New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-08-25

MANY HOUSES ALONG GREENE-AvE. SUI
FER DAMAGE.
THE TEARING Up OF THE STREET CHEAT
NUISANCE. THo-wHo Is REsPoNslbLh?-i
LOOKS AS If THE CITY MIGHT
HAVE BIG BILL OF DAM
AGES TO PAY.

HAVE BIG BILL OF DAM
AGES TO PAY.
II s not the least surprising that the residents OF
Greene-ave., between Marcy and Patchen AYES are
up In account OF the construction Oh 'ne us
through their street. The work mas oeen COINS
on for nearly a year, and the street mas peen o'"
I'D for months on one block after another ana men,
in addition not little actual damage has been done
in the settling Of the stcops of the houses on the
south side of the avenue and IN the sihh'hs anu
cracking OF sidewalks. The damage is not serious
however and there is yet no danger OF any OF 'ne
houses falling down. though In some OF 'heih '"e
walls have cracked slightly.
For some reason the damage is confined mainly 10
the south side Of the street. although the eNcaNa'"
was directly in the middle. stu, there mas Dee"
little settling the north side as wei. WY one
side should have been affected more than the other
has not been explained. The excavation was ABOUT
forty feet In depth and perhaps half as wide, so
that a great quantity of earth had TO be removed
and replaced.
walk along Greene-ave will show at glance
what the effect Of the work has been between
Throop and Sumner aves about half OF the stoops
of place. and in some cases II has been neces-
sary 10 brace them up with pieces Of timber on
the next block to the eastward the damage IL SIN
more apparent. In row OF brownstone 'front.'
houses every stoop has broken away from the house
front 10 distance OF two inches or more ana one
entering the house by the main coor mas 10 step
over an ugly chasm perhaps two inches wide.
On account OF the settling the iron area gates VIII
not close tightly and cannot be latched so on many
OF the houses chains and padocks have been piacei'
presenting a most unusual appearance But Tor the
snoring up there Is doubt that some OF the stones
would have fallen. though of the stoops would
have collapsed entirely. II is expected that scores
of soops along here will have 10 be taken down ana
rebuilt. On one or two Of them work mas a"eaa!
been begun. An inspector of the Department Oh
Buildings recently took look at the houses along
md Cd at no
OF them unsafe.
II is a question With the owners OF the property
as to who pay for the damage they have SUI
fered They expect that either the city or ihe CON
bring about cooperation on the part OF Ie % d
in securing their rghts ihS acsud hrt me arrresa,e
Al the people along Grsene;aye where the sewer
and annoyance. Many Of them sent their iami s
danger Of malaria from the opening up OF me
ground and to escape the dust and CONFUSION ileva
table from the operations that nave beeh goans On
TO all ntens and parPo ses The sTeeS Is ba
by the contractors during the puang oi NJ Se hasS
made in restoring the street to good condition Ihe
rinent to Which they have been subjected and some
Of them inclined TO held the eParnen, OF sboS
have been tunneed just was done west OF
Marsy,aye few years ago. IN wh'en case '"e'e
For a part Of the distance west of Marcy-ave
| the big Cireene-ave sewer is more than hundred
feet below the surface while in the section recently
built the greatest distance rs less ,han nan as
| has been done But those who have been suojeetei
10 the annoyance believe that II would nave peeI
better for pa l4e Of Sy the 10 YORK out of sight Take
Block between sumner and Throop ayes; for ,e es,
time it has been Impossible to DO any driving there
| The work on the sewer was finished apparently A
month ago and some feeble effort al restoring inv
pavement Was made. But the street Is sun y, Il, h :"
sn sGmaOn o and Sso,h Of tho reaen 10
A branch OF the Greene-ave sewer Is BENZ con-
the western sidewalk. and Is only rev, i,et VIC,
but already the effect OF the renoval OK ne care b
has shown itself some houses on that siue OF INC
| avenue Damage like that In Greene-ave, although
| on a smaller scale. has manifested ITSELF IN inc
housesoops. though apparently II VIII not De nsees
| sary here 10 tear them down and repuld thein
| In addition to the damage TO houses on both on
these avenues the sidewalks in many places have
MIL be- Included in the bi for damages which The
pas q t Of y the
| While no official legal opinion on the SUBJECT mas
been furnished. IL Is believed that the city is prop
| tractor mas done his work in accordance with the
specifications OF the Department OF CITY wo OTIS
al least that Is presumed to he the case.and hence
he cannot be held to account. The settling or the
earth over the sewer is still going on ana VIII con-
nue for some time to come hence there u feas ep
to fear that the effect upon the houses ana stoops
is not at end and i is possible that large CRACKS
may occur in the walls Of some houses; H. IndeeG,
| they are not rendered unsafe. Real estate IN
| Greene-aye can scarcely be said to be at stand
still. but certainly there Is no healthy movement
well. I'm glad don't own a house in Greene
ave" said a man who was walking through me ne
street day or two ago ana no'ns nd t1 doubt II
they nave seen the worst of 1t yet IL JOCKS 10 me
as if the city would have large biii ter damase,
| wonM have cost more money If the sewer had been
built in tunnel. but 1t might nave p'o'eu '"eapei
| in the end