New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-05-12
NO BLAME FOR THE AQUADUcr ACCIDENT

A CORONRE's JURY DPCLAREs IT UNAVOIDABLE
now TIE CONTRACT WORK Is CARRIED OF.
Coroner L. j. Mitchell, of YOnkers, yesterday
finished his Investigation IN regard to the explosion In
cut Ma. o. Of the Aqueduct, near Sleepy Hollow on
Sunday morning which resulted In the death OF Michael
Quinn and George Hubert. Tho evidence confined
TO showing how the work was conducted. and the
manner OF charging tho blasts to be e1-
ploded. The Jury In their verdict declared that
no blame was attached to any connected with the
work aud the external evidences around the blast
were sufficient sk,u and careful miners In
supposng that every charge had been fred ana In going
on with work. They recommends thar care DO eX-
ercsod ascertainng that every charge has been eN
plOded before work resumed Hubert had only been
employed about fortnight. and he making prepare
ton 10 remove wife ami four chdrcd from Rogers
town, Clinton County, TO North farrytown.
The accident was the first that has happened, al
though about 1000 men az work on the Aque
duct All Of the short shafts have been put down aud
the longer well under way Altogether there arc
twenty four shafts and eight portals In which
the at work night and day Electricity is used
for lighting tunnel the hosting Is done by steam
elevators loaded being elevator. hoisted
70 the surface and of track % DO dumped The
men at work nearly all Italians particu-
larry intelligent, hence II Is considered fortunate
that no accident before. The contractors
have their work completed In thrtyfour months
from last January. aud the which they
going IL thought that there will be delay yond the
time hxed In the For each days delay
penalty Of 81 900 fixed, though that RENTED
by the Commission.
The contracts cover the work north OF the Harlem
River the CrOton Dam Contracts are soon to be let
for carrying the tunnel under the river and TO One
hundredthrtyOur South Of that point II to be
carried In pipes TO the reservoirs in Cen
trail Park Tho number OF pipes and other
particulars In connection with the work below
One-hundrcd- and thirty fOurth-st. will probably
be determined by the Commission at It's meeting to-
morrow. Tue Commissioners will 20 to-day 10 inspect
the site OF the proposed Quaker Bridge
Dam fhis subject discussed at length
last year. aud the plans furnished by the
Public Works Department being founu imperfrrt the
matter dropped. since that time the Department
has changed heads but Commissioner Squire Is
Ice committed ike Mr. Thompson to I'M, rosy uroirct
New plans have made and be submit ted
TO tkeCOmnlsson. anu another effort To have dam
built will be made.
Grace and Controller LOow have become members OF
the Commission 10 II NOT known their views
The question IL Is said hover that Commissioner
Thompson still takes lively interest IN tue Big Da and
wanted for that reason, 10 make Fire Commissioner
Purroy Aqncduct Commissioner All OF the engineers
OF the Public Works Department and Of the Aqueduct
Commission favor the Ulg dam tbs best means of fur
usning Commissioner Spencer opposed Ia II
aud Commissioner Dowi Is said not To have fully made
up his mud the subject Mr.. Spencer tayors dan
at Qnaker Bridge that would not raise
for further he fIvUrs SOdOn aud
the MuscOOt Dan. Under this system any Of the
reservoirs could he cleared time without In
he plenty of storage capacity several millions OF dollars
would be saved over the cost of building the Quaker
Bridge Dam proposed by tho Public Works Depart
menL
limits In neghorhOOd OF the proposed Van Cortland
PARK This receiving reservoir viii be completed befofe
the aqueuot Is nished lhe present aquednet con,
tracts cali for expenditure OF Sl2,UbO ,OOO boyefh
million will be- needed ~ tunnel the Harlem RIVER
and carry the aqueduct TO the Park and build necessary