you have examined has been valued and paid for. Answer. It is a loose, irregular, and indefinite paper; to be interpreted only by its author, and as such not known to the profession of the architect or civil engineer. Question. From its character may it not have been so construed as to make the cost of all the stock and work thus far delivered, received, and paid for, of the like over-value and cost of the capitals you examined. Answer. It may have been; and the amount thus far expended on the building so very far exceeds the real value of the work done as not only to favor but to justify the assumption. As I have only had one reliable paper before me, the invoice for the capitals already referred to, with the contract and the department's reported experditure thus far on the whole building, I am unable to form or give a more definite opinion; for it is only by an examination of the whole. of the invoices and computation of the quantities of stock and labor furnished and inspection of the stock that its correct and real value can be determined. CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA. No appropriation was made at the last session of Congress for the continuation of the work upon the new custom-house at Charleston, South Carolina, but $5,000 was appropriated for preserving the work. and $15,000 for the payment of materials delivered. In accordance with the policy indicated by this action, instructions were issued to the contractor to deliver no more materials except such as might be in process of shipment at the time of the receipt of such instructions, and payment has been confined to the cargo then in transit, of about thirty tons, which was delivered at Charleston on the 7th of August. No payments have been made on previous deliveries. Instructions were also issued to the superintendent to confine the work to the available means. His project of operations under these instructions was approved, and if the directions of the department are carried out the appropriation will be exhausted upor the date of the commencement of the coming session of Congress. (December 3, 1860.) The act of appropriation directed the Secretary of the Treasury to state, in his "next annual report on the finances, the amount of further appropriations that may be required to finish this customhouse, and the time necessary to complete the same, and whether any changes can be made, consistent with the purposes for which the building is intended, which will reduce the cost of completion." In accordance with this direction I received your instructions to inspect this work, as well as the one at New Orleans, and obtain the necessary data to enable you to make the required report, and to accompany it with such recommendations as this office would deer desirable after such inspection; but, as you are aware, it has beet impossible for me, up to the present date, to be absent a sufficient time for the purpose. I, however, anticipate being able to make the journey as soon as the active out-door operations cease for the season, in time for the matter to be made a subject of special report to Congress during its present session. A general summary of the work done during the year is as follows The marble masonry has been carried up to the modillion course on the east side of south front, and the columns and architraves set of the north side of east front; the girders and beams for ceiling over court-room in west wing, the iron columns and girders in east wing and the beams in north wing for attic floors, have been set and the arches turned between them; the heating and ventilating flues in basement nearly completed; part of the foundation and arch for western steps built, with other small details of construction. The total number of pieces of marble set, which had been received from contractors, is forty-three pieces, and of granite four pieces, only four of these forty-three pieces of marble being from the shipment received August 7. These four enabled the superintendent to set thirty-nine of those already in hand, which had been kept from place waiting this shipment. One hundred and forty-six thousand nine hundred bricks have been laid during the year, while 30, 190 feet of lumber have been used, with 4,909 pounds of iron. There are now on hand fit for use at Charleston 649 pieces of marble and 100 pieces of granite, which, from their nature, cannot be set until further deliveries are made by the contractor. This cannot be done until authority of Congress is obtained therefor, by additional appropriation for continuing the work. If it be the policy of Congress to have the work cease altogether upon this building, no appropriation will be required for its preservation, as provision has already been made for such preservation as is practicable. This, at the best, is but partial, from the nature of the case. More or less injury must undoubtedly ensue from a stoppage of the work, as has already been fully detailed in former reports and in the various communications to Congress, which are here respectfully referred to, and their arguments reiterated, as the experience of the past year gives them additional weight, and fully certifies the truth of the conclusions therein presented. If Congress should, at its next session, make an appropriation to continue the work, the marble and other material required could be obtained and the work brought to a speedy completion; and to effect this an immediate appropriation for continuing the work during the coming year of $500,000 would be required. Total amount of appropriation Amount withdrawn to September 30, 1860 Balance available (Report of S. M. Clark, September 30, 1860, pp. 10, 11.) $2,073,000 00 2,029,433 36 43,566 64 The roof of the building has required renewal during the year. The plan adopted was an experiment, which proved a failure, as it leaked in every portion, materially injuring and defacing the interior work of the building. It has been reconstructed (in part) on wellestablished principles; and, so far as progressed, is entirely impervious to water; and will probably be permanently satisfactory. The balance of it is in progress of construction, and will be completed before winter. The cost has been largely greater than it would have been if properly built at the outset, independent of the cost of repairing the injury to the plaster work.