Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-07-11
DELAY OF FOUR DAYS
.cr,oN ON THE ei6Hrh-STREET
'vsr1eaposTPoNeD TILL MONDAY.
.-,oo, Cu,shaw Advises the FILLING of
the Tannei ~ Once, and That tho
People Move for safety.

rance did not act upon ene h's
.,,rel matter at tie meeting yesterday
evening. =,
1h,u,h tho resolution referring to the
..~,,statable necessity for prompt atten-
80, IN order 20 avoid danger to persons
s ,ronerlv was referred 70 these com
80 m Joint session by the Common
c.,,oil last Monday evening, IL was con-
"a ,padvi.able 10 proceed in the alb
80 q the President of the Richmond
ytesneake railroad under toe auspices
't,cb company the tunnel was dug. and
r.t M tic CITY Attorney. whose legal
1,.,c ,ras considered very necessary.
,oc.,iuc was called promptly at the
,~,e1,l hour, and Major Capcrs pre-
Inning the session. The following
Gentlemen were present 10 represent the
.t Cnmuittec: Mcssrs. GRAY. Turpin
Curtis. stratton; Thomas. ana b %r anu
49, rr,,rhers Of the Finance committee
'.-...r, wore Messrs. fargrove, Christian.
ru0al. and steel.
~, Bshen. Of tho Committee on Streets.
s-.'-cl after the meeting had begun upon
tfe work before II.
ApIyE INTO BUSINESS.
The proceedings were opened by the
cr.-sfs reading the resolution introduced
", .l. Common Council Monday night 10y
-. s.rat'on and referred To these com
i,.e- us'rnctIng the City Engineer to
i.r. Flhth street put IN safe and
.- condition without delay. and di-
,... the City Attorney 10 proceed
...,.i the Richmond and Chesapeake
.I-,4d COMPANY TO recover the amount
.t,. sDart The resolutions were pub
l.roi m full in Tuesday mornings DIS
u..or Capors presented the following
cUnnnication from the City Engineer:
rIEom matter Of the Eighth-Street tunnel
NJ. IFS the Council referred 10 the Jolnt
,.r- .ttee on Streets and Finance. The
.-,r. is reported 10 be III dangerous
it-on. aud some of the residents in
... locality are very nervous and uneasy
,..yfr. | think II advisable that some
,,,a,,, action should be taken in regard to
:, AMI would advise meeting Of the JOINT
committees as carly as practicable"
DIR. BELvIs's LETTER.
communication from Mr.. G.. T.. Belvin,
w., president Of the Richmond and Chesa-
iaskr Railroad Company, was presented
/, Mr. Curtis II read rs follows
Wv attention was called TO Il local
r...c, In THE RICHMOND DISPATCH OF July
gh fIat there would be joint meeting of
III. Committees on Streets and Finance to
consider certain resolution introduced
I,J. TAYLOR Sifatton, Esq, on Monday
n.rtt last before the Common Council IN
relation 10 the Eighth-street tunnel
At that time Mr.. n. l.. Reid. president
a tho Richmond and Chesapeake railroad,
was M the city. Upon seeing the resolu-
I ou 10 the newspapers of Tuesday he I'M
welatclg sought several members Of your
committed 20 ascertain at what time the
committee would convene for the consIde-
PATTON Il SAID resolution. He was inform
o. hat the committee would meet on the
18th Of the month. and he was invited TO
present He accepted the invitation
ani returned To Now York with the I'M
Outstanding that he would return TO the
cts and bc present on that occasion.
IN this connection beg leave To state
that the tunnel Is now being placed in first
ciqs- condition: that the cracks com
blamed Of have no relation 10 the tunnel;
ihat there are no cracks IN the tunnel, nor
Jas there ever been slide or a fall OF
earth, aud at the proper time We will be
abundantly able 10 show the same 10 the
patisiaCiiOn OF your honorable committee.
In the mean time everything in tho way
Of precautions Will be taken to aliay any
uncasiness on the part of the residents of
Eighth street. Al that we ask u TO be
heard. and that your honorable body Will
adjourn the consideration of the subject
until tho 18th Of this month, tho day on
which the president and officers OF TINS
company will be present and to which
they were invited"
COLONEL CUTsHAw's VIEWS.
Colonel Cutshaw, the City Engineer, was
requested To state his views on tho subject
and De- did 40 IN u very positive and
pointed manner. He stated that his atten-
ton was called to fhe dangerous condition
81 the tunnel last Monday by Mr.. Shirley
Einr. who was at the time engaged IN
N
been asked by numerous persons if some
Immediate action could not he taken TO
insure personal safety, but he could give
them very little Information.
Tie work IN the tunnel, he said, had
boon practically abandoned for more than
"a wear. and the timbcTs with which 1t had
lecn prOpped were now rOtting and
collapse Was imminent. He furthermore
faii u was his opinion that the residents
81 that locality should be advised TO move
from their present quarters immediately
aud That q shaft should be sunk and the
work Of filing in begun. IL Is true, he
rad that the company began their aban-
d1nei work last Tuesday and have since
;h,u hal few hands engaged III an at
temp: 10 strengthen the tunnel.
So far as his Investigation had reached II
showed that the tunnel had been dug out
come three hundred feet and been simply
supported hy these tlmbers. which are now
IN 20 very decayed condition and the street
y likely 60 cave III. A number OF cracks
lave recently appeared on the surface OF
ihr sidewalk and IN several instances ex-
lling very nearly 60 private residences.
These. he said. are evidences OF the weak
condition of the tunnel.
Arury or TrK Strict COMMITTEE.
"a ordnance bearing upon the relation
G.. the Street Committee To- TINS company
Il. 4 tN. ..Ft h..
il'fee 20 sec thai the street is kept IN a
air condition. In order 10 bring the sub
..c' properly before the city authorities,
Colonel Cutshaw stated that he had re-
tA~-tci Nr StrattOn to introduce the re-
sO.nuou before the meeting OF the Common
Council Monday evening.
The CITY Engineer referred particularly
o The residence of MIR. PetticOlas rs be-
lngIn % condition which indicated that
II would Ice seriously damaged IN case of "a
sudden crush. tie had advised the occu-
laat~ TO move ont of the building. This
use is the Last one on the east side OF
lIath street.
le sand ihnt the earth in that locality is
q tho same blue clay a. in the Church
y. tunnel THIS soil, he SAID rs all right
., ~ as u can be kept dry, but when II
l0.Uuc- wet At slides easily and it Il to be
t'ei ttat M case of n sudden crash some
e .tc houses Will come down with it.
Colonel Cutstaw SAID the tunnel was
twelve to fifteen feet deep and II was too
sf.atarisk 20 personal property. and per.
t.lN safety Ia await action on the part OF
t. company.
DiIIING OUT TIE wATER.
~ present, the Engineer sad. there
V,fc about dozen hands at work III the
tunnel irving - relieve u OF the water.
lie deemed t advisable to fill the tunnel
., once. Tor be- did not think II would ever
o. completed. He Furthermore thought
o. apWopua,ion Of about $4,000 should
Inc, IT, made by the Coupc'l to deiray the oA-
Here Nr. Iurpin rose on point of in-
; -mailon aud asked If the city could be
I"i .e-ailv responsible for damages. IL
Va iac opinion of many present that such
W. Undoubtedly the ease.
MR. BOLTOE's EXAMINATION.
lhe examination which had been made
t' W.. Bolton, of the Engineers depart
rat. showed that the tunnelllug extend
81 is0 feet aud that the timbers were IN
eAtA "a state that the earth above would
t.iri' come down. lie had inspected the
shai Oh Tuesday aud thought If the tun-