The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-01-27
JUST FALLING APART.
That Greenville Station
House is a Rotten Job
Mayor Wanser
Alert.

The Greenville Police Station is in a
worse condition thar was at first sup
posed, and it looks very much as though
many of the brick arches in the building
Will have to be rebuilt. Mr.. William
Zimmerman, who Is Inspector OF the
work made q thorough investigation yes
terday morning. He made several start
ling discoveries. Nearly all the walls
are out of plumb. They have settled. n
those on the ground floor are cracked.
The walls are in such a condition hat IL
would be extremely dangerous to go on
with the work. That they will have to be
rebuilt is certain, and G%reenville residents
will see that Contractor Condor puts the
structure in a condition of undoubted
soundness before ne turns it over TO the
Street and Water Board for acceptance.
ROTTEN WORK.
went through tine structure yesterday
and found 1t to be in the condition COM
planned of. It does not require a technical
knowledge of stone and dressing 20 see
that the brown stone trimmings to the
building are OF an inferior quality. The
material is as soft as the softest sond-
stone and offered but little resistance to a
penknife used to test it. The stone could
be carved as easily as a piece OF wood.
On the main floor several of the walls
were badly cracked. They had settled
also and were out of plumb. Several or
the arches on this floor and IN the oase-
ment were also cracked. Bricks nave
fallen out of some of the arches, and I'M
less they are rebuilt shortly they will all
tumble down, The mortar which L
Knocked from a brick cruinbled between
nv fingers like sand. That the mortar Is
not OF the best quality is evident.
Mr., ZIMMERMAN AWAKE.
INSPECTOR Zimmerman when inter
viewed, ~said:-"The cold weather is re-
sponsibIe for this condition of affairs.
There was no poor material used in the
construction of the building. The reason
why the walls and arches cracked was
because there was no nre In the pulld-
ing"
Mr.. Zimmerman has followed the ex-
ample of the man who, when his morse
was stolen, locked the stable door. ana
has ordered that coke stoves be secured
and fires kept burning in the structure.
1t is doubtful whether the fires Will do
any GOOD, us the building cannot be
damaged much more, at least, by cold.
When / called upon Mayor Wanser he
said that he had not yet heard about Inc
matter.
"The residents of Greenville," said he.
smay rest assured that / will oppose the
acceptance of the structure by the city
until it is put In a thoroughly sound con-
aiuou. will do my duty in the matter,
and | am glad to have timely warning
that everything is not all right. As the
building is not yet completed, l cannot
act now. l must wait until the struo-
ture is completed and Mr.. Condor Is
ready to turn it over to the city authorl-
ties"
GREENvILLE ANGRY.
The G%reenville residents are thoroughly
| aroused, and 1t is highly probable that a
special meeting OF the Sixth District
Citizens Improvement Association WILL
| be called to discuss the matter.
Mr.. Reuben Simpson said that the
| matter should be looked into at Ouce.
..Two months ago. said Mr.. Simpson,
ST told Mr.. Condor that II he wanted TO
| avoid trouble he should place several
| loads of manure in the cellar, close TO the
walls. He failed to do this, and when
the cold snap CAME, frost got beneath
walls, raising them. This caused them
TO crack, and when the frost leaves the
ground they will settle again and crack
| still more. Another matter that should
| be investigated Is in regard to the roof.
There are no cross beams to support 1t,
The beams which support it run from the
wall upward to the centre Of the roof.
| Consequently the whole weight Is thrown
| on the walls. I do not see how the walls
| can stand the strain and l woul not be
surprised to zee them collapse at any mo-
| ment. Whether this Is the fault OF the
| architect or the Street and Water Board
I do not know, but there certainly should
| be q few beams erected which would take
| part of the strain from the walls"