Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-07-07
THAT DAM TROUBLE.
Members of the Water Committee Take
it Over Last Night.

The adjourned meeting of the water
supply committee last night was one of
the most interesting of the long series.
John W. Gaffney & Co were placed in no
enyiable position and to-day they know
the fact that the committee will admit of
no fooling with the city's interests. Mr.
Gaffney was present. as was Mr. Fenton. of
Fenton & Mcintyre. who evidently thought
he had run up against something more po-
tent than Tammany. The committee first
took the contract away from Gaffney Il Co
and then reconsidered that vote and re-
quired him to furnish a new bond of S1O.- /
600 more by tonight or the contract will |
be taken away from him. This bond is to |
assure the committee that his firm will |
start the dam work Immediately and carry
it out according to contract
MIR Webster opened the bombardment |
on Gaffney Il Co by asking City Engineer
Cairns if any progress had been made on
the building of the dam since the last
meeting. whether if SO the work vas un-
necessarily and unreasonably delayed and
if he would SO report in writing.
Engineer Cairns said no progress had
been made since the last meeting. In his
opinion the work was, d layC d,
and he had always reported correctly TO
the committee by whom he was employed
and he would report in writing corr ectly
now.
While he was preparing his report City
Attorney Burpee gave a report on the G.
Art Ward bill of $3.50 referred to him. He
said that il the facts were as reportad to
him the city was not liable for any
damage. If there is any doubt in the
matter he preferred to let the courts hear
it and make Ward fight it out. The city
attorney also said it was waste of time to
refer any more bills of such n nature to
IA tha aOmmfttaa Chnnl1 rafnSa IN
any bills of n similar kind. The report
was accepted.
Clerk Grady then read the following:
To the Committee on Additional Water
Supply:
Gentlcmen-I hereby certify that, in
mo opinion, the work on the masonry
dam. for the building of which J. w. Calf
ney & Co hold the contract. is unnecessar-
| lily and unreasonably delayed.
Yours respectfully.
r. A. CAIRNS. City Engineer.
The report was ordered on file and Mr.
Webster immediately presented the follow
ing:
Whereas. it appears from the certificate
in writing of the city engineer of this COM
mittee that in his opinion the work 10 be
done under n certain contract in writing
between the city of Waterbury and John
W. Gaffney & Co. dated April 81. 1894,
for the construction of masonry dam as
therein provided, is being unnecessarily
and unreasonably delayed, it is
Voted. that this committee notify said
John W. Gaffney K Co. contractors, to
forthwith discontinue all work under said
contract and further that this committee
will finish the work remaining to be done
under said contract by contract or other
wise in such manner as this committee
shall deem advisable.
Mr. Fitzpatrick That's quite an imr
portant vote; I'd like to hear what NJ
Gaffney has to say"
MIR Gaffney: Il am hardly prepared to
say anything but will simply say that !
do not think that the work has been un
necessarily delayed We have been work.
ing. as we understood. according to the q.
rections Of the engineer and to the best
advantage to hurry the work along. We
could do nothing until the rock excava
tons were made except to provide material
, which / supposed was going on satisfactor
, lily until we received letter from the en-
gineer saying that he did not think thu
, stone would be satisfactory or of suitable
size. l thereupon engaged an expert Il
{ look for stone and he failed to find an,
better. We have been giving all the at
eentlon possible 10 finding what was hes
but failed to find anything better than t.
60 to Plymouth quarrles. | thereupon ar
ranged to get stone therea nd paid for il il
advance. We have made an arrangement
to go on there and trust that this commit
tee will help us out and do what is right
man to man. i have been informed b,
! legal advisers that we will not be oblige,
to go an unreasonable distance for stone
| | don't pretend to be legal light myself
We are ready and willing to perform tn
contract according to the specifications
| For over thirty years We have never faile,
to carry out any contracts made. Tn
committee ought not to act too hastily il
passing a vote of this kind"
Mr. Webster: Il am very sorry to fee
u, obliged to offer such vote. but the sum
mer is getting far advanced and it doe
not seem as if any work is being done.
looks as if the dam will not commence I
be started this fall. / dislike to appea
harsh or arbitrary but this matter has bee
before the board sixty days. The commit
tee acted on Mr. Gaffney's proposition
face the dam with granite and rejected il
When it came up for reconsideration the
rejected again. Since then absolItel
nothing has been done. Practically not
load of material has been delivered at tn
site. / understand that Mr. Gaffney take
the position that the city has made n cor
tract with him that is not valid. He
publicly reported to have said that the cor
tract is SO loosely drawn that horse an
wagon could be driven through it. Now
the contract is not n good one this is th
. best way to find il out. | feel LIBERAL
=, towards MIR Gaffnsy but l don't like
thrown around the streets that we have
4 contract with him that is asinine I
bring matters to head | have offered thi
- resolution"
= Mr. Fitzpatrick,on hearing that Mr. Gaffne
= was making preparations to get stone froI
% Plymouth quarry said if this vote is passe
n we will have to call on the next loves
l. bidder and valuable time would be los
q He has not done it in the past and theI
a is no guarantee he would do il in III
!. future. He has told this committee l.
n was not obliged to do so.
=, Mayor K;lduff: On May this con
V mittee refused to alter the provisions
= the contract. The progress has not bee
l. made that should have been mad
d There is too much money investe
o to be lenlent. Only some s.. 800 worth
r work has been done there since April q
% This should be done every week. City Ell
|, gineer Cairns said in explanation of h
. report. He was at the dal
l. July 4. There was no work going oil
II The drawing or sand had been stoppe'
d Only few loads of rocks were carted.. 2
men were doing little or nothing. He ha
taken photographs of the water. He b,
lieyed that the work had not been pushe
because the contractors thought sooner
, later the committee would yield to then
d He spoke of the frost being here in 10
IL weeks and the loss it would be.
N Mr. Fitzpatrick wanted the matter table
10 for enc week. but the mayor told him
J. would cost the city sS3. SO n day. Mr. Fit
# patrick said that Gaffney was holden Il