Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-03-08
ROW OVER DE PRIEST
rne RIVER COMMITTEE GREATLY Dis
PLEASED AT HIS APPOINTMENT.
RI. nstirsmens Of the crsighfii Also .
Matter Of Cemmsnt-A Statements
nom MIR. Burgwyn.


mind. A..
Several things have lately occurred that
have bothered them considerably and the
gentlemen comprising the body. who come
nsrtlv from the Council and partly from
the chamber Of Commerce, are at sea !"
about one or two little matters
The frst of these Is the appointment Oh
Clinton De Priest as sub-inspector py the
assistant engineer in charge oi tFe prr
proyement of the river MI " IL q VI :
gwyn. M sovso whatever
IN the appointment, which IS entireiy q
Goyernment matter, but they are sore over
n. and the members have not hesitateu 10
express their opinion.
OFTEN IN OFFICE.
No pr,est has been very fortunate in the
matter of offices and has held several here
in Richmond.
" Years ago for quite good period he was
a member of the city police force under tn .
old Democratic regime. His next appearance
was "a keeper of the New-Reseryoir Park
IN tbe DAYS of Reform. This did not suit
him for after O time the work assigned
him BECAME too onerous. After this ne
showed up "a an dtdche in the post-omcee,
from which he in due time disappeared.
Last fall he was appointed kepuoucan
supervisor Of election and rendered MINI
self very obnoxious by having several elec-
ton officers arrested, as the Democrats
Thought. without proper course: Now ne
shows up with job on the river Just as the
fishing season is about to open.
A short time ago when the sub,commit-
tee. of which Mr.. Crenshaw was chairman,
went 10 Baltimore to see Colonel Craighiil,
the engineer in charge of the river work,
he was spoken to in regard to the appoint
ment. c.,r..
the appointment was not his, as had been
stated. but had been made by Colonei
Burgwyn.
THAT PROMISE
Last May Colonel Burgwyn promised: so
saw several of the committee. that IL the
CITY would do some dredging down at the
monitors, which were practically aground.
amount of work in the barbor. The
dredging was done rs agreed, but the other
mart of the contract was not kept.
In February Colonel Burgwyn told the
members of the committee that be never
made any such promise, but they insisted
that he did, and four of them have ex-
pressed their willingness of making oath
to the fact before a notary.
This was the business on which the SUD
committee went to Baltimore, but as In the
De Priest matter Colonel Craighiil SAID ne
knew nothing about 1t, and ADVISED pc
tition to Congress asking for the WORK
within the hsrbor.
~ TUG IN BAD oRDYB.
Last month Colonies Craighill and Bur-
gwyn notified the committee that after the
lst of March the services Of the tug Craig
hill would be dispensed with. Now as the
tug is city property and has always been
loaned the Government free OF rent the
news did not cause any great conster-
nation to the committee. 1t had always
been the custom for tine Government to
overhaul and repair the boat
before returning it. But on this occasion
il was brought back just as it was. AS
blade of one of the wheels had been broken
and sundry other wear and tear sustained
the committee refused to receive the boat.
A Statement from Mr.. Burgwyn.
Mr.. Burgwyn was seen by DISPATCH re-
porter last night at his home on third
street and asked about this matter. He
was also shown the account published IN
an afternoon paper. After little Tehec-
ton he made this statement:
1T is not fact that draw salary
rom the city as engineer for lakewood
cemetery. lam the principal of the Night
school of Technology ut the Virginia Me-
chanics' Institute and instructor there In
applied mechanics, and en-
and am much gratified at being
sble to add my mite to the great benefit
hat institution is diffusing throughout
the city.
THE cRAIaHILL's WORK.
"Tho tug Craighill was used by the
United States in assisting in making re-
survey of that portion ofthe river between
Jordan Point and jamestown. These pc
riodic resuryeys are necessary TO deter:
mine what the river In doing. In works of
ceedingly dificult. Inasmuch as the engi-
neer cannot see his work, he must do
everything by feeling. The effect of q
lefty upon q river can only be determined
by study Of the section after certain
lapse of time and these resuryeys are made
from time to time to measure these effects.
The resurvey at this time has been finished.
While in the service of the United States
the propeller of the tug struck sunken log
and broke one of its fukes. am getting
estimates now OF the cost of replacing the
wheel and OF executing certain other re-
pairs 30 as to return the tug to the city
officials in the same condition as when
the tug was loaned. The works executed
under the supervision OF the United States
officials have always been in harmony with
the city's interest. II there has been any
dissatisfaction I have never heard Of 1t,
not officially.
DIGGING OCT THE HARpoB.
The questioned applying any of the
money appropriated for improving the
- he ,p a
delicate one, on account of the wording of
the law on this subject. If the proper
could be obtained from the Sc
cretary Of War to expend any part of the
in the harbor. know Colo
mel Craighill would do the very best that
is possible TO be done. / have recommend
ed that the sand be removed from portions
of the harbor-channel for the reason that
there is where it first stops after coming
down from the mountains over the falls, and
if it is not taken out from there it will ulti-
mately be washed into the channels that
have been 50 carefully prepared below. 1t
would be cheaper for the United States to
remove the sand from the harbor channel
rather than from the river channels. l
think the authority of the Secretary of
War is necessary to settle the legal status
of the wording of the appropriation. IL
the appropriation has been worded so that
any expenditure of money on the harbor
is prohibitory, that is not the fault of the
engineers. They must obey orders.
APPOINTMENT oyDR PRIEST.
Mr. De Priest was appointed by me to
the position of sub-inspector on the works
at the request of the representative from
this district in Congress. He was also re-
by several prominent citizens.
The details of the execution of the
work on the James river is gene
rally left with me. and if any of the
Council committee or any one else thinks
that any improper appointments have been
made Oh any work improperly done if they
will formulate such charges in writing over
their own signatures | will investigate the
matter to the utmost. But it would be the
grossest injustice to take cognizance of
anonymous or verbal accusations. and
cowardice for informers TO make SUCH"
AN EVENT OF THIS WEEK.
Marion Harland's Talk on Mary the
Mother of Wash ngton.