The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-06-18

ask, and the Chairman asked FOR tho noxt witness
Mr.. Craven-Befere calling his next witness he
begged to state that, by disseminating his own evil
dence at the point at which Mr. Tillou had left it,
he would be placed in very false position. He
wished to relieve himself from that false position to
which he had subjected himself by his frankness in
answering questions and 70 explain, simply that he
might not be injured by his desire to every
thing fully, frankly, and fairly. Mr.. Tillou had
asked him if be had allowed any other sewer to 20
on after the first of December; and having got his
answer frankly in the affirmative, he there stopped,
without asking the reason why. He begged leave
20 state the reasons and other facts in relation to it
also. In the first place, with respect to the sewer
in Stanton street, there were but two culverts and
Two basins unfinished; at the Hester street sewer
there were about sixty or seventy feet unfinished;
in Broome street sewer there nineteen feet
finished. These sewers were all in the heart and
most populous part of the city In each Of them
there was no more work than could be done in one
day, and, as am informed, was done in one day in
two of the The inhabitants generally, in the
neghborhood of these sewers-thOse who were to
pay for them-came to our office entreating us to
let the contractors 60 and said they would rather
pay for the work on the risk OF not having 1T so well
done, rather than stop it then, when nearly COM
pleted. The contractor on the Stanton street
said he would finish his work in day the others
did finish theirs. They also promised to work only
on such days and during such hours as | specified
myself. In view Of the great inconvenience to the
p0pulace, which would arise from stopping the sewers
in thickly populated part Of the city, and alse in
view OF the fact that they were SO near the Office that
of the officers Of the Department could be there,
and exercise greater supervision and care in regard
10 the work. the Department exercised that discre-
ton which the people begged them to exercise, and
which they had right to do More than this, in
all except one OF the sewers-in which "bottom''
mad TO he nut in Of about twelve feet-they used
not hydraulic cement, but lime mortar, which was
not liable 70 be injured by the frost. In the
in which no lime was used-Daniel Mctiinn' sewer
he whole work was done during the warm part of
one day, and the trench was entirely filed up, so
that no air could get to il at night Added TO this,
they should bear in mind that the thermo-
meter, 10 this part OF the city, ranges from
three to FIVE degrees higher than at Tenth
avenue. These were their reasons Tor granting per-
mission TO proceed with the sewers TO which they
were alleged to DC "parial Until to-day he did not
know the names OF The contractors. The following
were which in common with the one under
sideraton. were not allowed to go John Brady,
in Thirty-eighth street. from Eighth to Sixth
avenue J. Lynch, in Thirty. Nth street. Madison
10 Fourth avenue Kennedy < shelton, Ninth ave-
nue., Forty-iith to Fifty. first street CKennedy,
Though he had the permission as Mr.. Pollock,
10 80 on blasting rock, stopped work on first Deem
Der. arranging everything according to contract ,
JAS, Pollock. Teuth avenue, (thc sewer under ques
tion) Chas Wheeler, Thirty street, Seventh
to Eighth avenue Patrick Shields, Thirty-seventh
street. Sixth 10 Seventh avenue, and Robert Mont
gomery Thirty seventh street. Second to Third ave-
nue.. OF these, Charles Wheeler and Patrick
Shields did some WORK in masOnrythe former sixty,
and the latter forty feet-and then stopped till
Spring, when they resumed, as did the others, and
finished the sewers Their work was returned by
the Inspectors properly done, with the exception
Of the portions continued in Winter whereupon de-
fendant declined TO accept; lstated to the contrac
tors the reason. whereupon they took up that por
tion and rebuilt Il according 70 contract. He (Mr.
CD thought this explanation placed him in a diser
cnt position from what his simple answer to Mr..
Iillou's question would have left him Further
still, to show how anxious the Department were to
get work properly done there were some short
which they advertised for, thinking they could be
done before the Isl December; but finding that con-
tractors took longer. they withdrew the proposals
for them and did not allow them 20 proceed lest by
any chance they could not be opened by lst Deem
Der Now though he considered the defendants had
every right to carry out their own discretion with
cut explanation. he had given these facts to relieve
himself from the position in which Mr. Tillous qucs
tior would have placed him.
j. o. Morse. sTorn-IIas been a Civil Engineer
Tor sixteen years; was employed on public works
The New York State canals. New York and Erie rail-
road. United States dry docks, Brook yns familiar
with the use Of hydraulic cement; had no expert
ence u any mor..rs except those composed OF hy-
diau4lc cemen,s WAS ca the canals as engineer
about twelve years; had charge Of the works a.
Brooklyn dry docks, under Mr. Mchlpne, about
two years, on toe Elio canal they were esS strict
than on o.hel works. aid great portion of the work
had 20 he done during tho suspension of nayi cation;
nut wnerc aiY independent work existed, OUT Of the
direct lire III the old canal the work ceased on the
l5ih Nosenb,r. and was not resumed until the mid
de = A!rii the time ii suspension was fixed by
tract ard regularly enforced; the work the dry
dock entirely q the discretion Of the lingineef;
he AID not allow any hydraulic mas0nry = be built
after 1T Delemncr; remembers stone being
built after that date. and tic made rouna il there
was no aUutt ina. ary work proceeded With under
the nc'ion # severe chill. would SC much Injured.
and if urGer the aston Of frost. woald be entirely
destroyed.
This witness was cross-examined ~ Mr. Tlou,
10 show that he never was engaged IN building sewers
under ground, ana The works % which he referred,
were; with inc exception Of culvefts. generally ex