Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-09-27
THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN
CULrERT CONTROVERSY CLOSED.
mr. Bowie. Chairma n OF the Commmissse
on Lisht, Colonel Cutshaw, City Engineer,
and Other Gentlemen Express Their views.

The following members were present
fresiden, Bass and Messrs. Cabell, Chafiin,
Crenshaw, Crump. Dickerson. Glasgow,
Page. Powers, Robinson, Rose, Taylor,
and Williams.
| The Eoard acquiesced in the action OF
The Common Council In allowing the Jane
| G. smith Ice Company to rebuild their ice
| house.
| Their the Clerk read the following from
| the Mayor:
"Ths hands operating under orders OF
The Committee on Light, in laying gas.
| pipes along Broad street, have cut into a
sewer at the corner OF Broad aud Seventh
streets and laid pipes across it.
| "Such action, in the opinion Of the CRy
| Engineer. materially lessons the area OF
the e'llyert, and may entail heavy expense
on the citytO remedy it.
"Other sewers will be reached in the
course OF pipo-laying. aud like action will
| produce like injury, and entail like cost to
| remedy damages.
"1he Gas Committee differ in opinion
from the City Engineer and propose 10 con-
| tilue their work, as | am informed. In the
same manner as now. The conflict OF
| opinion is so great and the result NAV be
40 serious that deem il wise and prudent
| for the Council to settle the matter
promptly.
81 therefore suggest and request at once
a called meeting OF the Board Of Aldermen
to consider this question"
ASKING IMPORTATION.
Mr.. Page wanted to know the statll, OF
the war. and asked that Mr.. Bowie, chair
man OF the Committee on Light, be heard.
Dir. Williams asked that Co.onel Cut
shaw, City Engineer, be heard.
A motion framed so as to conform to
these views was adopted
Nr. Crump moved that while awaiting
the presence OF Colonel Cutshaw and Mr..
Bowie that the members Of either commit
| tee be heard.
Hr. Powers, in answer to this opinion
| (Which Obtained), stated that al 4 Joint
| meeting Of the Committees on Light and
! Streets a resolution allowing the Commit
tee on Light to cut into the culysrt was
adopted by q vote Of six to five. Mr.. Pow
eT> stated how Colonel Cutshaw and
| the Mayor caused the arrest Of the work
| ingmcn in the diichos, with Mcssrs. Bowie
and Knowles. lie dwst with particular
force on the fact that Mayor Car
ringlon had ample time on Tuesday 10
| have invoked the advice and authority
OF the Council which met Tuesday evening.
onig five hours after the Mayor, the City
Engineer, Mr.. Bass. president OF the Board
Of Aldermen, and Mr.. J. Taylor Ellison.
| president Of the Council. had conferred
about the difficulty. lie thought the Mayor
in this matter had rot acted wisely. and
that il hi. action were sanctioned it would
be hard to get competent men 10 act as city
officials. Az TO further trouble Mr. Pow
ers did not propose TO talk.
On motion Of Mr.. Chailin, Mr.. Campbell,
| OF the Common Council. was also invited
to be present and speak IL necessary.
Dir. Bowie was invited to speak. He
gave way to Colonel Cutshaw, and Colonel
Cutshaw gave way to Mr.. Campbell, chair
| man OF the Street Committee.
Mr.. CAMPBELL SPEAKS.
Mr. Campbell said the great error was IN
allowing the Gas Committee to have any
thing TO do with the matter. lie thought
the Street Committee ought 10 have de-
cided this thing. He gave an accoant OF
the trouble just a. it has been presented In
print.
HR. BOWIE
next explained how his committee en-
cOuntered the culyert how he asked Colo
mel Cutshav how 10 get over the difficulty:
how Cutshaw suggested three plans. how
he differed with Colonel Cutshaw about
any Of these; how he advanced reasons in
favor Of his views; how he did not pretend
to put bi, judgment against Cutshaw's;
lut how he thought practical results offset
Cu;Shaw'- views, and how the matter was
referred to a Joint meeting OF the Commit
tees on Light and Streets. lie understood
Colonel Cutshaw to agree to this, and st
the meeting referred 10, 1t was agreed 10 tap
the culyert aud proceed with the work. He
understood that this permission applied to
9l similar cases, with the proyisO that the
CITY Engineer should be consulted.
Mr. Bowie then told oi the simple edict
Of the Mayor ordering the stopping OF the
work after all this; how Colonel knOwle.
told him of il; how he went 10 see the City
Engineer and found him out Of town; how
he consulted counsel and afterwards or
dcIod the work 10 proceed, aud the subse-
qucnt arrest OF all concerned. the details OF
which have already been made known. lie
characterized the arrest az a usurpati0n
Of power by the Mayor. He discllimed
conflict with the City Engineer. He had
respect for bis opinion. but he had con-
sidcred it his duty 10 do what he did. He
thought the CITY Engineer ought 70 con-
troll such matters. He had gone to the
Engineer and told him he hoped he would
giYe All 81 his time aud attention that he
could 10 the work he thought it his
busines, TO overlook il. lie did not think
his force would come into cOstact with
another sewer. some bad said Shat there
would be- another encounter ut Sixth
street. He had found that this wa not
80: that IN fact the work might 20 on
without similar hindrance in the shape Oi
sewers.
COLOsEL CUTSHAW Is HEARD.
He ,aid he wanted to correct hr. Bowie
in some particulars. lie then reviewed the
action Of the Council in tue matter Of or
derng the improvement in the gGs depart
moEt. He Lad rei-'ed 70 take charge OF
The work oi laying the mains, but he had
aiWays been ready TO otter his advice.
There had been no prOileS. and he knew
that difficulties would occur unless the
committee had profilcs. He reviewed the
commencement Of the work. and c0mpll-
mEteG the enterprise. He had ,sked tO be
notified OF contact with culyertS, and under
his suggestion slight changes in numerous
eases had been made ut points lower down
than the one in dispute. tie had urged non
interference with culverts for fear OF glS
explosions. When he heard OF the Seventh
street trouble be put himself into commu-
nicatiOn with the two cOmmitteCs-Li Light
and Strcets. Then he found letter from
Mr. Bowie asking suggestions. He pro-
posed the three ways: 70 pass over the
culyert with a bend, 10 pass under, or To
lower the culvert. He understood Mr..
Bowie to say that his committee would not
pay the cost Of lowering it. Mr.. Bowie OBJ.
jected to bending the pipe and hsyinga drip,
and to the other propositions There was
no necessity for delay. \ sleeve could
Lave been made, and the difficulty disposed
oi. Colonel Cutshaw then told Of the con-
ference, and admitted that he agreed to the
action OF the committee, but he had no
idea that the matter would be disposed OF
by Joint vote Of the two committees. He
thought they would discuss the matter
Jointly. but vote would only be given on
the affair by the Committee on Streets.
He explained why be informed the May
or, because he thought the city would he
damaged, and spoke OF the visit OF the
hayor and the heads OF the Council % the
scene OF the trouble and the result OF the
same. Colonel Cutshaw then spoke Of the
arrest and subsequent incidents. lie re.
ierred TO the fact that his estimates aad
arguments had been used to secure The ap-
preparation from the Council in order 10
have the improvements in the gas depart
mont mentioned made.
lie saw unpleasant relations growing ou'
OF the execution OF the project and had on
this account asked 10 be relieved from the