St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-12-01
SAINT PAUL MATTERS.
Inv stigation of the Charges ofIllegal and
Improper Plumbing by Mr. Dun
negan.
st. Andrews Society Celebrates the Day
ofIts Patron Saint in Good Scotch
Fashion.
Musical Events of Last EveR1ng--A
Lusty Blizzard lowering over
the City.
Do1nss in the Courts Female Attn
Ietes--Bits of News From Many
Sources.

The charges made against James j. Dun
nigsn. under which his license as plumber
was SUSPENDED. came before the board OF
nubIic works last night. Gen. Becker
acted As chairman of the board, the preSI-
dent having been away from the city at the
other four meetings when the matter came
ND. c. Z. Otis. one of the attorneys tor
Dunnigan. read answers to the charges
filed nv Heinemann and SePger.
In the answer to Heinemanus petition
OunniUsn sets I'D that he had been engaged
in the plumbing business twenty years. lie
had secured q license as provided Tor oy the
ordinance and. although advised that the
ordinance was illegal, he has, and INTENDS 10
ccmnly with all the requirements OF tie same.
He inadvertently, nut not wiiifuliy, neglected
IN secure permits, but such omission was not
tn nreyent the inspection OF the Work, Out an
oversight The neglect, he alleges grew out OF
the plan adopted during the strike among the
icurneymen plumbers last summer AT mat
time in order TO prevent his men from being
interfered with by the strikers, he ana other
Numbers did not apply for permits 10 DO
work. in order that strikers might not know
where the men were working. Even aIter
the trouble ceased. 1t caused forgelIulness.
A general denial was made TO the charge OF
81
meeting of the waste-pipe from the refrig-
orator with the house drain without
ventilation trap as provided for IN inc ordl-
nance was explained by the statement mat
in this case the law was compiled with In
shirt if not by letter. At the time the work
was about completed, he saw Inspector
Chenerpy at the house, and supposed the
plumbing was being inspected. He had al
WAYS told the workmen to notify the inspect
ors when work was ready for inspection, and
supposed it had been done in this
case When the work was completed
vas nerfect and it would be impossible for
the sewer gas to escape from such slight leaks
as were altered to have been found in the
mines. The sickness in the family he allege1
to be due to
CIsTERN IN THE CELLAR
which held putrid water. and not to any sewer
gas. which was alleged in Heinemann's petit
zion TO have escaped from the pipes. The
answer concluded by saying that Dunnigan
had SD 600 invested in MS business and had
been already greatlF damaged in his BUSH
ness nv the charges male against him. ana
that if his license was revoked by the BOARD
ii would bar him from earning q hVen-
hood. The answer TO the charges made by
Seeger were about the same, except IL was
admi ted if there were any defects it was the
neglect of the journeymen plumbers who did
the work and was the result OF inadVertence
and not ignorance on the part OF the plumbers.
Gen. Becker thought best. before hearing
anv testimony, to have the issues on which
testimony would be heard clearly defined
and understood. The answer Of Dunnigan
had admitted many of the charges, MI Bar
rett said. and was what might be called a
plea of confession and avoidance. Some
discussion followed as to just what evil
dence should be heard, and the board finally
decided to hear testimony only on the vln-
latiOns of the plumbing ordinance, and not
on the manner in which the work was
done or as to the escape OF sewer gas
causing the sickness and death Of the child
rem.
Richard Chenery was the first witness
sworn. He said he had been plumbing in
spector for the city for a year and half. On
Aug he was called to a house adjoining
HeinemanuS to inspect plumbing JOB.
While there the plumber called attention to
the work being done in Heinemann's house
by Dunnigs-, and asked the witness II ne
had inspected it. Some of the joints of the
soil pipe. especially those in the cellar. were
not properly calked, being only half hled
with lead and oakum, and the top filed. in
with red clay. He tested the pipes with the
smoke test, then with the water test, and
again with the smoke test. The FIRST
test was made few days before
the charges against Dunnigan were fled. At
the time he first visit ed the Heinemann house
the work had been nearly completed and he
not been notified and would not have known
it had the plumber in the next house not
called his attention to it. 1t ought TO have
been inspected three or four weeks before
that is. if 1t had been the intention of Dunni-
gan to comply with the ordinance. While he
was in the house Duunigan came in and said:
'sHow did you find it, The witness told him
there were several defecs in the plumbing
and showed them to Ounnigan, who promised
to have them changed.
CROSS EXAMINATION.
On the cross-examination, conducted by c.
n O'Bli-n the witness said he most always
used the peppermint test in inspecting the
plumbing jobs. The smoke test was severe
one. and while pipe might leak with the
smoke test. it would not always follow that
sewer gas would escape from such leaks TIE
water test was more severe than the smoke
test and ne seldom used it. He
had inspected $50 jobs Of plumbing and had
used the wafer test only in this instance and
the smoke TEST only twice before. Had given
about thirty written certificates out Of the
$50 Jobs inspected and did not consider it al
ways necessary to give written certlncateS
after inspection.
W. II. Stewart, the next witness called,
said he had piled his profession" for ten
wears lie was called into the Heinemann
house and altered and repaired the plumb
ing. which he understood had been done by
DU nigan.
The iciLts in the soil pipe, he found, were
not properly calked or made tight. When
the water test was made the water dropped
ana spurted from some OF the leaks in the
JOINTS. The waste pipe TO the refrigerator
leads to the house drain pipe and
that pipe connected with the sewer
There was no veniilating pipe from the
trap in the waste pipe as required by the Or
dirance. On crosS-eXamination the witness
admitted that he never saw the water test
useC 10 the city before, although he had else
where The test was such as to cause pres
sure of fifteen pounds to the square inch.
There was no: much pressure on the pipes
when III everyday use except that
made by the wind. 1t might have been
that the leaks in the joints were caused by
the heavy pressure Of the water test.
although after he had put in the new plumb
ing and tested il with water, they I'D not
leak. He thought, however. that he took
extra precautiCn when doing the work, and
knew it would have TO stand the water test
He WAS not sure that all OF his work in the
city would stand the water test, although
some of it would.
The hearing was adjourned at 1890
o'clock until this evening at Z O'Clock. and
Gen. Becker announced that O'clock
meant Z o'clock, and not any time between
that hour and O'Clock.
AULD LANG SYNE.