The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-11-22
CITY INTELLIGENCE.
tFOr Addaional city Intelligence sec Fdo1 Poge.l


The Investigation PrOceeds-MOre Light
Upon the Subject-One of the 'Outs"
Testihes-The Quality and the Guam
tity Of Gas Furnished, Etc. .
Last evening another meeting of the Gas Com
mittee was held IN Select Council chamber. The
session was attended by several members Of
Councils and scientific gentlemen. Colonel
Page conducted the examination -
Mr.. Edward Worrell was sworn. he resides
at No. 235 North Twenty.frst street, and is a
Republican in politics. Mr. Worrell said that
he was elected by the Trustees, superintendent
Of Public Lamps, iP January, 1860; On the LIST
the year for which he was elected he was re-
elected. On the 1st of last month he was dis
charged without any Official notice of charges
or allegations against him. The only notice
that he had was from Mr.. Barnes, one OF the
Trustees. who told him he would be discharged
and asked his resignation. Mr.. Worrel didn't
give it, and was turned out.
Mr.. WOrrell was superintendent of Public
Lamps in December, 1865. About the 1st of
that month he was in the Seventh street Office
when the men were paid. The Engineer called
the men together and told them to put out the
lamps three-quarters of an hour before calender
time, and TO light them on sharp calendar time.
The Engineer said the city was burning TOO
much gas, and unless the gas was reduced in
the lamps the city would be deprived Of
supply On the 18th of the month the witness
received an order from the Superintendent OF
the institution TO light the lamps halt hour
later and extngush an hour earlier than calen-
dar time On the 14th of December third
order came direct from the office of the Trust
to light an hour later and to eXtinguish an hour
later. That was obeyed for several weeks.
1t went on until the regulators were put on
the lamps Everybody knows what they were.
The witness said there was regulator put on
every lamp in the city. OF these there are seven
thousand, and the expense of the same was
dollar per lamp AS soon as the regulators were
attached they reduced the gas burned one half.
The people cried out against the malpractice,
and the regulators, that had cost seven thousand
dollars, were thrown away as old brass.
MI. Worrell said that dependence could not
be placed upon station lamps. These are lamps
in different parts of the city furnished with
meters. From the records OF these meters, the
Trust averages the amount of gas consumed in
the city lamps and regulates the price charged
the city. The witness specified rbe lamp at the
station at Fifth and Cherry streets. He knew
that it left burning after all the other lights
were put out and on nights when 1t was eX-
tnguished it was relighted by other parties.
The time the city lamps were put out earlier
than the contract, time was the dreariest season
in the winter He said they were hazy, foggy,
sleety mornings, when, after putting out the
lamps, he could not distinguish pavement from
street. Many times he said he risked his life
stumbling home from his duty.
He also said that the Superintendent Of Dis
tribution appointed his subOrdinates, and the
Superintendent of Public Lighting, his en-
pOyes until 1865. Then the Trustees took the
appointing power into their own hands. 81
have seen,n said he, "a great deal of trouble in
reference to this subject, because the Superin-
tendents have been put to difficulty from the
necessity OF having men under them who were
incompetent to perform the labor required of
ihem.n These appointments were all political.
At one time he mad man put under him be-
cause Trustee wanted friend fixed. AT
another time he reported man for misconduct,
and the Trustees told him no matter how he
behaved, he must be retained tor his political
services.
Again, the witness was the recipient of Mr..
Barnes grievances in this respect. Mr.. Barnes
said to him, lone of the Trustees has had so
many more appointments than me, and don't
think that's far shake ~ and the Trustee said
in the presence Of the witness, 81 haven't had
any appointments yet, and ] am going to have
Come" ...g.r. .. .... -....' .. ...
MR.. TRUSTEE ELLIOT on THE STAND.
Colonel Page subpGnaed Trustees Elliot and
ID HOuseman. Mr.. Houseman is posted, and he
stayed away. Mr. Elliot doesn't know anything.
and he attended and said so. To all questions
about commissions paid to Trustees, of Interests
or contracts or of the prostitution of moneys OF
the Trust to nominate its Trustees to political
offices, Mr.. Elliot said he knew nothing. He
said he went on the excursions to Pittsburg and
Boston. For the latter the Trust paid. The
former he said didn't cost them cent? They
went to Pittsburg by the invitation of some
body interested in the mines. With the party
10 Boston went the Eneineer.
Colonel Page-Were there any other persons
accompanying friends or companions oil an
kind
Mr. Elliot-I'here may have been one or TIVE
friends: ] cannot say at the moment; we wer
gone about week, may be seven, eight, nine
or ten days.
Colonel Fage-Did you, because certain mel
in the Works would not support you in your
efforts to get political nomination, caus
them to be discharged, and they were not per
mitted to come back until they got recon-
mendation from you, which you gave because
they would be friendly 10 help your nomina
ton
Mr.. Elliot-No, sir; will explain in regar,
10 that matter; / have no concealment in regart
10 il; never gave any recommendation or any
thing of the sort such as you speak OF. Ate
the matter was all over, ] turned man out @
d. the Works whom my friends had made judge 0
an election, and after eXaiting him to that pos
ton, he was base enough to take money fror
. my opponents to sell me out.
Mr. Elliot also said he was one OF the te
Trustees who received three hundred and itt
dollars from the Trust, About the middle c
1866 clamor was raised for the reduction q
the price of gas. The clamor entered the press
Councils, and the Board. 1t called upon tn
cashier to furnish statement OF the finance
Tor the first six months of 1865. The cashie
submitted the statement. The Board were NO
satisfied. The cashier, who had been discharge
when the Trustees organized in the spring
1865 was called in, and he made statement
but il wouldn't do. Then the Committee {
q Finance appointed the witness and Mr.. MCArth
to make up the statement. They did so. FroI
the 18th of September to the 9Th of Novembe
they worked at the books. For this they didn
charge anything, but the Board generously CAV
them three hundred and fifty dollars eacl
They didn't return IT,
Mr. Elliot also said that the Board of Truste
had ordered the testimony taken before til
Committee and the Committee of COmmC
Council to be Photographed. 1t is all printed
pamphlet for the Trustees. He also offered /
opinion that he thought the Board ought
have had counsel at all the sessions OF the Coz