New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-05-27
THE MILL RIVER FLUID.
THE CORoNER's INQUEST.


MIssIoNERs EXAMINED
NORTHAMPTON, May 26.-The inquest was re-
sumed this morning. The first witness called was Isaac
Stone Of Northampton, stakeholder in the Northamp
ton Cutlery Company between Florence and Northamp
ton which company Is OF the propretors OF the MIL
River aud Williamsburg Reservoir Company, OF which
Stone clerk. Tue company was organized May H. lsf2
under special act OF the Legislature and held It's irst
meeting May "a. when the Williamsburg Res
cryoir Company and the MIL River Reservoir Company
accepted The act and consolidated, Joel Hayden
being President and Isaac stone. Clerk There was no
committee that had any supcrncndence the reser
but the directors. Joel Hayden, w. T. Clement anu
works was " T. Holiday of Northampton who had
charge OF the building OF the new G0sneh rose ~,
charge OF the Williamsburg reservoir IN the psst Two
years have bad no record OF o heT o 1 Saner. the
ckbolders Of the consolidated Company are; "
s JSSl 81 :S ~ Jane 81 . Ilsi shares,
S7s,oel I onPay Ul e SS.n 4s hses Vernon Bros
30 'hsIe Cass pneo' 10 'AI ~ sSaTes Isaac Sone
Trustee 81 sLl.e Horace Lamb shars 80 - l., ,O,o -
for informal discussion regard 10 the reservoirs the
best method Of improving the water power, &c IN
these meetings the question OF the strength OF the WI,
mad ion abOu mp rappng that reservoir Win
the lat, Gov HAYDEN. He thought the Governor op-
ion was that the reservoir needed rprappng for fur
Their protection against atton by the waves Dut moi
that The reservoir was weak
JOEL BAssETT.
Joel Bissett Of East Hampton. contractor with A b.
Wells N yuing the reservoir. testified that they began
the con, ,uc'ion about the middle of July 1865 Mr.
DeIano handed the witness document. which he recog-
work VS. done. and winch nc read to the jury They
required the foundation for masonry 70 be lad IN
trench t.r.c feet deep. on hard ana nrm bOttoil'
and tlaHcg foundation 10 be put III u necessary Ino
b.e center wall the whole Length of the emD@hknSI,,
feet A 30 iae middle, two feet thick on top ana 70
iacrc5sc toward the bottom, which should ne I'VE ieet
uine inches IN the wal 10 De SrIu.eu t WIZ hi th
en- rausiuct be but solid, except the place LOT
tue outlet lIp,; the wall and ;he abutments with
DIlt OF spit stone DSluc duu
The arch likewise outside for tine outlet; the pipe to be
face ana - feet the outside face of the emDank
tic rest OF the wall at me oniet PIPE 10 oe oi
IubJc The sulHce OF the ground to DC cleaned OF per
ihac material 81 feet on each side of The central wall
the cmbanSment - consist OF eaIth ana masonry WIN
incHt .; Ia. superintendent in chargc.
out m specifications first acted superintendent;
then l. C. Gardner OF Springfield, VINO ma tue survey
ing: then Ito Committee consisted of VIM. Clarke W.
T. cmcut. and Luclus Dmock; there was never con-
trac, there was one drawn up' when me con
tractors refused because OF certain Objectionable
features several clauses not ia thes spee
cations, and there was cause when so aleetea tner
future Work tnlt they could MOI slSn II; there were
slsui variations IL tae specifications luis "I'heSS WI"
be called again.
NJ. WIN. T. Clement OF the Clement and Hawks Manu-
featuring Company, Northampton, was next called
Mr. Clement Que of the conservative party among the
directors OF the Reservoir Company, and is reported
structed lie was rector and the President of the
Company being followed IN the presidency by Lieut.
in The Fiil of 1854 for the proposed Williams
burg Reservoir. j. L. smith Of Springfield making the
rst survey The ground, ANA his calculations, MIR Gle
mcnt thinks. were very nice stone dam. the est
mates ranging from 91oOO TO 100000: and ne &C. stewart
Chase OF HJyOkc mate measurements and gave the
plans for tue dam. costing s2ll73 Then the plans OF Mr.
