Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1891-11-06
CITY COUNCIL.
The Sewer Committee Makes an
Elaborate Report.
Interesting Proceedings at the City Hal
The officers of the New Fire
Department Elected.

ing. Aldermen Gilbert, Northing-
ton, Crouch, Beach and Hurst were
present, enough to make a quorum
from the old city, and Aldermen Ru-
dolph and Marable from the new
territory.
The minutes were read and APP
proved, when Treasurer Beach's re-
port was presented, showing dis
bursements to the amount of $6,419,
and the city 1857 overchecked.
Mrs. Witzel, First ward, petitioned
for reduction of taxes on her cot
tage the house was valued at $1,000.
The release committee agreed that il
was too high and reduced it to ST.
500.
DIR. Beach, chairman of the sewer
committee, submitted his report,
which was quite lengthy and consum'
ing some thirty minutes or more for
reading. The matter embraces the
history of the sewer from beginning
to end, including the contract with
Stewart q Quinn. Dr. Beach said he
thought it was proper that the public
should know just what had been
done, and how, inasmuch as the
committee had been severely criti-
cised for the misfortunes that had
followed, and they were conscious OF
having done their duty, and it was
due to the committee that a full re-
port be made and published. The
committee had given all of their
spare time to the matter. They
could not devote their whole atten-
ton to it that was not their duty,
and it was not expected of them.
Moreover, the committee had to de-
pend on the engineer as an expert
judge of the work, and while they
were satisfied good job had been
executed, they might be honestly mis-
taken, and if they were, the respon-
sibility rested on the engineer who
was employed by the board, and not
by the committee, to direct and SUI
pervise the work, and who gave his
whole attention to it. This was no
part of the cOmittee's duty, as the
engineer was employed for that eX-
press purpose, and if there had
been any neglect or failure in
the work, the responsibility rested
upon him and that was matter for
the board to decide. He referred to
break in the sewer on University
avenue, that could only be accounted
for in the fact that the city is located
on a cavernOus foundation and holes
are liable TO break at any time or
anywhere, letting joints of the pipe
drop out, changing the course of the
water as in the present case, and this
place would simply have to be re
paired and the matter was referred
TO, the board for its action. The
board instructed the mayor to have
the report published in full and COM
plimented the committee for their
faithful discharge of duty. 1t also
instructed the committee to have the |
break in the sewer repaired.
The Stewart & Quinn contract was
for $2S, $50, 80 per cent to be paid on
the engineers estimates as the work
progressed. The total cost of the |
sewer by reason of the failure of
Stewart & Quinn was $32, 1902.
The difference in the cost and the
contract is 3,642.90, for which Stew
art q Quinn's bondsmen are liable to
the city. Their bond is for 100000,
with two bondsmen qualifying TO
property subject to execution in lhe
sum of $4,000 each, and which the
city will have to sue for. The en-
gneer reports the work well done in
all of its details according to specifi-
cation.
The street committees report
sh,, wed that a great deal of work had
been done during the past month by
way of street repairing, etc. The
bridge across Gallows Hollow had
been built costing $l54 80, that is $3.50
more than had been appropriated for
that work. The bill was ordered
paid.
w. IL. Drane's petition to have
the northwest corner of Second and
College street properly located had
been complied with and the corner
Mr.. Rudolph from the 9th ward
asked that the depression in College
street at the terminus of the old
line opposite Col. w. f.
Young's and the Mooney place be
filled, and thought the dirt could be
had from Taylor's hill, that
needed cutting down. DIR. North
inton moved that the fill be made, I,
stating that it was very bad plac-
in winter, hardly passable. The mat
ter was referred to the street com
mittee.
DIR. Marable, on behalf of sew
eral citizens, asked for the extension !
Of Commerce street, having the
49,, a r>nonnl FROM, fba pooSanpar do