The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-01-05
The Police on Hand to Pre-
vent Trouble.
An Attempt 10 Build Over The Moshas-
suck Stopped.
Controversy Between Abutting Owners
and the Consolidated Railroad.


The Consolidated Railroad and the
abutters on Canal street, opp2ete that
part OF the old canal known az Moshas-
suck River, have come to battle today; in
consequence there is great excitement.
large force OF policemen being on hand
TO prevent certain work going on under
direction OF Contractor John #. Tank.
On Dec. 81, MIR. Tank got two permits
from the inspector of buildings to locate
q boiler and engine on old Crossing and
Canal streets to drive piles, and again
this morning another permit was
issued for the same work to
be done on Canal Street.
1t was, hen discovered that the City of
Providence had some rights in the
canal and an investigation was
ordered, resulting in opening
up a serious state OF affairs; for ii was
found that as soon as the railroad gang
had constructed trestic op-
posite the John p. Cooney building,
at PSI Canal street, agents of the Cooney
heirs went to work and destroyed 1t.
Ii was also seen that the
Consolidated folk had preempted;
that part OF the canal opposite the Hem
nessey estate, covering 100 feet above, be-
sides drying piles entirely across the canal,
opposite tho Charles Allen estate, the
whole property Gained to have been
taken without right by the road be.
ing that between the buildings occupied
BY George II. Wall. agent for Armour,
and the Schwarzschild-Sulz Beef
Company.
DIR. John p. Cooney, representing the
Cooney estate, was on hand
bright and early this morning,
to see what the Consolidated reopis
were up to and found that they had ceased
WORK at the upper end, near.
Crossing Stree. and had buiit'
trestle or plank b'idge.
opposite the Cooncy estate. He imme-f
wading in water up to his waist, all the
morning directed large force 0e
men 10 remove the railroads. work with
crowbars. Every effort was made by tho
roads men, it is said, to cause DIR.
Cooney TO commit an assault, but he
wisely desisted whan he saw how the land
laid.
The Cooney heirs claim about fifty-flve
running feet OF the canal, to the center,
the Hennessey estate 100 feet and the
Allen heirs the rest, while the road set
forth about five years ago that 1t owned
from the west wall opposite the freight
house to the middle of the river and on
this presumption started in to cover the
entire canal. The city has never
given up its claims to the prop
erty, it seems, and stepped into
the breach ct once, and orders are expec-
ted to be given TO the police,
of whom there are 10 or more present In
charge OF Deputy Chief Egan, Captain
Stevens and Lieutenant O'Neill, to pre-
vent not only further work on the part
OF oil the abUttcrs and the contractor,
butto prevent riot or other disturbances.
The inspector of buildings was nppar-r
emily blameless IN issuing permits
TO Contractor Tank, as ii Is
not uncommon TO grant permits
to locate boilers for pile driving any
where, aud the fact that short time ago
Resident Manager Edwin p. Dawley called
atlthe City Hall and inquired how large
wooden building could be erected in the
First District under the law, was never
coupled with the contractors applications
for permits.
None of the antagonistic claimants to
the property alleged to have been usurred
by the railroad company, seems TO care TO
expend any money to have the
various claims settled, but all
are willing that the city shou'd
take the matter into court, or the rail.
road either. At the city hall II
was stated that evidently tho
railroad people intended TO wait
until after court adjourned todoy.
and then work, hsrd driving piles
in hopes to have the work all
done before Monday morning.
" but" said the informant, "thero will
be trouble ii they do"
II is rumored that beef firm near by
was 10 occupy the building TO be erected.
Contractor Tank was around la.cr aud
ordered his men, under police instruc-
tiors, to barricadc the trestie
work in place so that no danger would
arse to pedestrians and to ''clcsn
up the river" He stated
wheh intorrogated, "You fellows are
dead slow, we've feen here week nad
nobody got or to il till last nght.r
Prominent city Hall official standing
near said 10 THE NEWS man "Mr. Tank
may feel like laughing now,
but how about the city? po
YOU think wo can afford 10
let out any more big contracts to him,
when he has played this little pcrin;,
trick on Us? guess not"