151

H.—7

side were not going to bring expert evidence, I would have brought experts to prove that any movement, such as ICin. or very much less, would have been the means of dislocating these drainpipes, and causing an extensive leak. I presume I may leave that matter in the hands of the Commission. The Chairman : You would be only loading the evidence. Peter Seaton Hay recalled and further examined. 3061. Mr. Blair.] Have you taken anymore levels round the building since we have been here, Mr. Hay ?—I took some levels at the direction of the Commissioners : the Commissioners have the notes of them. 3062. Do you remember any of the differences —have you the notes of them yourself ? —We levelled from the window-sill of the window in the extreme north wing backwards along the back airing-court. The reading of this first window of the attendants' room was 0-36 ft., then it dropped to 0-41 ft.—that is, fin. 3063. In room 22 ?—Yes. Then, in room 21 it was o'43ft., and in room 20 046 ft.; and this room 20 was the lowest. 3064. What is the fall at room 20 from where you first started?— One and a half inches. Then they gradually rise and rise all round at a pretty even grade right up to this window in room 11, in Block 1 (north), and the reading there was O-llft.—that is, o'3sft., and that is about 4|-in. of difference. 3065. Four and a quarter inches in the window-sills?— Barely 4Jin. in the window-sills. 3066. Which is the lowest?— Room 20; and they rise gradually round all the way in this north wall. In the back of Block 1 the fall is lfin., o'l3ft. —that is, in the portion of this which is assumed never to have moved. 3067. The Chairman.] Have you been out at the asylum lately, within the last week, since the Commissioners were there ?—I was out with Mr. Brindley since you were there, showing him over the place. 3068. Have you taken any further measurements through the corridors and ambulatories to verify your previous work as to its being correct ?—No, I have not taken any further measurements other than I gave you, except that I measured one doorway to the edge of the door, which gave the same measurement as you have made it—that is all. 3069. Mr. Gore.] You have just stated that you did not check your levels of the foundationpiers in the ambulatory ?—I did not say I did not check them. 3070. You said in your evidence before that you found the end of the colonnade the general cause of damage, and that there is about 20 per cent, less cement in them than is shown on the contract-drawings? —I did not say cement, but concrete. 3071. Well, concrete. How do you arrive at that conclusion ?—I scaled off the drawings what it ought to be. 3072. Off the original drawings?— Off the contract-drawings. That comes to about 10 square feet per lineal foot, or a little over, of concrete, and what I saw I do not think had more than 8 square feet in the section. 3073. If I remember aright, you said you had not seen the back of it ?—I saw the back at one place. 3074. You did not measure it: I mean the foundations under the ambulatory-wall ?—I did—■ three sections outside, and one inside. 3075. You say you took the measurements from the original plan and from that plan (No. 3) ?— Yes. 3076. How could you take the measurements from that plan ? —I have one section inside and some outside. 3077. Where are they ? —There they are. You have not looked at the plan, evidently. Three sections were taken from the outside and one from the inside, and I did not find it any better on the inside than it was on the outside. 3078. You said in your evidence before that you had not measured it ?—I must have measured it to give you these sections. 3079. Kindly show me where this is. I fail to see it even now. Perhaps it is my obtuseness. Perhaps you will be kind enough to explain it to me? [Witness pointed out matter referred to on the plan.] 3080. Is that the only one you measured inside?— That is the only one I took on the inside. It was the same as the outside, and, as foundations ought to be the same on both sides, I did not think it was necessary to tear the place up. 3081. It has been stated in evidence that the foundations are 3ft. thick : are you prepared to contradict that ? —I never found them 3ft. thick. 3082. They are not 3ft. ?—Not where I saw them. 3083. You stated also in your evidence that the footings had been left off?—l never saw any footings. 3084. You said they had been left out ?—Well, they are not there. 3085. Is it not a fact that the footings were brought up straight in place of being set off— brought up straight as a solid mass?— You will find some places where there is no footing, and some places where there is no offset. It goes straight down. 3086. I am referring to the foundations of the ambulatory ?—Well, there are no footings in the ambulatory. 3087. Do you mean to say there is no set-off?— Yes. 3088. Did you not find the footings brought up without a set-off, solid ?—No. On the plan that we have it scales 3ft. 4in. in width, and there is no 3ft. 4in. to be found there in width.