New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-05-01
WHAT BROOKLYN TALKS OF.
TOPICS OF THE TINE IN THE METROPOLIS
OF IONf; ISLAND

for this duty. They appear. however TO have stud
iousy avoided holding any responsible for the
accident and also have rcfrained from drawing con
elusons from the facts which they asceraincd. In
ruth their report adds substantially nothing 10 what
was known alrcady-to what was told within two or
three days after the break occurred by the enter
prising newspaper men who investigated It, The
engineers devote considerable space TO explanation
OF the reasons for the long delay In making their
report. But the reasons were pablo property be
fore: and, after all. the report is of such character
that the impatiencc regarding 1t might well have
been stayed. II is no more satisfactory than was
the verdict Of the coroncrs jury. which held nobody
responsible and virtually declared that the accident
wns one OF the things that human foresight could
not have prevented.
1t did not require an inquiry by expert engineers
extending almost five months. to ascertain that
the deposing of earth the top OF the conduit was
q dangerous operation" that at brought on the arch
excess Of weight which may have been the direct
cause OF its rupture. and which certainly increased to
large extent the risks of such rupture and that 1t
rendered the consequences OF the accident more dis
sstrous, Everybody has known ever since the 2Hd
of November that the mishap was caused BY the con
tractors pilng earth upon the top of the old conduit
while they-vere engaged In laying orty-cight
inch main in order 70 Increase the citys water supply
What it desired to know-and what these engineers
have not told us-sA Who responsible for this
work, Who should nave been Informed as to the
condition of the conduit and determined whether or
not II safe TO burden II in this way Was
reasonable exercised? Was the inspection by the
officials of the Department of City Works what it
should have been Were not tie contractors. a
matter Of fact, permitted " do practically rs they
pleased? These of the questions that ought
TO be answered. They have been, and they
not likely To be.
There is something 10 the pont-more or less so-ln
the last sentence of the report Here read that
t1,o
knowledge of the condition OF the conduit at about
Liberty and TO confidence In the plan adopted
and successfully carried out for the work for num-
Der of miles" and that at the point question there
required thorough examinations. extra precau-
tons and skitil management which did not obtain in
the part Of the work under consideration Not a
word as 10 the person or persons to blame. Only
vague general censure Of nobody in particular Who
should have been well Informed rs TO the condition of
the conduit at about Liberty ave. Who should
have made the " thorough examinations Who should
have used extra precautions? Who should have |
exercised "skfUl managcncnt"7 1t is pity that
the report could not have been explicit these points
The thinking public, however, win not be a loss in
drawing its differences 1t is the Department Of
City Worksthe head OF which is John p Adams, who |
Of the time this accident occurred chairman Of
the Kings County Democratic General Commtee-to |
which the report unerrngly points Mr. Worihen and
MIR. Fteley might well have afforded to speak ont |
plainly on this point and Mr.. Martin too for that
matter. since his place the Bridge is not directly
due 20 the favor of the Democratic Ring.
AS to the condition Of the conduit report
makes favorable showing. Evidently a recurrence |
of an accident like that Of November is most un-
likely. "The conduit is generally in good condition
and well capable Of performing its service, No |
fault is to be found with that In another point the
report deserves favorable mentionwhere It that
the city's waterworks have been kept up TO |
he demands. "A M
been dangerously near a water famine Fortunately
Il be said now that this danger Is remote
than formerly, since the completion OF the reser
voir at RidgewOod and the construction OF increased
facilities for carrying water TO the pumping station.
The reports of subscriptions thus far handed in do
rot indicate that Brooklyn is doing Its level best |
toward the completion of the Grant Monument. The |
appeal which is now being made IN behalf Of this |
grea. work should home to every resident Of |
the metropolitan district. The duty Of rearing the |
monument has been left by the test OF the country
10 New-York. Brooklyn ought TO help in il with a
generous hand Only few thousand dollars appear
have been subscribed thus far, and Brooklyn must |
make a small showing in the 100000 reported by
General Porter Wednesday. II the city does not
furnish at least $50 900 Of the which General
Porter set out 10 raise little over month ago
S350,000-it will fail Of its duty Brooklyn ought
to feel vital interest in the subject On account VI It's
close sympathy and intimate relations with the sister
is no doubt that many Brooklyn men doing business
in New York will their subscriptions credited to
the other side Of the East River.
the Twenty fourth Ward is not open 10 question
In fact IL every ward could have such park, II
would be greatly to the advantage OF the city. The
Twenty fourth Ward is not yet largely built up ana
number OF good sites for park could be secured
Two Of these have been under special consideration
A decision in favor OF OF them was supposed 70
have been made few weeks ago, but since ueh
another offer has been submitted and In some re
spects a more ADVANTAGEOUS one. The two pieces Oh
property, each an entire block are near neiehJois'
being only five or six hundred feet apart one OF
them Is few feet below the level OF the efaheo
streets surrounding IL: the other has the peculiar
advantage Of containing grove OF handsome trees
over 900 OF them-whch could be made most attract
I've feature OF the proposed park. Park Commissioner
Brewer Is a resident Of the Twenty fourth warn ana
can hardly help having a personal Interest IN 'he
decision he Is called make. No doubt ne wonid
lie glad 10 transfer the responsibility to another
shoulders At any there is some prospect th't
those dissatisfied with his decision Will charge tat
he was Influenced by personal considerations.
P,.s,us Wilma, ,s N sneak this week Oh Brooklyn
and its Great FUTURE at the Real Estate Exchange
There is no question that he VIII be heafu VII"
pleasure by large number OF citizehs' IL - al
Interesting fact that lie Is 10 be introduced Dy MI
stranaban who during last week ceieDTa'ed "''
eighty .ourh birthday. and who as is well hnowi''
believes that the great future Of Brooklyn Hes III us
being swallowed up By New-iork. On the question: Vi
the union of the two cities Mayor Body mas Iecet
been saying some thing that good many people wiz
regard practical and sensible. III MS oi'''o' ~
depends very largely upon tie manner Of the court
ship lie said that consolidation couid not w
brought about BY force Then he proceeded 70 po'''
out some Of the ways In which Newn orR ID io'
dealing fairly by Brooklyn, instead oil trying u oI"s
about mutually Of interests between the t"o "'uiio'
pai,ies which really have much Ia common. lhere
are both ,sce and conimolisense In these words OF