Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-09-25

IrONCmentS necessary anu recommended
an appropriation of $4,000 TO carry out
their ideas. An expert had shown that 1t
was Necessary to have larger pines 20 carry
the gas from the works TO the west end OF
the city, end be had also recommended
route ard the size vi ice pipe.
The Council agreed TO the recommends
tions OF the Board oi Public Interests,
amending the same by adopting Superln-
tendeDt Knowles's views a. TO .be route
for the pipes and their size. He wanted
20-inch main, and preferred Broad street
10 the route. Work was commenced some
time since, and a. fast aS the Trcdegar
lron-Works turned out the pipes they
were placed IN position. The work pro-
gressed rapidly and smoothly until the ex-
sayatOrs reached Seventh street, where
they encountered culysrt right IN the
line OF their work. Colonel Cut.haw was
sent for aud consulted by the Committee
on Light. lie sOntended thst to reduce
the area OF the culvert by cutting through
would bring heavy expense TO the city. To
lay the pipe - the Gas Committee desire
would cause a reduction OF the area OF the
culyert aud obstruct it.
The Committee on Light and the Street
Committee were then called together Mon
udg anu tney dSicN W
CIT THROUGH TIB CULvERT,
and no more was thought Of the matter by
them. Colonel Cutshaw, however. thought
il too serious TO be thus dealt with. He
saw his Honor the Mayor. aud represented
TO him that The interference with the cul-
vert MAS not necessary. that the gas-msins
could be carried either over or under the
culyert. and that to cut into the culyert as
proposed would cause II 10 be filled
hve.thT;eenths with the pipe, and thi,
obstruction might cause a collection OF ex-
plosive gas wbish might do great damage.
They wanted an elbow in the gas-,rain at
the culyeit. and Colonel CutshaW urged il
on the ground that the flow OF gas would
not be ob-tructcd by an elbow, while the
fow Of wGter would be.
Esyor Csrrington, upon hearing tai',
went up to seventh street Tuesday morn
ing. accompanied by President J.. l.. Bass,
Of the Board OF Aldermen, and j. I. FL
Tyson. president OF the Common Council.
, These gentlemen viewed the contested
ground. and the Mayor issued his mandate
that work be discontinued until he could
communicate with the Council and hear il
decision. This order was obeyed. but
temporarily. for as soon as Er. Bowie
heard Of II he took command OF his forces,
went into the trench. cut into the culyert,
and laid his pipe down, while his Honor
the Mayor, perhaps, was medltiting upon 4
message TO the Council that would explain
, matters nicely.
Mr.. BowIs DLITs AND Is BEATEN.
When The Mayor found that Mr.. Bowi'
: bad captured the culyert and was working
/ forty feet ahead in the trench, be deter
! mined to stop him by sending the polici
! against the excayators, pipemcn. and work
/ ING party. These last reported 10 Nr
| Bowie the condition Of Affairs. and he, with
! Colonel Knowles and Captain J. Z. Phiili,.,
repaired to the scene. Then the crowd
| began 10 swell in numbers and the boy.
! looked out for fun. Mr.. Bowie took od' his
| coat sud commenced working At derrick
used in lowering the pipes. hr. knOwle'
also took haad by lcaping INTO the trench
and working at the pipes. Ihen the police
men put stop 10 the enterprise Of the gen
| tlemen by eseOrtDg them n the Second
! police station-hou.e, much n the amuse-
! mept Of the by-,landers. The hands al
work were also arrested and taken to the
stotion-house. The charge entered on thC
| book ut the st0tioL-bouSe is o5struc;ins
the ciiy's property" All hands were re.
leased on bail, and the ease will come ~
/ this morning before Justice Richardson OF
the Police COurt.
Er. Bowie has engaged the legal service.
oi Judge W. W. Crump. aad will test t.
the fullest the merits OF the question. Hc
makes the following statement:
THE Committee on Light is carrying
ont tie orders of tie City Council - AZ
frmed and approved by the Mayor in cx
! tending the gas-mains Of the city, in order
TO supply the western portion Of the city
with a sufficient amount OF gas. In ODE
dienCe 10 the authority invested by spe
cial act Of the Council and general ordi.
nances, we contracted for the necessary
/ supply of pipe and proceeded 10 lay il
! along tie route designated by the En-
gireer. In order TO conform to the ne
ces.qry ascending grade and avoid To,
nuisance Of a drip at the conjunction oI
two tborouehiares. 1t became absolutely
necessary either to change the course OF
tue large Waterman or to tap the top oi
the small culycrt. To this the City En-
giueer. after due notification. objected, and
insisted that The Committee on Ligh, should
not interfere with the culyert.
"A conference between the City En-
giueer, the Superintendent OF the Gas De
partment, and the chairman OF the Com
mlttee on Light, chairman OF the Commit
tee on Streets. and the Super ateDdent oi
the Water Department was held, by ap
! pOintment. at the corner OF seventh anC
Broad at O'Clock Monday. After consul
tston 1t WAS agreed to refer any disputed
matter to Joint meeting OF the Committee
on Light and Streets for final decision
| Such amecting was held Monday afternoon
snd by majority vote OF the two commit
tees The Committee on Light was orderei
By 5 resolution duly recorded, to proceed
with their work and tap the culvcrt.
AT 10 O'Clock yesterday the Mavor sp
pesred on the scene and ordered the men
to stop work. This action on the part o
! bis Honor wu verbally reported to mysel
As chairman Of the committee. In IN,
mean tine the foreman (Mr. King, in de
ference to the order OF the Mayor. trans
ierred his force 10 Third street, TO avoid
| loss OF time.
AS soon as ] heard Of the action Of tn
Mayor and the transferring OF the force %
hands TO Third street, Immediately dt
rected the Superintendent Of the Gas
Works (Mr. Knowlcs) to bring the hand
back 10 Seventh and Broad, 10 disregard
| the orders of the Mayor as being ul!r0
uires. and to proceed with the work a,
ordered by the Council and committees
By a msiority vote Of the two committee
the Committee on Light was instructed I,
tap the culvert aud proceed with its WORK
This morning the men employed by th'
committee went TO work aud proceeded {
carly out the orders OF the joint COMMITTEES
About hali-pas, 6 O'Clock squad Of po
licemen, claiming to act under verbal or
ders from the Mayor. notified the men tia
IL they went to work thoy would be ar
| rested.
al have the opinion OF every expert wit
| las leen examined OH the subject that tn