Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-06-07
STREETS AND SEWERS.

The City Engineer Makes Statement,
Endorsed by the Mayor and Street In
spectOr, Concerning the Work Being
Done by the Traction Co.
Mayor Kiiduff presided at the meeting
of the road and sewer boards last night.
The monthly bills, amounting to 81, 1913. SO.
were approved.
The petition of Henry Precht of West
Dover street to connect his house with the
South Main street sewer brought consider
able discussion
The sham attempts at replacing the
street paving in anything like proper con-
dition was aired. The mayor remarked
that some one was going to be brought up
with short turn before long. The petit
ton was granted, work to be done on or be-
fore June IL.
Petition of Margaret Shea, for q sewer in
South street at an estimated expense of
$500, was tabled. The petition of Charles
Stage for sewer in Charles street. from
Porter to Sixth street, was referred to the
city engineer for an estimate of expense
At the road board meeting petition was
received from the American Printing COM
pany in reference to a grade on Grand
street. F. B. Rice explained the purpose
of the petition. If the present grade is
not to be changed that is all he cared to
know. If it is to be changed he would like
to be informed as soon as possible. Mayor
Kilduff asked how soon he wanted to know
about it. Mr. Rice said he should like to
have known yesterday. The matter was
referred to the city engineer.
Hearings were given in relation to estab-
fishing building lines on Canal. Ward and
Mill streets. The hearing on Canal street
was continued to June IS.
City Engineer Cairns explained the con-
dition of things in his ONCE and said it
was next to impossible to attend to all the
work now on hand. All The city survey
ing of last month cost but 1886. There is
a good deal of routine work in the engi-
neer's Office that the board and the public
never hear of. People are continually
calling there about something and they
have to be attended to. 1t was voted that
the city engineer be authorized to employ
an assistant for few months. The follow
ing communication was read:
To the Board of Road Commissioners:
Gentlemen-In company with his honor
the mayor and the street inspector I have
this day visited several points on the
South Main street line of the Waterbury
Traction company and found that good
cause exists for certain complaints which
have been made in regard to the manner in
which the work of relaying the said COM
pany's track is being done, the way in
which the paving is being replaced and
concerning permanent injury to the street
surface. We found long stretches of the
track laid higher than the former track and
other stretches laid below the former level.
At these points no attempt has been made
pavement for some distance from the rails
Nd rnInx inv ! fn civ a
cross section to the street. Only the
usual two feet of pavement has been taken
outside of the rails, and has been replaced
so as to join the street surface on one edge
and the new rail level at the other edge,
resulting in very noticeable ridges
in the middle of the street, slop-
ing sometimes toward the track and
again away from the track. The
result is most unsatisfactory. We
also found the work of repaving being
done in careless and understandable
manner. Blocks of different thicknesses
are being used in the same row, causing
frequently very wide joints; blocks are not
firmly set; blocks are set on the old dirt
instead of fresh sand; joints are not
properly filled with sand; blocks broken in
ramming are not taken out and replaced
with new blocks; and in general the pave
ment is not being put back in as good
condition as it was previously.
The changes in grade unless remedied
will occasion much expense to the city in
the effort to maintain streets which will
have too heavy transverse grade.
In view of the great expense which the
city is mourning in the effort to place the
very best class of block pavement on its
business streets it does not seem proper to
allow such work as is now being done on
South Main street north of Meadow street.
Respectfully submitted,
r. A. CAIRNS,
City Engineer.
June 6, 1894.
We heartily concur in the above criti-
cisms of the work now being done by the
Wotarburv Troction componv on South