The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-09-22


| The oonslruotisn OF the basins. which we're
cor uecled directly with the river We sndsayorsd
hui We co ID not IND The outlet Inc place soft,
and that there some years ago mad SET
lied under the segn, atss.n feet Ssav ne ar,sios
grade. You the sewer broke OF At the inierssc-
ton OF Thirteenth avenue ana twenty second street.
COMP down. About eight feet below the present
surface OF the street we came upon .esuiary
formed curved and guttered street corner This was
owing 10 the TACT that when Th,rteenth avenue was
ned in the original grade Of the street and the con-
Union of the cutters and curb stones we're undis-
turbed. Now considering that VIC found such con-
elusive evidences OF the former grade OF the street at
depth eight below The existing surface, u 10
plain thal mo original must DO now about SIX
or bsos the oh sariace or say about mr.
teen feet from the present surface OF the street.
..po you know anything about the sewers having
been cut of from Twenty-nith TO Six'senth street
and made TO connect with main sewer on Eleventh
"NoIhing whatever, Of my own knowledge. That
xas done before became con nee tod with Depart
ment of Public Works l came 70 The conciusisn
finding no connect with NJ Tnrteentn avenue
aud Twenty -secoud street that there defect
in the sewer east OF mat point reported the
Mr.. T0wie. the engineer IN charge, ana no In
stroc,ed me 20 connect directly WIN ths rive.
"Dd you during your connection with the DEPART
dnd any other sewer detective than the one you
have mentonedr
sec ION with Greenwich street l don't think, how
ever that this constructed BY the department.
am inclined 10 believe that Quilt by parties
who wore tho lessees OF the Aston House II Is IN
fearful coIditon. There rs now. should think, At
OF every sort there"
s'Do you 10 say that this sewer has no outlet
mo- but / tniuk the flow has been cut oil some
where oil Greenwich street, and thas IL mas Desn
contested with some other sewer having an outlet "a
the river. The present How through this sewer u
over The three ises OF deposit have alluded TO- anu
sewer. AS you say, tue foul gases from such sewer
must decidedly come through the cuiverts ana Inc
.Did you find any other detective sowsrsS"
Had known you were coming here could nave
told you OF dozen places Every where con nected
with pipe sewer found The pipe broken almost 10.
varably and tho sewer either more or less stopped
| ..You doubtless know something OF tho manner In
| which the sewers are cohstructsdf"
s.Wel believe the sewers arc constructed now IN
| more deceptive way than ever before. l tavo had
supervision OF sewer in Fitty-nintn street, from
| Twelfth avenue to tho North River. In this case
portion OF the foundation required pllng The con
| tractors price 81 SO tor each Pile. This price
inay sunk no larger number Than Re could possibly
| avoid reported to Engineer Towie that the sewer
cculd not STAND without piliug put there
| no notice whatever taken OF my report Hero III
copy Of the report MADE TO tho department. ~ INC
limo"
THE
BUREAU or sHwHHs BOON 1o NO 4 :v CITY ,s sALL
STEVENSON TowLA. ESQ., Lngnecr IN Charge Of Sewers
the n."' built aDos @ a. 100.
also Inc na 'H n ms
opinon think would be unwse TO proceed iurtner At
SsSas ana at
s. Se . Week u. TsSn viii be
aud the CRIB viii have settled. to
doubt that we can ar''s p,1s JUN TMoRSroN
| General superintendent OF sewers
| ssWas there any answer returned 10 your note 2"
.tdis reply was, We must 20 on, SIR; don't care
whether It tails down or not, we must finish our con-
trac..''
