43

H.—7

Mr. Blair: I may say, gentleman, that the information was amplified by Mr. Hay afterwards. There is a tracing showing the foundations : that, of course, is now supplemented by the other tracings which he has sent in, and which give the information in a more complete form. 548. Mr. Blair.] Will you tell us the position of the cracks as you found them ?—I start with the colonnade-wall, and go right round the building. 549. Mr. Gore.] Is that No. 2 Block (north) ?—All my remarks are confined to that block. The front wall towards the north end shows cracks, which I shall describe directly. The northern pillars overhang outwards, and to the north there are a number of faint cracks in various parts, and there are a few cracks at the south end. Starting with the Drawing No. 4, there is a large crack [marked D on the plan] at the northern end. 550. I should like Mr. Hay, before he proceeds further, to give an explanation of the overhang. —The overhang is outwards, and is at the northern end of the ambulatory wall. 551. The Chairman.] It overhangs into the court ?—Yes. I may here explain that this wall, at the north end of the arches, though shown as 10ft. long on the contract plan, was reduced to 6ft. 6in. as measured on the ground. That alteration makes that part very much weaker, and is probably one reason why the crack appears there. 552. Can you put your finger on that part of the wall?—lt is this part of the colonnade wall abutting on the south wall of the north wing. At this place [indicating on plan] we found it plumb, but if you will turn to Drawing No. 5 you will see that the south wall of the north wing has been crushed back about -g-in.: i.e., the part which is just above the crack D at the corner, the wall lies over towards the north 2fin. in the whole height. The crushed portion is about 2ft. up from the top of the plinth, and the crushing quickly dies out as it recedes from the face of the ambulatorywall : the overhang to the north gradually dies out as you go seaward. There is a similar crack opposite, the northern wall having been crushed out. It is quite noticeable on the ground. There is quite a number of faint cracks in the front wall of the day-rooms of the north wing, and in the main part of the north wing, under the windows and between the windows. 553. In what wall ?—The south wall of the north wing, east of the lavatory. These are fainter cracks than the first ones, and they are shown by red lines in these corners [the south elevation and lavatory-wall]. As shown on this same plan [No. s], there are also cracks on the face of the lavatory-wall; these cracks are faint. They all appeared recently. There are cracks at the bowwindow, which is in front. I have no elevation of that. A report on it was made by Mr. Arthur 8011, but there has been no further trouble with it since. When you go round to the north side of the north wing, there is a large bulge over tho northern doorway. 554. A bulge outwards?— Yes. The wall, in the corner near the staircase, is practically plumb. The top measured 4Jin., the bottom 4|in., from the plumb-line. I suppose that fin. is near enough plumb for a wall of that height. At the west side of the first double windows the wall leans outward lin.; at the west side of the double windows next to the rag-end of the colonnade-wall it hangs outwards 2-fin. The overhang reaches its maximum just at this rag-end, and is about the same along the wall between the rag-ends on each side of the north door. From the rag-end of the middle wall it gradually decreases to -gin. at tho north-west corner. The plumbings at this corner are 4-Jin. on the top and sfin. below, giving-g-in. of an overhang. So far as I could see, at the northern corner there is no sign of cracking on the outside ; but there is a crack inside. It is from fin. to Jin. wide. With regard to the north wall, we have a bulge starting from this window [indicating on plan] reaching up to the rag-end of the front colonnade-wall, and dying away at the north-west corner, showing that the wall had been pushed out in some way or another. We will now take the gable of the north wing. There are here two cracks, one of which is a large one. At the south-west corner of this gable the overhang of the return-wall is -Jin. to the northwards. At the inner angle of the return-wall the overhang of the return-wall is If in., and the wall is warped in a very marked manner. The wall in the northern recess overhangs lin. to the eastward at the north end. Between the double windows the overhang to the east is -Jin.; at the north side of tho single window the overhang to the east is fin.; and at the south end the overhang is to the west, and is just lin. 555. Mr. Skinner.] Towards the hill?— Yes. There is a bu3kle in the wall. 556. Mr. Blair.] The northern wall of the central gable ? —The southern corner of the first recess. Next we take the north wall of the middle gable. At the inner corner it hangs out lin. to the north; and the north-west corner of the gable of the return wall overhangs fin. At the northern corner the west wall hangs towards the hill. 557. Which one is that?— The middle gable, which overhangs to the west l^in. at the north end. At the north side of the doorway it is practically plumb up to the top of the upper windows, and then it leans to the east -Jin. in the remainder of the height. At the south side of the door the overhang to the east is -Jin. to the top of tho upper windows, and lfin. from the top of the upper windows to the crow's steps. The overhang at the south end is 1-Jin. to the east in the whole height. 558. Mr. Gore.] That is the south angle? —Yes. The south face of that gable overhangs 2-Jin. at the outer corner, and lf-in. at the inner comer —it hangs towards the north. The last plumbing I have is between this window [indicating on plan] near the middle of this recess, and the overhang is lfin. 559. Which way?— Towards the sea. In the first recess wo have a number of cracks along the windows, showing that the wall has been displaced seawards. , The windows are pulled over; and that is confirmed by all the plumbings I have just given. There are a few faint cracks in the south recess, but they are not of any great importance. 560. The Chairman.] Are you going to give us any plumbings along the centre wall ?—That wall generally overhangs outwards. 561. Then, the centre wall generally overhangs outwards?— Yes. There are a number of horizontal measurements shown on the various plans here—Plans 1, 2, and 3. The first drawing is