New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-08-10
MR.. CHURCH HAD PARTNERS,
HIS MEMORY RATHER DEFECTIVE
snAMINo THE CIVIL SERVICE FOR POOR AouE.
DUCT INSPECTION.

him were Senators Van Colt and McNaughton
The examination of Chief Engineer Church was
continued, and occupied the entire morning ses-
ZION. Corporation Counsel Beckman conducted
The greater part Of the examination OF the witness
xcssrs Nicoll and Boardman. however, the regular
counsel to the committee, also took hand IN the
Questioning from time TO time.
The main object Of the lawyers seemed TO DC
o show that the chief engineer and his suoordnates
had passed great deal Of work involving pay
nents for unnecessary masonry. The Engineer re-
peaoedly pointed out the distinction between
the additional masonry which was made necessary
through the use Of high explosives caused by the
necessity for rapid work and that which was
made necessary merely by careless blasting The
FORMER was TO be paid for. while the latter is
supposed to come out Of the contractors pocket.
Mr.. Church Us much as admitted that the con-
tractors were accustomed to 60 ahead with adj
ditional work Of their own accord and get the
engineers to approve it afterward. When he was
pressed for instances and details, however,
he suddenly became cautious in his statements,
and finally decided that such state OF AFFAIRS
had not occurred more than " once or twice" lie
asserted that he had saved the city 100000 by
utilizing the rubble masonry
Mr.. CHURCH'S PARTNERSHIP RELATIONS.
After recess Mr.. Boardman undertook to draw
from Mr.. Church the history OF his connection
with company organized to manufacture patent
waste-water indicator" an enterprise IN when
IL appeared that Rollin NJ. Squire, ex-Commissoner
of Public Works Maurice B. Flynn and Contractor
Mclean OF the firm of Brown, Howard d
Co, were also stockholders. Mr.. Church's memory
was in somewhat confused state as
10 dates and amounts, but Mr.. BOardman managed
10 get from him that he had held one-thlrd IN
tcrcst in the company since about 1854, having
mt in the ownership OF the patents against
the othtr stockholders time and money spent upon
experiments II was an invention intended TO show
when watr was running to waste III mills 1ac-
tories dwellings, etc, and the purpose was to
sell the right to use it TO water companies and
municipal corporations Mr. Church did not know
when Mr. Flynn got his stock, but be had heard
of his going TO Albany to obtain legislation in the
company's interest. Mr.. Church was also III the
dark about Mr.. Squire's connection with the COM
pany, though he was aware that Mr.. Squire was
trying to sell big invoice Of the indicators TO the
CITY of Boston Mr.. Church said that he had PAID
little attention to the affairs of the company, Dut
when he heard that Mr.. Mclean had bought some
of the stock he decided that he ought not to be IN
partnership relations with any Aqueduct con-
tractor, and had sold out his interest. ms
he said was last January. lie had sold his STOCK
TO Charles ii. Roosevelt who had agreed TO take
I'D his notes amounting to about $4,000, given III
the payment of some of the cOmpany's liabilities.
He received no money, but MI Rooseveit hau paiu
his notes, 50 he understood
Under Mr. Nicolls questioning Mr.. Church SAID
that he did not mean TO let Mclean get grip
upon him. but was obliged TO admit holding re-
lations with Flynn up to last January similar 10
those he was so anxious to escape from WIN
Mclean As the proposition TO sell the hdl-
Gators. TO the city of New-Yo k had fllcn through
Mr.. Church said that he did not think his con-
nection prior to January Objectionable M NJ
Nicoll made strenuous efforts TO geC IRON Ii Ma'
Church the amount of stock owned py squire,
Flynn and Mclean and the date OF their seNcral
purchases but he found the Cher Engineers
memory SO unreliable that he SAID he would DC
Obliged TO ask for the production OF the STOCK
book of the concern.
MR. CHURCH BLAMES THE CIVIL SERVICE
The charm of Mr. Nicoll's insinuating method
led Mr. Church into making statement the
strength of which he seemed to realize by klnu oil
reflective mental process, from the surprise evinced
by nearly all who heard it, for he repeated IL ana
said he meant it. lie blamed the routine OF the
Civil Service examinations for hamperlhS inc III
spcotor system, and thereby indirectly causing lhe
had work on the Aqueduct Certain measures
have TO be gone through by the Civil Service ana
they take great deal OF time, he eApialheu'
0-Is IL, then. because the CVi Service DO"IN 10 III
oncient9 Al think that the trouble Is they nave oo
much 70 do They have the to supply inspectors
"a fas, as we need them time we had plenty OF
spnicants now We have difficulty In getting them
o-what is the diincuyi A.-There are fewer men
willing 10 20 through ordeal OF the Civil Service
oDo they fear the ordeal OF the Civil Service or the
ordeal OF the subterIanean Aqueduct most A-"eil
great many Of inspectors don't ike 10 ulspa5
their lack OF scholarship Take clever man, VINO Is
Quick with tongue and his pen, ana he can p'9s e
examination more readily than the ordinary inspector
o-Then you mean TO say that you got OeV'er hi'Peo
tors outside Of the Civil Service Boafdf A'-Aes' We
dd In order that this may be understood VIII
say that In dark tunnel, where the ar 10 pau anu
the light is bad full OF unhealthy. where lSpcc
tors stand not keeping their muscles III 0pc4
ton and suffering than the laboer who Is DONG 'd
and where there is whole crowd Of people the lhspec
ton Is very different from what 1t would be III Drodo
daylight The difficulty bud work has arisen III TINS
way that up certain period we were not unaer 'ne
Civil Service. Later we came under the 1uiiso0uo' VI
The Civil Service About that time the NUMBER
OF points Of attack On the Aqueuuc'
xee increasing faster than could get inspectors we
would apply dozen or twenty inspectors III w"
or three days, and would have to walt TWO or o' e'
instead before we got them
viii our small force we hal large ground An
nsetor would sometimes have ~ 20 away distance OF
twenty feet OF with his lantern and that Wouu give
an opportunity for the mcn TO get in bad "of" ana can
show YOU BY diagram the bad work began at the Time
we began 10 run short Of inspectors. SO II Is not far 10
mn, r. on the engineers They have done their duty to
the full They worked overtime and have broken
,.., health over IT, lost men by DEATH one by
accident and three or invaded Ana 1t Is not
entirely the Civil which keeps Us from getting In
s,ectors There IL certain routine TO be gone through
with the Commissioners, too after we get inc men iron"
,ho ci service The law requires each applicant to be
es,tinea nv three Commissioners and that maze great
delsy and difficulty getting inspectors to cover new
work and in addition that II we find half dozen In
spectors not up time 1t takes several "eehs 70 nave
them replaced But the engineers are all good men,
,r.a nuo.u., 4. we'll built There Is only about per
cent po, up 70 contract There has been no Haua anu
ve hay. carried out whoie work as well as we khe"
how and when you think Of this tunnel travelling az such
@ rate. aggrcgatins headings oil thia o' ni'' an
,.,,e, ~ mile day with alignments true that they
win be hardly than 1-2 inches apart "heh 'hey
meet in 1000 heaiags you VIII see That INC "oiA mas
GONE on with a and energy never achieved before
may accused Of favoring contractors "heh say INC!
have done speaiidy. They have manifested much
energy have provided COCA plants and have made great