The San Francisco call., 1895-10-12
MAY IND|cT AsHWORTH,
Grand Jury Bringing to Light
Serious Matters of
Neglect.
MORE EXPERT TESTIMONY
inspectors and Contractors
Alarmed by the Street-Work
Investigation.

investigation IN progress under the di-
rection of the Grand Jury has caused gen.
eral alarm among street contractors.
Many of them were at the new City Hall
yesterday and discussed the topic in whis-
pers. They could be seen fitting through
the corridors, exchanging opinions here
and comparing notes there. The an
nouncement in The CALL that George w.
Elder, the expert of the Street Committee
OF the Board of Supervisors, had been de-
clared the official expert of the board
tended to increase the CONSERVATION.
Crooked contractors are cognizant of the
fact that capable expert employed by
the Grand Jury has been for weeks delving
among the books and records of the Street
Department. 1t is also known to them
that the Mayors expert, George T. Gaden,
has been acquiring information as to the
character of work done and material used.
They had not been around the building
long before they ascertained that impor-
tant witnesses had been summoned to at
tend the afternoon session of the jury.
In the office of the Superintendent of
Streets anxiety was manifest. Books and
papers had been called for, which seemed
to signify a purpose on the part of the
Grand Jury to investigate closely num-
Der of contracts.
1t was known that the jury had pro-
cured samples of material used on Twelfth
street and on Guerrero street and that the
specimens were in the jury-roOm to be ex-
amlned by expert contractors.
When the jury met at 2 P. NJ. there was a
loud call for II. n. Clement. He is prop
erty -owner on Guerrero street and has
kept pretty close watch on the street
work done in that locality. He was not
on hand when called for, but replied by
telephone that he would be there at once.
While waiting for Mr.. Clement Contractor
Harry Gray, whose work is rated as first
class, was called in, presumably to in
spect the specimens of concrete which the
Jury had secured.
Gray was concluded Mr.. Clement arrived.
1t is said that out on Guerrero street
where he resides the contractor left the
concrete exposed for only two days before
putting on the surface material, whereas
the specifications require that it shall re-
main uncovered for eight days and be
watered daily. What Mr.. Clement testi-
fed to no one on the outside could say,
but he was long enough in the iury-room
to form the impression that this Grand
Jury means business i'll dealing with the
Street Department.
Work at Union street and Van Ness ave-
nue., which was accepted by Superinten
uenI ASnWOrtH, DuC ODleCteu 10 Dy MI
Elder, the expert of the Supervisors, is
being torn up and relaid by the contractor
This is regarded as an acknowledgment
that the work which the Superintendent
accepted was not performed as the specifi
cations plainly required.
The Grand Jury is making a specia
study of specifications. The fact has come
to light that many of the cesspools recently
put in have been constructed according tC
old specifications, altogether different
from those in the City Surveyors office or
which the recent bidding was made
Cesspools one-third smaller and much
cheaper than CONT actors bid for have been
put in and accepted.
The work on Twelfth street, between
Mission and Howard; on Guerrero street
between Eighteenth and Nineteenth, anc
at the crossing of Union street and Var
Ness avenue received special attention yes
terday.
The impression is now gaining force tha
Superintendent Ashworth is ignorant o
what is going on in his department. The