The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-08-02
CRIMINAL RING WORK.
The Hall of Records Almost Falling
Apart, But the Ringsters
Will Accept 1t.

County Superintendent James F. Gan
non intends to make it lively for Contrac-
tor George A. Brown before that gentle
man succeeds in receiving the balance he
claims to be due him for the erection of
the Hall of Records. The history of the
building is the most disgraceful one at
tached to any public building ever erected
by any Board of Freeholders in this coun-
ty. Tine work should have been COM
pleted in June. 1889. as the con-
tract called for, and it is not
completed yet. What has been done
is simply jobbery, and jobbery Of the
most apparent nature. The swindle was
begun by the notorious Board of Free
holders, some of whom succeeded in hav-
ing themselves indicted for their abuse
of public confidence. The work on the
building, to the most superficial exam
iner, is one complete botch and utterly
unit to be accepted by any official. Mem
bers of the present Board desire to Off
cially accept the work as completed ana
to pay Contractor Brown for it. Why
this should be is best known to
the Freeholders themselves. but 1t is
the opinion that any Freeholder who votes
to accept this building in its present con-
dition as completed according to the con-
tract and specifications should be indict-
ed. 1t is simply squandering the county's
money.
Superintendent Cannon, Freeholder
Tierney, Assemblyman Pagan and Con-
tractor George A. Brown yesterday in
spected the building in superficial man
ner, and the defects pointed out by Mr..
Cannon were SO glaring that Messrs.
Brown and Pagan were unable to over
come them, although Mr. Tierney made
1,cfa oyn h1 cnt1ld for ha nj no
as the examination proceeded. The writ
er was present during the inspection.
DEFECTS ON THE INTERIOR.
In the main corridor, on the first floor,
it was found that the flooring, which is
made of square stones cemented. is an
inch higher than the tiling Of the floors
of the Offices on either side of it. This
naturally is very bad, for it will permit
all the water used in the hall in cleaning
it to trickle at will over the floors and
carpets of the offices. The tiling in the
corridor is frightful. and the joints range
from one-sixteenth to one-eighth of an
inch, and in many instances one-quarter
of an inch from being level. AT least one
third of the tiling when tapped with
steel hammer gave the hollow sound that
clearly denoted that the stones were not
fat on the cement and that space be-
twean the cement and stones existed.
The stones that were firmly tiled, few as
they were showed an entirely different
sound 1t required no expert to detect
the difference. In the rooms intended
fer the Surrogate's Office the same irreg-
ularisies existed and also in all the other
tiled rooms on that floor. While Mr..
Cannon was tapping the stones Free
holder Tierney remarked
.'This does not amount to anything; it
can easily be fixed
"Well, Mr. Tierney," said the County
Superintendent, you may vote to pay
for this building but / will never sign
certificate for 1t in this condition. You
Just come along here, i want to show you
something else"
THE vEsTIBULE FLOOR LAID WRONG.
Following Cannon down the corridor to
the Pavonia avenue, or main entrance,
the party were told to look at the massive
slab that rests at the top of the stoop, but
inside of the building. All did SO, and
Mr.. Cannon offered TO bet 500 that the
back part of this slab was at least one inch
lower than the front. Thiss means that
constant pool of water will lodge there
every time it rains Contractor Brown
did not offer to accept the wager, but
said:-
Il never knew this. This ought not to
be-"
Then the party ascended the iron stair
way to the second floor, where the tiling
was again tested. It was little better
than down airs, but yet very defective,
and speaking Of it Mr.. Cannon declared
emphatically Chat in one years time the
tiling would be so loose that when per-
son stepped on one end of the square
stones the opposite end would spring up;
that, in fact, all the tiling in the
building would in q very short time be too
loose to be used as a flooring. The
County Superintendent then called atten-
tion to the plumbing ana found much
fault with that in the closets. The mar
BILE partitions In the closets were not
plumb, did not set properly against the
wall, and were so loose that he
shook them nearly down with his
hand without the slightest effort.
plumbing which, he said, were SO defect
i've that If they did not already leak they
soon would. Pointing to one unfinished
joint Contractor Brown and Freebooter
Tierney asked who would see it. 1t was
behind some marble slabs.
"It don't make any difference whether
it is seen or not, it is not done right" re-
piled Mr.. Cannon.
1.-THE plumber could not get at it to do
the work good, " said Mr.. Tierney.
Il can produce plumber in an hour
that can do it." retorred Mr.. Cannon, and
he added, when | spoke to the plumber
about this he said he was paid cheap
prices and gave cheap work"
THE PLUMBING SIMPLY HORRIBLE.
Mr. Cannon then pointed out the fact
that not q bit of the plumbing was
covered and out of view and showed how
the leaders were exposed by orders from
Architect Giele. 1t had been the original
intention to have the leaders outside of
the building, but Giele had them placed
inside. The pipes were not incaSed. The
next defect pointed out by Mr.. Cannon
was a leak which had stained the walls of
the second corridor in the corner beneath
tho stairway and opposite the Grand Jury
ROOM Mr.. Browns comment was:--
"That's only little thing. and can be re-
paired.
In the basement the plumbing was
shown to be simply horrible The lead
pipes had been secured to the walls by
nails, which had loosened the plaster and
had fallen out already, leaving the pipes
loose and in condition to be
broken at any time. The closets on this
floor were even much worse than in the
other parts of the building. On the base
ment floor, beneath the stairway, near
the Court House end of the building, was
standing a pool of stagnant water an
inch deep. No better evidence than this
could be offered to snow that this floor
was not level. The water probably w as
the result OF the last rain and reached the
basement through the leak pointed out by
Mr.. Cannon. In the basement it was
found also that one of the pipes in the
closets leaked Mr.. Browns comment on
this disgraceful condition of affairs when
the party left the building was:--
s'Well, threw in 81, 400 worth of work
or the afanfn heating mines not called for