The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-10-15
TAGGART'S BAD BREAK
HE REAPPoINTs II. A. MANSFIELD
AS CITY ENGINEER.
Great Trouble City Has Had with De-
fective Work by Mansfield ms
n Sewer Contractor.

There was a great deal OF surprise among
Democrats as well as citizens generally
yesterday when it was known that Mayor
Taggart had appointed II. A. Mansfield
city engineer to succeed City Engineer
Brown. Mr.. Mansfield was city engineer
under the Sullivan administration and his
management of that office in a large way
contributed to the odium attached to the
Sullivan regime and which resulted in such
a deserved rebuke at the polls the folpyw-
ing election. There was much bad work
done and property owners are now suffer-
ing from the careless inspection and the
leniency permitted contractors during that
administration The protest which is go
ing up over Mayor Taggart's appointment
is based. however, on more recent occur
ences, and the unftness of the selection
Is urged more on account of Mr.. Mansfield's
record as a public contractor than his
record as city engineer, for the former
has been more freshly impressed on the
public mind. With no firm has the city
had more trouble during the last two years
in the matter of defective work than
with the firm Of which the new city engi-
neer is a member and the records of both
the Board of Works and the city engi-
neer's Office are filled with unheeded COM
plants against the work of this firm.
The investigation by the Council COM
mittee, which the Democratic organ pa
raded SO persistently during the last
campaign, showed up some of the work
done by Mansfield. Property owners along
the line of the Elm-street sewer, the South
New Jersey-street work, the Central-ave-
nue. sewer and the Andrews-street drain
well remember the trouble they had in
getting satisfactory work done, and al
though the Board of Works and the city
engineer sent repeated notices to Mans
fields firm neither was able to obtain sat
isfaction. The firm has been known part
of the time as Allen & Co., Mr.. Mans
field constituting the company, and part
of the time as Mansfield & Allen.
The first complaint arose over the build
ing of the Elm-street sewer, the first i'm
portant contract awarded to the firm,
which was formed shortly after Mr.. Mans
fields retirement from the Office of city
engineer. On March u. 1894, the Board of
Works called the firms attention to the
lad condition of the trenches on Noble
and Elm streets, where the sewer had
been laid. At Elm and Grove streets the
had sunk down and loose sewer
pipes were scS after I dss along n,st in ,n prope srfe con-.
dition at once. On April 20. 1891, the nrm
was ordered to fix the trenches on the
l line Oh III Now JCiotS
streets were in very bad condition. Ine
firm apparently paid no attention 10 the
order of the board and the city ensih h1r
and Noble streets complaint on May ~.
This brought no results and so loud was
ahe third ioh'P notice was sent the firm on May
10. The city engineer IN ms ietters saau
complaints were coming in thick and fast.
firm. and attention was called to the prev
ious communications. But the thiro oruer
was as barren of results as the TWO pre-
ceding ones, SO on May 20 a eommunhcao
ton went to the contractors telling them
that if the repairs were not made at once
stone city make MeI them na at the expense Of Allen
& Co. On July 5 an order was Sent 10 IS-
pair the intersection of Noble ana SCUM
street. which were in bad condition, also
the trench over the sewer in Cedar street
from Fletcher avenue to the big four
Then the grievances of Central-ayenue
property owners against Mr.: Mansfiein ;
firm began to appear. aa On ,he N s,rm that =, the the
Rutler.street connection of the Central
avenue sewer had sunk, and 1t was the
general impression that the pipe IN 1ront
Of 10 Central avenue had broken. Nov. 8
tbe following went to this firm from the
city engineer: PLEASE open eaten pasln
inlets on Central avenue. / believe two or
three basins need plastering and also need
IN he made water-tight." Several months
later. Jan. %: the firm had covered up Z
/ house CO1ntCtfOn III "
avenue without waiting for IT. TO De IN
spected by the city. and an order was Is
sued to have the work uncovereu. III for
the firm was ordered 10 proViue ine'S ioi
this same sewer. 1919 Nr
Mansield's firm as follows: -. ,,,,ow;ng
moor and defective work. which please put
in proper condition: Catch basin at nortn-
east corner of Meridian and Merrill streets
mo inlet: two catch-basin inlets on Me,-
rill street west of Meridian have brick
rings, but the gutter approaches are DOW,
dered and in bad condition.: curD lhieys Oh
northeast and northwest corner OF Deia-
ware and Merrill streets have the curps
badly broken: curb inlet on nor.neast poIa-
ware street has curbstone broken ana Is
patched with brick and cement; similar
complaints at northwest corner rner ne
same streets, southeast corner. ketcnam
and Merrill. southwest corner New Jersey
and Merrill: northeast, northwest ana
southwest corners of New Jersey and Mer-
rflI streets; Sinker-street basin badly zone;
also opening In curb on New Jersey street
south of Merrill"
A week later the city engineer called at
tention to leaky catch basins along New
Jersey and Merrill streets, three at sne
Sinker-street corner, one on New Jersey
between Sinker and Merrill. one at DiiIon
and Elm, two at Graham and Elm and one
IeakT catch basins and defective work
followed the contract further. On Dec y.
1894. the contractors were ordered TO repair
a number OF QUIET irohy ~
!. sins on Meridian street. which wouio
not hold water. They were as
follows: Southwest corner of Union ahd
Merrill streets. water twelve inches below
The tran: southeast corner Madison avenue.
water six inches below trap: northeast cor
ner Madison avenue, water six inches below
tran. northwest corner J., NJ. & l. tracks,
sediment showed water had been up 10
suffer line: southwest corner OF tracks,
water all leaked out; northwest corner
Alabama street. water twelve inches De-
low trap: northeast corner of Alabama
street. water two inches below trap and
MASTER falling off: southwest corner Ala
hanna. water below trap.
Ian. 4. 1895. 1T was necessary. 10 oTuef
the firm to repair the catch basin at New
Jersey and Sinker streets, which Was In a
very bad condition and very dangerous
The same day the bad condition OF the
catch basins at Noble and Huron streets
was pointed out
These letters were unheeded. and the
civ authorities were very much provoked
on Fell. 4 the city engineer urged the
firm to fix up the Elm and Merrill street
sewers. and. the firm doing nothing TO I'M
prove conditions, another letter was seni
Feb. %, with a peremptory demand as 70
what the contractors really intended TO do
The work done on the Merrill-street sewer
began TO show for itself a little while later,
after a few rains. and the Board OF Works
discovered a worse state of affairs. The
catch basins needed attention. and or
March Z an outline OF the repairs needed
was Furnished Mr.. Mansfield's firm. Al
-. - 4la 4 e frooES fha n1ry