, 1876-05-14
THE WATER-WORKS
a Careless Emptoye Comes Nea,
Smashing the Big Engine.
a Special AIdermanic Comn1r,nx~.,
Appointed to oInyest1gate:;


: Why Creg3er Was :Removed-pn
posed Abolition Of the; Board :
ef-PubHc' Works. .-.:. i. ]
There has been for some days q susnfc,on ~,
incompetency in the management Of the Wat.a
Works. Interested people had an fuonisffir;
eye on the establishment, watching tha o,,trs
tons. There has been q want,of faith ii
employees aud d quiet waiting for deyelopmfnt.
On Friday afternoon it was developed that 'tht
suspicious were well grounded. The r.
gineer, Frank Trautman, had deter
mined to overhaul one Of tha ~
engines and Shift the, y wheel qua1rter 81 nj
inch. To do this It was necessary to -take n
the crank and support the wheel. Ahuge beam
was procured and placed across the opentrp:s,,
order that one of. the spokes should rest pnon
it and support the wheel. When the beam v,s
imposition one'iot the worknen was sent n
start the engine slowly, to bring>the. .snaas
down to the beam. Probably no MN IN III
country could have carried out the ID
in any worse ahape thin did this Ips,hs;
ular workman. He appeared to be. utterly
ignorant of thsfrst principles 1t machinery: r. III
is the last manwho should have been sent ~,
| the Grand Sezng the lever he started IS;
| Apparently it did not make: much ltlnereuee ~
him which Why things went 50 long Is 1'thfyJ
Wsnt. epluuged into the job as though III
engine we're spoiled toy to be knocked aboHt
| 1T viii, and when completely ,!btnken
up, to he thrown out the Findor
An experienced man would hava eas9d dor1r III
spoke and stopped, but this apprentice pulled ber
open, Sstaffing the wrong way. Tbs huge EhEAi
turned, and spoke caught the heavy beam mt
about the centre. II balanced nicely Cattle r1ef
power, the wheel .dew around, the beam
and gyrating. For second the Spectators wlre1
paralyzed; then came shout +anda general u "A
teEng f3rBatety. -:
The wheel 1nnde he1f: a revolution, carrying tn
beam, which
eEHUuK THn IRON FLOORING WITH a cRAsH.
The machinery shuddcsed and then stood still >ps
was not known what damage was done, but tia
steam was turned of The beam was jammeafaa
peEwe en- spoke and the aoor, on the opposite alds
from It's starting point. =. $50,
The matter was reported to the caucus of Alder
men held yesterday afternoon, and Messrs- Kirk
and HawleishWere appointed,a coH1nitsaeof, tNa
to Investigate They visited the engine yesterday.
but we're Unable to Determine the extent OF the ~
jury done, II anJ, or how long the eitfwin be d.
pa7ed ,*ef the use iof this pump Tint;
1t ia ,shaken liz certain. vThe rex-7
pense Of such 3 piece Of machinery would seam
to call for aons care In handling, and tda butdef
fof Friday ID fne1rusAb1e- The Council VII loSE
into the matter and fasten tbs fault where H.:
longs. Another examination Of the engiue will ba
made to :merrow, and ths e1aete1tent Of The dan:
lost: and that a, stone il left in the. building
Half revolution Of that mammoth wheel, carrying
Ia beam Of sneh size was almost enonsh to te.f
&f-Un %VEf m tn nj pN1 l..
only BY miracle thar the city escaped the Mecn.
'renience 6t*3 complete shut-or Of the water tap>
lply. II. 49, =,
that tho big engine had been irre.rfevably ds1e,
aged was In circulation all over the business p95
natoa specially aaons the sr Esa.
h 81 GsS teatb E a. Ssa
& sosfd Pa6e psenty thd deasa %ssea
T6sy ! ststsd q II; sbssbsesEa's satSasty II.
