The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-05-23
WANSER BOOMERANG
Public School No. rs Not
Quite So Black AS 1t
Was Painted.
SPECIFICATIONS ALL RIGHT
SPECIFICATIONS ALL RIGHT.
So is the Contractor Who Did
the Work Under Them,
And so is the Work.
Only a Technical Error by the
Architect in the Copy Filed
With the Comptroller.

Mayor Wanser was given a terrific
black eye this morning by the Street and
Water Commissioners. Spencer Weart's
spusms on paper at the alleged discovery
of Crooked" work were tossed high
into the air. and the vetoes writ
ten by Private Secretary Weart were
sustained in but one instance. Mayor
Wanser's ticklers were bountifully sup
piled with feathers destined to tickle the
Street and Water Commissioners, but by
some peculiar accident the feathers were
attached to the wrong end of the ticker
and for a few days Colonel Wanser
himself Will be probably well tickled in
stead.
Commissioners Madden, Yoe and Cook,
who had charge of the building of Public
School No. %, Investigated every charge
made by Mayor Wanser through Spencer
Weart. The result of the Investigation
was the submission of report which is
printed below in full, backed up by
documentary evidence which clearly
demonstrates that the supposed shrewd
Spencer Weart is dragged into pitfalls as
easily as Is the Mayor in signature.
WHAT THE REPORT SAYS.
n..
40 'A~
To the Honorable, the Board of Street and
Water Conlnlissioners:-
SrRs.-1our committee on Public Grounds and
Buildings for the year 1s91-1S92, to whom was re-
ferred the message of His Honor, the Mayor,
relative to the mason work on Public School No.
20, now In course OF erection, on the corner OF
Zabriskle street and Columbia avenue, respect
fully report as foIiows:-
we nave made an investigaton Oh the various
complaints IN the message, and examined the
architect Louis H. Gieie, the contractor and all
other persons connected with SAID building from
whom we mad reason TO believe information
could be obtained.
The Mayor has correctly quoted the reference
In the speclications TO tne WORK Oh excavation.
l. The excavation must be performed in ac-
cordance totth the plans: the plans show grade
line. Contractors usually bid to excavate all
earth below the grade line, as shown or the
plans The provision that "ail earth must be re-
moved from the premises" is common one in
all specihcations and is construed among
builders ana architects TO mean that the earth
taken from a cellar must not Dc dumped on the
balance OF the premises, but entirely taken away
from the same.
When this plot was purchased by the city. it
lay some ten or twelve feet above the grade of
Zabrskie street, while Columbia avenue had not
been graded at all; to make it available for a
school house Site however. not only the plot but
Columbia avenue in front of it had to be graded
down to the established grade The committee,
long before the main contract had been awarded
directed Mr. Condor, from time to time, to re-
move this earth. at a compensation of forty
five cents per cubic yard; Condor did the work.
rendering weekly bills; he graded the site to the
grade shown on the plans of the architect as
we'll as Columbia avenue for one-half of its
width in front of the school house site He was
paid in accordance with measurements fur.
nished by the Chief Engineer; the work was
done In midwinter, and the price paid was
reasonable
Your Committee directed Condor to put a
large portion of this dirt on Nelson avenue at
the request of the Committee on Streets. which
was much below grade aud needed raising: the
dirt was spread and leyeled there without extra
charge.
Wefipd upon INQUIRY that the other bidders for
tbis work did not calculate upon anv excavation
above the grade line shown ON the pIans: let.
Iers from number of these contractors are an.
pexed.
ROCKY SURPRISE.
H. AS to the change from brick to stone
wals:-
The specifications call for brick walls for the
foundation, but by our consent, on the advice OF
the architect, the change was permitted for the
following reasons:-
When the plans were made, it was not antic
pated that rock would be encountered. Inquiry
was made Of Mr.. .Clarkson, the contractor who had
recently built the sewer in Zapriskie and paved
the street. He reported this block free from
rock. Consequently no provision was made fol-
rock excavation in the specifications. When,
however. the earth excavation was in progress
rock was discovered cropping up along one side
of the lot The contractor objected to the re
moval of this rock, but wished to build the front
brick walls directly on this rock without blast
ing the same out. To this the architect OBJ
jected. Whereupon the architect and the con
tractor appeared before the Committee of the
Whole and the Chief Engineer, where, after
much discussion, it was agreed that Condor
should take out the rock to the required depth
and be permitted to build the lower walls OF
trap rock rubble. provided he increased the