. Doc SEWER THROUGH THE BOTANIC GARDEN. LETTER FROM THE COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS RELATIVE TO The sewer through the Botanic Garden. JANUARY 21, 1867.-Referred to the Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds and ordered to be printed. OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONER of Public Buildings, CAPITOL OF THE UNITED STATES, Washington City, January 19, 1867. SIR: I have the honor to enclose a report required by a proviso in the civil appropriation act of last session, relative to the sewer through the botanic garden. I commenced this report more than a month ago, as its date indicates, but circumstances beyond my control have delayed the finishing of it to this day. When it is known that I have only a single clerk to aid me in the performance of the onerous duties of this office, I trust the delay in making this report will be excused. I am, with high respect, your obedient servant, Hon. SCHUYLER COLFAX, B. B. FRENCH, Commissioner of Public Buildings. Speaker of the House of Representatives. OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC BUILDINGS, December 17, 1866. SIR: In conformity with the directions contained in the proviso attached to the appropriation" to complete the sewer through the botanic garden," contained in the appropriation act for civil expenses, approved July 28, 1866, (Laws United States, first session thirty-ninth Congress, page 325,) I have the hono to make the following report: That the following extract from my annual report made to the Secretary of the Interior on the 30th of October last, and by him submitted to Congress, gives the reasons why I delayed advertising for proposals until October, 1866, viz: "When the appropriation of fifteen thousand dollars was finally made at the last session, a proviso was attached that the work under it should be done by contract. This proviso was added at the last moment of the session, and the law not being published for considerable time after the session closed, I did not know of the proviso until, perhaps, a month after Congress adjourned. My health was then such that my physician peremptorily ordered that I should leave all business for at least a month, and early in September I left the city on leave of absence. Nothing could properly be done in my absence, and, as there was not money enough appropriated to pay arrearages and complete the work, it was questionable what it was my duty to do. On my return, in Oetober, I found the men who had been employed in anticipation of an appropriation clamoring for their pay. They were poor and needed it. I ascertained that there was a sufficient sum to pay arrearages and to complete the side walls of the culvert, ready for the arch, to Third street, its terminus. Upon consultation with the Secretary of the Interior, after inspecting the work with him, he advised that I should pay all arrearages, and advertise for proposals to lay the floor and build the side walls to the terminus of the culvert, and ask for another appropriation to finish the arch. I have followed his advice, and the bids are to be opened on the third day of November. The work, except to gather the material, will not, probably, be commenced until next spring." The proposals were opened on the third day of November, in the presence of the Secretary of the Interior, and the contract was awarded to John Cameron, he being the lowest bidder. He had scarcely commenced his labors when it was urgently represented to me, from the mayor of Washington; the engineer of the canal; W. R. Smith, the superintendent of the botanic garden; Job W. Angus, my general superintendent, and many other citizens, that if the sewer was carried to Third street and made to discharge into the canal at that place, directly against the current of the canal, the water from the canal, in time of freshet, would back up into the culvert and probably cause its destruction. So much was said, and representations were so strongly made, that, in conformity with the advice. given and the promptings of my own judgment, I caused the direction of the culvert to be so changed as to cause it to empty into the canal at a point below Third street, where it would strike the canal with the current, and thus obviate all risk of damage to the culvert by the backing up of the water into it. This, of course, will add somewhat to the expense of completing the culvert. I now proceed to give "a full statement of the expenditure of the present and past appropriations for this work, with the rates that have been paid for work and materials under each appropriation." The first appropriation was made on the second day of July, 1864, and was $10,150. That appropriation became available in the autumn of that year, at a time when labor and material were exceedingly high. One hundred and eighteen thousand five hundred brick were purchased and laid in mortar formed of hydraulic cement, which cost, la d, forty dollars per thousand, for which Mr. Thomas Lewis, one of the oldest and most experienced bricklayers of Washington, was paid $4,740 00 The bottom is formed of joist and plank, which were purchased of and cost.. There were paid to laborers, for the month of September, $2 per day 601 00 There was paid to mechanics and carpenters, during the same month, at $3 per day There was paid for drawings, &c .. In the month of October there was paid to laborers, mostly colored men, at $2 each per day..... $457 00 48 00 435 23 To John Cameron, stonemason, for laying stone wall, at $5 30 per perch... 851 00 To Walter D. Wyvill, hardware merchant, for shovels, nails, &c.. 179 43 1,077 61 48 00 Laborers, at $1 75 per day. 339 46 In January, 1865, to Wm. McLean, for spruce lumber, at $40 per thousand 194 00 Laborers, in December, at $1 75 per day 285 91 To Thomas Lewis, for 92 barrels of cement, at $2 50 per barrel... 207 07 460 00 To Charles Stewart, for 50 perches of stone, at $4 per perch. John Cameron, for laying in cement 422 perches of stone, at $4 50 Paid Walter D. Wyvill, for nails, tools, &c... Paid George Waters, 252 barrels of cement, at $2 25 per Pay-roll, May 1866, for soldiers employed as laborers, at $1 75 per day. Pay-roll, April, 1866, for soldiers employed as laborers, at $1 75 per day NOTE The first appropriation was expended at this point, but the second having been made, the accounts were carried along and all adjusted together. The second appropriation was made April 7, 1866, and was $20,505. thousand.... Lumber of S. Norment, ranging from $30 to $50 per .... 795 61 215 94 S3 97 516 40 97 29 1,409 60 1,448 00 200 00 82 20 1, 899 00 523 50 barrel 567 00 228 00 $5 30 per perch.... 742 00 Paid Wm. McLean, for joist and timber, averaging about $45 per M. Pay-roll for mechanics in the month of May, 1866, at $3 per day each.... Pay-roll for laborers for the month of May, 1866, at $1 75 per day each .. 464 94 306 36. 908 19 J. M. Stake, for 200 perches of stone, delivered, at $1 per perch 800 00 80 00 189 70 John Cameron, for 200 perches of stone, at $4 50 per perch, (heavy stone for capping)..... 900 00 Pay-roll for laborers in the month of June, $1 75 per day each. George Eslin, for 95 perchies of stone, at $4 per perch 380 00 John Cameron, for laying 200 perchics of stonemason work, at $4 50 per perch... 900 00 Pay-roll for mechanics for the month of June, at $3 per day.. 785 57 430 50 Pay-roll for laborers in the month of June, (second pay-roll) .... Paid Thomas Lewis, for 70,000 hard brick, laid in arch, at $30 per thousand.... Paid Thomas Fahey, for 65 loads of sand Paid J. A. Boyce, 30 perches of stone, at $3 50 per perch.... Paid John Cameron, for 3:9 perches of stone-masonry, $4 50 per $479 96 2,100 00 65 00 105 00 123 07 4,299 00 332 99 1,525 50 Paid John Cameron, for 250 perches of stone-masonry, at $4 per perch 1,000 00 Samuel Norment's bill for lumber, June 23, 1866, omitted in its The work that has been done has been well and faithfully done, and has already stood two of the heaviest freshets we have had for many years. The bills have all passed through the Interior Department into the Treasury, where they have undergone the strict scrutiny of the accounting officers, and have been allowed and adjusted. The items can all be seen, at any time, on the files of this office. Hon. SCHUYLER COLFAX, B. B. FRENCH, Commissioner of Public Buildings. Speaker of the House of Representatives. |