-(Extract from Report of S. M. Clark, September 30, 1860, pp. 27, 28, referring to roof of Treasury Extension.) [FROM EX. Doc. No. 96, 1ST SESSION 34TH CONGRESS.] TREASURY DEPARTMENT, April 29, 1856. SIR In compliance with the resolution of the House of Representatives passed April 7, 1856, asking certain information regarding the contracts for materials, &c., to be used in the Treasury extension, I have the honor to submit the following papers: No. 1. Copies of all advertisements for proposals. No. 3. Copies of all contracts for materials and labor. No. 4. Estimate of probable amount of materials required under said contracts, and to complete south wing. No. 5. Statement exhibiting the cost of tools, teams, shops, sheds, derricks, steam-engine, and other machinery. The contracts state the place from which the granite is to be brought, except in the case of McCloy & Co., and Sumwalt & Green. The former comes from Richmond and the latter from Maryland. Quantity of granite required, 98, 235 cubic feet. In reply to the inquiry "whether any alterations or modifications have been made in any of the said bids or proposals after the same were opened," I have to state that no alterations or modifications were made in any of the bids, proposals, or contract. In reply to the inquiry "whether any, and if so, what, portion of said material has been purchased or contracted for without public notice having been first given," &c., I have to state that, from the advanced state of the season when the work was commenced, and to expedite operations, I determined to purchase the materials for the foundation in open market; and with this view I caused application for offers to furnish materials for the basement to be made to all persons engaged in the business of furnishing such, to obtain the best quality, cheapest, and in the shortest time, and when this was accertained they were purchased from the lowest dealer, considering the material. Memoranda of the offers and their acceptance accompany this. In the advertisement calling for proposals for granite, in the absence of the superintendent, the officer in charge of the work, not knowing the decision of the department as to the mode of procuring the materials for the basement, added the last clause to the advertisement, calling for bids for materials for the cellar walls. The contract for the granite for this part of the work was signed two days before the opening of the bids. The proposals for the granite for the superstructure did not, however, contain the item for the basement. No portion of the work or labor is done by contract, except what is herein before referred to. The The present derricks were not designed to set the columns. additional machinery for the purpose will probably cost $1,600. The following is a list of the prices paid by the day for the various descriptions of labor: A careful examination of the bids shows that many of them are not concise on points of vital importance; such as not specifying the quality of the cutting, or the number of blocks of which they propose to form the shafts of the columus. Some of the proposals state that the cutting is to be equal to the "sample;" but as the sample has four different qualities of cutting, it is impossible to say which of the four is meant. As to the number of pieces comprising the shaft, some of the bids are explicit, while others propose to make it in two or three pieces; others, again, propose, for a stated sum, to furnish the shaft, without specifying the number of pieces of which they propose to make it. As the cost of these columns increases with the increased size of the stone or stones composing them, and with the quality of the workmanship put upon them, it is evident that a bid not explicit on those points would, if accepted, lead to interminable difficulties in deciding the quality of material and workmanship meant by the bidder or expected by the government. The following is a list of the bidders, and the gross amount of each bid, for all the granite required in the superstructure; and, opposite to each name, a note, showing wherein some of the bids are not explicit : 7. Sargent, Frederick & Field ... 8. M. G. Emery. 368, 023 559, 689 9. Gault & Brother 406, 641 Style of cutting below standard, and stock inferior to that selected. Does not offer Style of cutting below standard, and is in- 466,890 Indefinite as to the number of pieces for 266, 355 312,050 322,395 352, 506 Do. Does not propose for shaft in one piece. Lowest marble bid. Stock proposed, that in use at Patent Office, large Baltimore crystal. Dencient in strength, bearing only a pressure of 80,057 pounds to the cubic inch, as shown by result of examination by government commissioners. Other marbles of good quality range from thirteen to twenty thousand pounds. |