The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-06-30

Investigation Of the Charges made by Mr..
Craven against the Common Council, Con-
ftUmed.


Charles III. Wheeler examined-Was the contrac
tor for the sewer in Thirty seventh street, about
sixty feet Of il was rejected by the Inspector, and
taken up, because it had been laid after the LIST
December; the expense of rebuilding was about
$780, had had no conversation with the officers of the
department about getting the money back; had said
he ought to have been paid for extra work on the
Tenth avenue sewer; had had such a conversation
with Mr.. blenders.
Cross-examined-Knew of nothing but the 60 feet
being built before the 18th March; laid about 25C
feet after that time; in the part of the sewer taker
up there was drain from which the water flowed
on the green work, causing settlement of about =
inches Of sewer for about ten feet-the rest of the
work was good: the person who did so had no per-
nit to make that DRAIN il was done while the work
was suspended; Mr.. Smith, the Inspector General,
pronounced the work good, as did Mr.. Shute, the
Inspector Of the sewer, appointed by the Crotou
Aqueduct Department.
Direct resumed Thought il was brick drain;
had no knowledge but from statements of others:
was there when they dug il up; Mr.. Pomeroy had
charge Of taking up this part of the work. he was
witness partner; had made no claim, but ha 1
thought il others had right he had a right; he was
opposed 10 it at the time he took il up; had
two or three conversations with Alderman Dem
man, who asked him how he was getting along
with the sewer; Mr.. Denman was in the
brick. lime, and cement business and the witness
had procured the brick, and all such materials from
him for the last eighteen months all the converse
ton was with respect TO finishing the sewer; Mr..
Denman did not know he was laying brickwork !;
stated nothing to him about it Mr.. ID. never told
him he ought not to do it ; never saw the Alder
man after he was directed to stop the work, until
he went TO him about the.brck it was the duty
of MIR. Craven to stop the work, and witness re-
ceved notice from him, on the 18th or 10Th of
November, directing him TO stop on the first Of
December; after the sewer was rebuilt, it
cepted by the department ii had not been paid for
as it had not been confirmed by the Common Coun-
Gil
Julius W. Adams, exanined.-was an engineer.
onoA liz. md had had
gfert deal TO do with hydraulic masonry: was en-
gagged on the Dry Dock, al Brooklyn; had never
seen hydraulic masonry laid in the winter: the
latest be had known il go on was the 10th Novem-
ber-except in apeculiar case, involving some mil
lions OF profit to the Erie Railroad Company, so as
to enable the road to be opened in the fall instead
of the spring the parapet walls were laid at that
time: wonld not have laid them had it caused in
jury to any part of the work had charge of forty
miles Of the Erie Railroad line at that time was
editor of the Mechanics Magazine, and a pupil of
Major Whistler; the work spoken of on the Erie
road had stood wen since it was done in the mid
die OF the day II was in Susauehanna county,
Penn had never been engaged in building sewers
in cities, but had elsewhere far down MS 10
IL feet had built them deep to the bottom of
the sewer; the atmosphere was very little different
in the bottom of the sewer from the surface did
not believe a sewer could be built 10 feet below
ground in winter without being injured; witness
would prohibit the building Of sewers in the winter
season.
Aquaduct Department, examned.-Was consulted
with regard to sewers; was not with regard to
the one in the Tenth
Cross examined Was not consulted with respect
20 the construction of sewers; was brought up a
blacksmith and wheelwright; had been connected
with the building of sewers for three years; only
visited the Tenth avenue sewer three times. (The
instructions to surveyors and inspectors put in evil
depce and read by Mr. Craven.)
To Mr. Craven.-These instructions never received
the sanction of the Common Council.
Mr.. Craven's case here closed
John Conner called and examined by Mr.. Til
lou Was forty-one years Of age, and practical
mason for twenty-seven years past; was perfectly
acquainted with sewer work: was inspector on the
Tenth avenue sewer throughout; was appointed by
the Board on the llth August 1851, and Mr.. Craven
signed it, the trench of that had to be blasted
out efrock; the length of the sewer was about $50
030 feet in the first part there was no blasting,
but in about three fourths of it il blasted; the
avenue was not graded, and the rocks had to be
blasted to grade the avenue. and this blasting de
layed the work of the sewer: there remained
about two hundred and sixty feet to be finished on
the LIST Dec. The engineer instructed witness to re-
main while the blasting to be done; could not tell
when the 260 feet was finished; thought it was some
time in January; saw all the work up to its com
petion IL was good, in his opinion-frst rate: the
materials were as good be had ever seen used on
similar work-as good as the specification called
for: the workmen were thc best he ever on SINH
lar work; he did not give Mr.. Pollock certificate;
gave what was satisfactory to the Chief Engineer,
but not sworn to; (Ar. Craven declined to produce
the paper given by witness): the Eighth avenue was
passable far Forty fourth Forty-ifth street,
at that time; the Ninth avenue was impossible
from Thirty-eighth TO Forty-second street; the
place was not graded, although there was a con-
tract for doing; there was passage from Forty
second street to Tenth avenue: there were drains
built from dwellings to Tenth avenue sewer, which
he objected to; the hole opened for the purpose of
the being inspected, was open ten to fourteen
days; ii was freezing and thawing at times; as in
spector oil the grading witness gave notice the hole
dangerous water got In, and he had 1T balled
out on several OCCASIONS believed the hole being
open 80 long was injurious to the cement; was at
the meeting of the Committee on Sewers, at the Of
fee of the Engineer; was examined before the
committee on the Tenth avenue sewer, and answered
as now; thought Alderman Denman was rather ex-
act at that time; he was more so than Alderman
Barr; Mr.. Edwin Smith was examined there;
thought the Street Commissioner was there; saw
Mr.. Craven there; Mr.. James Pollock (the con-
tractor) did not know Mr.. Craven, and witness
pointed him out to him
Mr.. Edwin Smith, City Surveyor, examined
Had been engaged in the business of surveyor and
civil engineer in the city, since 1881; well ac
quainted with building sewers and hydraulic ma
sonny; had known them to be built in the winter
time, and well built the one in Roosevelt street,
from the bulkhead TO Chatham street-through
Chatham and Pearl streets to Elm street-one of
the largest sewers in the cty-was built in 1867,
was still in good repair, as far as he knew; portions
of il built all through the winter; it was COM
menced in September; with proper care there was
no danger in building sewers in winter; was survey
on the Tenth avenue sewer; the part built by
James Pollock extended from Forty-second to the
southerly line of Forty-sixth street; surveyed and
gave the grade of that sewer; saw the work occa-
sonally; it was built in conformity with the survey:
noticed the work and materials were very good the
trench thirteen feet eight inches from the sur
face Of the street to the under side Of the sewer:
thought that the brick might be dipped at the bot
tom Of tho trench, and laid, without freezng did not
see the sewer after il was completed; there was a
contract existing between the Street Commissioner
and Mr. James Pollock for grazing that part Of the
avenue that contract could not have been peaform-
ed until the sewer was built and finished; the ave-
rage quantity Of rock to be blasted to bring the
avenue to grade. was about three feet; the avenue
would not have been passable that winter if the sewer
had not been finished; the Third avenue was almost
impassable the Fourth, above Thirty-eghth street,
was no avenue at all, but occupied by the railroad;
the Fifth avenue was in bad condition, though
passable: the Sixth was rather in good order as
lar a. Fiy-seventh street. where it terminates; the
Seventh was good as far a il was opened; Broad
way above Forty second street was impossible; the
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