.sNow, what the consequenceP The day when
We were completing the brickwork about one hun.
dred and iIty feet Of the Tell and carried
| away with the tide The grades of this sewer were
loust in the Vanderbilt inter
est and without the opinion consent OF any oil the
| surrounding properly owners weuid also STATE
mai In me case OF the contractor ructsd
the Fittyn,ntn street sewer his pay retained for
six months after he had flushed The work, as the IN
spector OF tho sewer would not sen tho contract oot
| L believe he finally sign Il. There Is
| another sewer which l have mad supervision OF
that fell down also. This one Is IN Fortisth street,
betwecu Tenth avenue and The Hudson RIVER IL Is OF
cylindrical form, i've feet In diameter and II built NC
corang 10 the plans aud specifications would DO OF
| great strength. There spandrils or Abutmcnts
built TO Increase It's Durability, and should have
been piece nrst class work. Bur- on the contrary,
from the interior OF It's CONSTRUCTION, both
reg ards materials aud mechanism, ieli In for dis
| tance OF several yards Immediately alter II was
ieet OF u has settled in such irregular form that IL
probable portions OF II may iail Ut any moment:
TINS work progressed under the CIRCUMSTANCES
have alluded to against my protest not only 10 the
contractor but TO tho department NY inspector
und myself reported tho mattor daily In succession Ia
the engineer In charge, but all TO no purpose con.
t,nued Tor some months TO report TO Mr. Towle, not
wishing 70 ignore ths dignity OF ms oncs ~ m.knG
sewer foil down, theught it time ~ acquant the
Commissioner with ,ha circumstances IN the Case
and called upon him Tor that purpose
.sW ere your reports regard tho objective con-
struction OF noticed at any time by Tho De-
partment Of Public worksT
THE REWARD HONESTY.
"No, they not, but was rewarded for my
honesty OF purpose In making them ny being relieved
from the supervision OF the Forsieh street sewer.
Upon receiving bricf notification That was thus re-
Loved asked Mr. rowie II SUCH OF tho depart
| 10 Do Y
my efficiency, and he replied that had better SEE
Ine m waiting on that gcntioman ana having state.
the MN nc said The matter rested sitogsthe
with Mir. Towie, tho engineer IN charge. by !hl
| lime my eyes had been opened " the lac
| that tho construction Of tho sewer involved
altogether what might DO termed - big Job M,
that as believe IL prcarrauged In The interest o
| The contractor. Notwithstanding this, however
wrote Ut the time to Deputy Commissioner Thompson
COMMISSIONER Cam pbelL setting iortn Ia detail th'
aud the materials used IN It's con
to Engineer Tose, requested inves,ig Of IN,
duties In the matter OF ths sewer, setting forth tina
bilty on my part would mined iately rosign. ais,
plainly int'maIsd tnat any Official Inquiry was mad.
ino disclosures would surprise him. Here Is q copj
| OF the communication ailuds to-
A pIsaEcARpKp wARsISc.
BUREAU OF SKwkRs. kooM u CITY HAL,
HUBERT o. THOMPSON. ESQ. =
sss 70 cal so yoSl 10 continue 20 70 sp ss
violation and abuse Of all rules OF the
and at present used Ia the city prvate work
amy consequence 1t has bean rejected by insoec
On all my work. The concrete Is unworth,
tie name when somps " 81 cosers p9p1n .s.
from onc barrel OF The reniiing. OF
when entire In
most careless aud of Inferior material which
neither water, but sush some portions OF the
Lnck work at become invisible whom the work Is
pste arc careless aud deceptive manner
Tine entire sewer-pankng concrete aud brick workis
being built In lengths OF fifteen feet escl
iengtn entirely nden OF the other he III
spec0r In each cano has Protested against such con
nvanee. My advice to him NJ all times u
10 be conscientious aud his best judg
men, and sustaining him in what l thought
was sustained by this departments Ia
roun asked the contractor to do some niing aud
things inspector previously Suggesting 10 him
The propriety doing but hs repeatedly told the In
specor an IN he would build thai lac
liasd several he has ado sina. answers to the
INSPECTOR different asions la disrespset
tul and abusive The Inspector and have re
torted ali these to Messrs To~ls Myers. en-
rineers charge. aud the whole matter wall
Is found In the inspectors book OF Official returns
will not you with further details but my atten