, 1874-10-22
LOCAL MISCELLANY.

Wost Ktnzie straots. Theao rumors became 30
frequent, and tho charges wero 10 grayoly made,
that ycster1ay afternoon Tribune reporter vns
detailed to ascertain tho facts Ia the premises.
Tho bridge, from the termination Of tho ap-
rroaohea is bs1i1t Jointly by tho Columbus,
Chicago d Indiana Centra1, Milwaukee d St.
Paul, and Chicago l. Northwestern Railways.
Tho work Is being dono BY Bolon James l. Co.,
OF Milwaukee,
Tho gcnoral oiElcen Of tho Northwestern Rail-
road woro first visited, and the Chief Engiuccr
found absont from the city. In reply to ques-
Hons addressed to 1lr. Il. q. Ta1nhana, an AS
distant Engineer,
TIE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS
vezo o1icfted: Ho hnd never made critical e1-
animation Of tho work; ho had honrd rumors Of
is Insecure condition through communications
In tho pross. During hasty glance At tho work,
he had noticed several Hrnall cracks in tho lna-
eonry but did not hesitate ca instant In saying
ho beloved no aprious defects existed.
THE NEXT v1g,T
Was to tho soat Of war, Tho Yiadict taelf. The
east nide Of the stroot wall loadiug to tho north
approach is cracked in threo pl0coe. Ono OF
north OF tue bridge nbutmcnt, and runa
disgonally acroHs tho wall from top to
bottom. This crack yarics in width from N to Is
preecptiblo. On the south edo Of tho north
hbutment nro Bono half dozon well defined
nfackn, but nothing that would soem to otrcct
the strength Of tho work. On tho Bdc-wail
spoken Of rs the wall is evidently spriugins
On tho NORTH wa!l Of tho Carroll street approach
1t place whero joint occu1u, there arc ono OF
nj ssss issasS P" psa t? s Ssss 9otS 6 sss ss
Df tho south abntmene III froo from
defect. On tho .east wall of tho sontl,
approach on ua|stoa atreot, thoro nro several
ncncos at point about 10 feet back OF tho abnt-
mont, aud r,ius dlagonally acrosa tue fnco Of tito
wall to tho foot Of tho abutnient. This crack
vartes in width from }s to y Of m inch. It hns
With no peruoptlDlo oxtcrna cha1Eo in it's 40.
pearance. This wall nlso boro the appearance
of being badly sprung, but it was afterwards
said that tho curve was naadc purposclv to avoid
making "ahe1f," which would have boon noc.
essary to bring tie prolific Of tho wall up to tho
plan; that tho wall had been mado too iride at
first, and tho shelf vaB thus 1nado necessary.
Bcsdes tho largo crack in this wall 1rat rlen-
Toned there are SOME four or five eusor oues,
hut mono that loohcd particularly dangerous.
Mr. JOHN HOLLAND,
who Is foreman of tho bridge work, assisted In
this investigation. He said hc beloved tho
tho weight Of tho b1ldgo became sostled upon
thcn thcrc would not be oven ahatoW Of inao- |
curlty. In regard to tho other defects, laz. Hol.
land spohe Of them al being dangerous, aud |
that most any man would call it bad work. They |
might stand twenty yeuts and might (all iu tlyo |
days. Tho Fpringng OF tho wallis ho thinks IL !
causod by filling it settling Of tho foundations,
and inadequate thickness OF tlte wallis, COM
bincd. Ho also expressed MI unwillingncss to
Bpoak elghuugly IT any other mans work, but
thought it showed plainly enough for itself.
After this examination, Walt was paid to
GEORGE ". WILSON,
tho Superintendent Of tho Board Of Public
Works. alr. Wilson laughed at tho idon Of uny
Of tho work bciug unsafe, and finally invited tho
reporter to ride over to tho work and ro.e1amina
It. Tho cracking Of the wall on the southeast
corner, Mr: Wilson says is caused BY the settling
Of tho abutment, and on tho northeast corner BY
the nap Of wnter in settling the dirt. lilo also
said this craoking was nothing unusual, and had
never been followed by my scrions results in all
n Chicago. Mo said hs would have
been much better pleased if thcBs
cracks lad not occurred, but expressed .
most fervont wish that Ills lilo might
He would call tho work iirHt-claas job for rub
hlo-work. Dimension-work would havo boon
mitch better, but was too expensive. Mr. VIII
son WAS here aaked by tho reporter Il tho job
was AZ good ono Of its GLASS az could hare been
done, 10 which he replied that it would ic say
ing too much to assert that, but he considered !
tho work lrst-clsss, All tho masonry, Lo eaid,
had been inspected By Benjamin Butler, IN old
MACON OF established reputation, aud no fault
found: He hoped the newspapers would not
eprend tho report that 1t was at all unBafe. This
cloRed tho examination.
The vinduct will be completed about the last
of next week for tho passRSo of teams aud cars,
and this will be the first Weight brought to benr
Oh tie approaches.
TIE CONTRACT
for the masonry work W&s let to Dir. n. L.
Iilnsetb, brother Of q 1nember Of the City Couu-
work contains something over l.9G0 cords, md
the entire coutract amounted to about $50, QUO.
The work was under tho terms OF tho contract.
to hAye been completed in sixty days. and good
denl Of it was crushed through. Tho contract
price Ia said to be low for good work. Tho Mr..
Butler who inspected tho work also had charge
OF 1t during construction.
Theae are the facts just ss a6certainad, and
tho readers Of TaE Ta1nuSE nro loft to form
their OWE conclusions aa to tho security or ill.,
security Of tho work.
TEE CITY INCORPORATION BILL.
At the nloetng Of tho Citizens' Association
yesterday tho Hon. Joseph Medill was in atteni-
nnce, by request Of the Executive Committee.
Tho matter Of tho General Municipal law,
passed in tho Legislature two years
ago, WAS taken up aud discussed
Mr.. Medin was asked his opinion relative to
that law, and was requested to state whether
there wero any amendments to tho same which
ho would like 10 suggest.
|
Thing to do would be to. first of nll, have
the law adopted, after which amendments
would bo proper. The uotc Of procedure would
be to have 10000 or 5000 cltizons petition tho
Common Council to h4yo the new lnw submitted |
to the people at tho next municipal election. or
nt ao.no special titno, for adoption rejection.
There were many thiugsin the now law which wcro
very desirable,-the roapportionuant OF tho |
wards, for example. somo wards woro about four
lines ~ largo az others, aad it was
badly fair that q population Of 5000 |
should caim the same representation in
tho Common Council TINT ward containing
40 600 or $4,000 pooplo WAS allowed. IIo
thought that wonld DO ono Of tho chief refor1na
needed,-she wards should DO rcn,odeled 60 rs to
make their population as nearly equal nj possi-
blo- There "ere aome amendments which he
would submit after little tme.
The Executive Committee unanimously adopt-
cd tho following
eso[Ftd That tho proper proceedings be forthwith
taksn to efeet thu incorporation OF tie City Of Chcaeo
Under tho General Incorporation act anu that IT. l.
I1!!ey, L. b. Dooner, and L. T. Letter bo committee
to take such action III tho premises eha bo pecea-
&4rYs - -7 r