290
showing a situation of puzzling confusion at Reggio, especially because some firms
had been informed that the assignments of the work were actually to have been
deliberated at the session of the Committee of April 25, 1904.
Some firms complained that they had received a request to define a “regular project” and that they had submitted such without obtaining any answer; others,
excluded from the assignment, denounced the methods of awarding contracts without a regular notice to put the building firms involved “in competition”; others
immediately requested that their proposals be returned, threatening appropriate
actions for the expenses they had already incurred; others stated that they had immediately responded to the confirmation of the assignment and had waited in vain for
any answer. Finally, on October 26, 1904, the Commission members sent an official
letter to the Chairman of the Committee representing the “abnormal conditions” in
which they had found themselves for months, “because of the delay in concluding
the contracts,” while “the rightful complaints of the firms were growing from day to
day.” The Commission therefore urged the Committee to proceed, threatening to
resign otherwise.
28
Faced with such an embarrassing situation, Tacchini was forced to go back on his
promise of “no longer interfering in the matter of contracts” and, on February 15,
1905, wrote a long missive, probably addressed to Carlo Morandi (1840–1922),
vice president of the Committee.
29
Tacchini wrote from Villa Poggioli, in Spilamberto
near Modena, where he laid severely ill, having tendered his resignation from the
direction of the Central Office of Meteorology in 1899 and the Collegio Romano
Observatory in 1902. He denounced “the treatment of President Senator Levi
towards the Commission, Steinheil and Cavignato” and regretted that the failure to
sign contracts had been attributed to his absence by sickness. He asked, however,
that contracts be sent to him, which would be immediately returned approved, in the
hope that he would recover soon. Alas, this was a vain hope: the astronomer died
just over a month later, on March 24, without seeing the completion of the project
he had proposed 25 years earlier, and to which he had devoted his final energies.
Levi had also been ill for some time. In a letter to Morandi, he attempted to justify himself by pointing out that he would have accepted every decision by the
Committee and letting it be known as well that he intended to resign as president of
the Committee.
30
(ASRe-MS).
28 G. Manuelli, G. Ramusani, A. Balletti to the President of the Committee (U. Levi), Reggio
Emilia Oct 26, 1904 (ASRe-MS).
29 P. Tacchini to “Ill.mo S. Comm.re,” Poggioli di Spilamberto Feb 15, 1905 (ASRe-MS); see also
the correspondence cited in Lugli 2001, op. cit., pp. 207–208.
30 U. Levi to C. Morandi, Rome Mar 7, 1905 (ASRe-MS).
F. Bònoli and A. Mandrino
showing a situation of puzzling confusion at Reggio, especially because some firms
had been informed that the assignments of the work were actually to have been
deliberated at the session of the Committee of April 25, 1904.
Some firms complained that they had received a request to define a “regular project” and that they had submitted such without obtaining any answer; others,
excluded from the assignment, denounced the methods of awarding contracts without a regular notice to put the building firms involved “in competition”; others
immediately requested that their proposals be returned, threatening appropriate
actions for the expenses they had already incurred; others stated that they had immediately responded to the confirmation of the assignment and had waited in vain for
any answer. Finally, on October 26, 1904, the Commission members sent an official
letter to the Chairman of the Committee representing the “abnormal conditions” in
which they had found themselves for months, “because of the delay in concluding
the contracts,” while “the rightful complaints of the firms were growing from day to
day.” The Commission therefore urged the Committee to proceed, threatening to
resign otherwise.
28
Faced with such an embarrassing situation, Tacchini was forced to go back on his
promise of “no longer interfering in the matter of contracts” and, on February 15,
1905, wrote a long missive, probably addressed to Carlo Morandi (1840–1922),
vice president of the Committee.
29
Tacchini wrote from Villa Poggioli, in Spilamberto
near Modena, where he laid severely ill, having tendered his resignation from the
direction of the Central Office of Meteorology in 1899 and the Collegio Romano
Observatory in 1902. He denounced “the treatment of President Senator Levi
towards the Commission, Steinheil and Cavignato” and regretted that the failure to
sign contracts had been attributed to his absence by sickness. He asked, however,
that contracts be sent to him, which would be immediately returned approved, in the
hope that he would recover soon. Alas, this was a vain hope: the astronomer died
just over a month later, on March 24, without seeing the completion of the project
he had proposed 25 years earlier, and to which he had devoted his final energies.
Levi had also been ill for some time. In a letter to Morandi, he attempted to justify himself by pointing out that he would have accepted every decision by the
Committee and letting it be known as well that he intended to resign as president of
the Committee.
30
(ASRe-MS).
28 G. Manuelli, G. Ramusani, A. Balletti to the President of the Committee (U. Levi), Reggio
Emilia Oct 26, 1904 (ASRe-MS).
29 P. Tacchini to “Ill.mo S. Comm.re,” Poggioli di Spilamberto Feb 15, 1905 (ASRe-MS); see also
the correspondence cited in Lugli 2001, op. cit., pp. 207–208.
30 U. Levi to C. Morandi, Rome Mar 7, 1905 (ASRe-MS).
F. Bònoli and A. Mandrino