The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-03-04
Between 10000 and 40,
900 Belgian Blocks
Gone Somewhere.
FROM WASHINGTON STREET.
Commissioner Tumulty and Fore-
man Noonan Tell Diff
ferent Stories.

Several years ago the Board Of Public
Works, at an expense of about $50, 900,
paved Washington street between the
gap" and Johnston avenue. The street
here is wide, and the contractor expected
himself to make his work presentable.
The eighteen foot wide sidewalks had
good and even tagging, and the curbing
was much better than the city usually re-
ceives. The street was paved with Bel
gian Gblocks furnished at considerable
expense.
Although the city went to the expense
of this improvement, it never did any one
any good, the contractor excepted, and for
years it has been patiently waiting t or the
Washington street bridge to be throw D
across the gap and connect it with this
side of that body of water Everyone
one knows how remote the chances of this
taking place are, and no one was surprised
to learn that the Lehigh Valley Railroad
Company had built nine tracks across
this street about halfway between the
gap and johnson avenue.
When this was done the pavement, curb
ing and sidewalk tagging had to be re-
moved and it was.
just where it was finally removed to is
at this time a mystery.
lAC 1dLAiOdA NAtPACJ OI0 tOlC u y utiN>
stones and placed them on the side of the
street, and then laid the railroad tracks.
The space which the company occupied,
and from which the stones were removed,
is at least 100 feet long and so feet wide,
containing between $4,000 and 10000 Bel
gian blocks, and tagging for an eighteen
foot walk on each side, with the necessary
curbing. These stones laid on the side of
the street, where the railroad men threw
them, for some weeks.
THE STONES cARTED AWAY.
An of sudden they were carted away.
A prominent citizen told me this and
said he had undoubted authority for the
assertion that these stones, or some of
them, had been carted to New York
When made an examination Of the street
and saw that the stones had been re
moved saw Alderman Jewkes, who has
business in this vicinity. He told me tha
he had seen the stones carted away, an6
was sure that he saw on some Of the
wagons "Jersey City Public Works. He
said that he did not know where the stones
were taken to.
SERIOUS DISAGREEMENT.
next saw Commissioner Tum1lty,
chairman of the committee of our Board
of Public Works and Streets and Sewers.
He told me that the stones had been re-
moved to the yard in the rear of the city, s
stable by order of the Board
| went there and found large quantity
of Belgian blocks and cobblestones, be-
sides tagging and paving stones also
found Foreman Noonan of the stable, and
stableman. They both told me that the
stones in the yard were brought there
from First street. at the foot of the Hill. =
They were removed when the junction
railroad was built
Wondering at the difference between their
story and Commissioner Tumulty's
sought Commissioner Cannon, who is also
a member of the Committee on Streets
and Sewers He said.
II don't know anything about this mat
ter, but no doubt Commissioner Tumulty
can tell you all about it. I do remember
that about four weeks ago a bill for cart
age came up and Commissioner Tumulty
said it was all right and signed it. 1t
customary in the Board to sign bills whSe
the chairman of a committee says the bin
is correct
When told Mr.. Cannon how the rail-
road company had taken possession of the
street he expressed surprise, but said that
he presumed they had authority to do
what they had done. A
The question now is, were Foreman
Noonan and the stableman wrong when
they said that the paving stones in the
yard came from First street, and was the
citizen wrong when he said that the Wash
ington street paving stones We're taken to
Naxu Vo1.rS