Penn presented, and accepted at meeting OF the
stockholders In several instances complaint made
Of ho contractors work. MIR. Clement could only recall
one made Lin. which be considered uncalled Tor
II was that in dicgGg the trench wall. They
were leaving hard pan aud rising up Mr.. speman
called his attention 10 the fact that they were leaving
the barcpau with their rock foundation The contractors
offered TO rake down thelf wal ana puma u over aEan
hui the witness considered hdt the contractors were
fight Tie wal Was built III steps and at some places
was nearer the surface tuah al Oher put III vas All punt
on firm soil That portion o the wal IL sun Standing
This was on the west SIDE where the SOIL Is nrn ana
sOld-nounaIn gravel ON tine east side tine soil is wet
and murEy bat to ais Delei the EardpAh was touched
oil along. -, - - w., . .
time expressed his feeling that The work not done
thoroughly, ana desired that Mr. Gardner should be
not tell what the special cause OF complaint was He
was occasionally there in the Winter mOnths-1SG5G,
when the work finished, and its security
doubted. The contractors reassuIed MN. Inc
part last Completed was ON the west end. There
was some hesitation IN accepting the dam, not
Us the witness remembers because OF any
A dissatisfaction with the quality of the work. bnt
mere difference as the terms of settlement There
never wa any agreement they might depart from
sion was given with regard to The used in the
wall the outlet pipe. From the time the dam
frs led the water oOz out at the lower part oil
the dam points, one near the wasteway and one
large sream-on the east side, partly from the
known mat there were springs under the emOankuen
when 10 Was but No pains were taken to divert them
from lriUg cmbdLklnent.
As tSc late GOV Hayden had been quoted in the pa
pers he would take occasion TO say that within six
months of his death he had expressed himself IN the
presence Of the witnesses and OF Thomas HAYDEN, his
son 1T the Reservoir that he was better satisfied with
the dam than he had ever been before MI Clement
gave facts about the superintendent Of the work
Fem first required TO visit the work as often
Is every other day. Then he was assisted by Mr.
Garducr. whose visits were lhfiequent: Al
one time the Superintendent was SICK for
four five weeks, when no new man was employed,
bat the directory calculated TO watch the work closer
~ answer 10 queNt'us from INC jury, Cleehe s''u
he had Visued the broken reservoir ana mere was NOM
ing TO that trench had been built coa
tract. Ii looks ne SAID. as n the main earth had
never been taken away for the DAM. He also stated
that the cement had very bad appearance,
not being properly mixed; that the front OF the outer
wall was OF good ceiLent whe ihe INSIDE wall was so
soft he all washed Being asked II lie should
nave alpIoyr9 OF sucn nau ns seen IT, ne
small sections OF the work. once, too much sand was
than six parts OF sand appeared 10 OF cement
He tnat the wing walls which have been Ques
TONED, were built according to the contract.
f. c. GARDNER.
Eugene Gardner testified to connection with the
building OF the he employed in taking meas
uremens work done, and in such superintendent
as he could find time 10 give he there In July and
the first part of August, and then absent until October
and during the latter part of the building visited the
dam twice week, and spent two or three hours a
day; the witness had remarkable incapacitv
for remembering anything about the way in which the
work done, recOlecting what ms duties WERE
bis position. his responsibility, whether he
examined ANYTHING or ever did anything except drive
up TO the Reservoir from Florence, take his
ments, aud collect his money. He had an impression
that the eastern slope was mucky, IN fact, recoeced
that an additional wall built this east side At
this point the witness complained OF intnesS, aud was
excused
LUCIUs DIMoCK.
Lucius Dimock. agent Of the Nonotuck Silk Company
residence Leeds where Of its situated
and Of the directors Of the Williamsburg Reservoir
Company, was the next witness. lie had distinct
memory as to the various plans presented for dam,
nafIf u4fa and n