II 6ut was in such shspe t6at It codld be pnt To-
gsthet .nd be In fana19E erdeENthin sa hoor
the summer season, owing to the greater deula4
for water. It's necessary to use III the engines
water to ths upper doors q building, and It wash
that it Was being orerhaaled at the time tho oshI
reqarsd cnss6soush ssbs sas,ed e
tss t.. Bond sh shat ths ths f9gps ,s1 "a.
By 70 O'clock Monday. Concerning lie marrow
eacapefr6m destruction the Board said nothing..
cREG1ER's REMOVAL
The following statement IN regard to the removal
OF Mr. Cregier WIS furnished a TRIBUNE. 1epo1ta
bys gentleman well acquainted With III
Cregter IL one df the most capab1e engineers d
the Country and erected and had full charge Of ths
water-works engines up to the time Of his removal
by colvin.in April. When he went to the ex*Asypt
missed, be Nas informed that the Board Of Pnhla
Works had united in demand for his Temoyal-hE
cause be VIZ extravagant in the use of fuel ah
anmess. It vas also fntImated that he had notE1s
tanned the Colgin pasty-a capital otense IN Itself
Ia d5enly oasd 70 ~ ; cov1n cfegsr explained thst
we're liable to destroy the boilers, and thatit Woaa
1os 6a true economy to risk their destrncH@
III order to save what little fuel would b sa7edh
case they turned cut q SUCCESS, This explanatfaas
which will ssslke eye11 practical man as = rc&sd'
Aola one, had no effect upon the great asaPea
The action he had taken s.':''
There were, however, i.
torthe decapitation, which viii hest b undetssoa
~ recital Of the fenowing facss: III. QatntsEd:
he great engine builder Of New York. who biz th
Contract for the erection OF the West Dtrt1n1
jumping works engines, IS bound by his tgIeemem
P's snsss s f 6eto9s t5sy 1na Ii. IN ss s,p
1H0 kae pf1ce handed -oyef- About k1IE1- y
our months ago, Mr., Prindiviile, President q tM
8oard OF Public Works, Hcnt: u man n1mtd kfer
1T, who u his brother-in- -laT, to HI, -9ltnuus
nth Recommendation OF his ftneas fot 'eupsn9
endent OF the MoskH. The eounoeta5, hog.
ger ;ys, absolutely refused 70 app9iantta ~
1t. Cregiex, in whom Mr. Quintssd -ssid he ~
he Utmost tonhdencs., and who was Tho onl1 tfm
a Cbiesso from whom he would secep: :ksee1
nendation. The result Of this application VA,
;ou1ae, reported to Hr. Prindlyllle IN due w.
9rt1yafterWarda Mr. Quintard came 70 the 9HI
nd requested Nj. Cregies to feeomm.asap .aps
su'Rbfe person to superfntsno ~
:recton Of tho engines and attend to isa@
OF year. Mr. Cfesier recommended one M1
ASSISTANTS, who accordingly obtained the apRom.cnn
nens: f1ndirille demanded that Greg1ef eaeessss aeesss
lse has influence with the contractor IN fs1oe 9l4
and1date, but he refused to interfere. ;Tne ~
lent OF tho Board Of Public Works With 9a4ss
1a7nan desire Tor seyenge theeeupon rent s9fet g
lqest the & Mayor cheeEiuIly aceeded:.,, A.Yt,1
Subsequently Ar. Ptiudiyille appointed ~ a1s5s2S
I'VE EyeIett IS Superintendent Of Inspector q e -
vest Side Norka at q salary Of 81 wv 8 dI@%
his Is quite stuecure position. and one wels1x ~
nttreiy unnecessary, because Quintata - rt ast
ible for the engines until ho fulalls ~ eonns
nd the man whom Cregier recommended y soE
attending the only real work that is IN pfuele@1
borrower, It ia said that Everett does not bPess
u hours week at his post ~: .:c6.&
One day when cregieE was over 1t tha Hes'eA
Works he found four men engaged ...E