Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-12-12
AD-STREET RAILS
THE TESTIMONY As TO GRADE
FINISHED.
SUB COMMITTEE TO PREPARE REPORT
Mr.. Rountree and Colonel Cutshnw
Exchange Words as to Propriety
the Gas-WorI.s Investigation.

mcnt ana reform neld anOlneI iohS SER
sion last night. and further discussed
the causes Of the alleged defects IN the
grade Of Broad street. 1t was a spirited
meeting. I'm which there was some sharp
cross questioning. Those present were:
Messrs. Allen chairman, Starke. Roun-
tree. King, Ebel. and Jones. The alb
| sentees were Messrs Noble and Zm-
hermann. the latter of whom explained by
letter through Mr.. Jones his inability to
attend
The first bomb thrown out was just
after Clerk Mcdowell had read the min
utes of Tuesday nights meeting. Mr..
Ebel called the attention of the body
to the opening sentence accredited to
| Colonel Cutshaw, which was that the
committeeman and others misunderstood
this question. Mr.. Ebel said he did not
think the City Engineer said this; that
il was criticism upon the committee.
which he did not believe Colonel Cutshaw
made. and which he did not think he
should have made. in so far as it re-
| ferred TO him. as he had never expressed
an opinion one way or another
Colonel Cutshaw replied TO this by say
| ing the record was correct. II made that
statement because leading questions were
asked. which clearly indicated as |
| thought the impressions the members Of
the committee were laboring under"
THE ENGINEERS REMARKS INDIs-
GREET.
Mr.. Rountree. after some debate touch
| ing this sentence in the minutes had
been INDUCED in said that he did not
think the criticism of the committee
| by Colonel Cutshaw was a proper one.
| what the Engineer said" Mr.. Roun-
| tree went on to say. sis a matter OF re-
| cord and l am satisfied II IS correct
| but / do think that he has used poor dis
| cretion I'm making the remark he has.
| So far as this committee is concerned,
| the matter has been referred 10 IT for ac-
ton. and it is not to be supposed that
| the members of the committee understand
| the matter until they have investigated
! it,"
$50 far as that is concerned" prompt
| ly replied the City Engineer. II viii judge
| Of the propriety of my remarks to suit
| myself. When / make a statement. |
| will make such a one as / believe to be
right. and will stand responsible for IT,
| When questions of this nature were asked
| by Mr. Rountree: II the street had
| TO be changed to that extent. as to re-
| qulre the raising Of the sidewalks, and
| consequently the raising of the floors Of
| the various buildings. could the city be
held liable for that? it was a clear case
| TO my mind that such questions were
| leading Similar questions were asked
| by other members. / did not say that
! individual members OF the committee mis-
| understood the matter, but spoke Of the
committee as a body"
Mr. Rountree then said that, this being
an investigating committee, it was abso-
| lutely necessary for II TO make an in
! quiry into a matter before it could un-
! derstand it at all.
WOULD DO THE SAME AGAIN.
The City Engineer was then questioned
briefly regarding the relative drops in
| the tracks Of the two companies on Broad
| street.
Mr.. Rountree asked him If the tracks
Of the Traction Company were laid on a
level or had any fall. and Colonel Cut
shaw said that there was fall Of about
an inch. he thought between the rails.
| in accordance with the uniform crown
Of the street.
| what is the fall of a side Of the
street TO the foot?" asked Mr. Rountree.
at is irregular; but about six inches
| 10 q feet. running from the crown TO
the gutter" replied Colonel Cutshaw, as
| he went on TO explain how Broad street
| had a higher grade on the north s<ae
| in some sections than on the south side.
| He said If ne had TO go over the Broad
| reet-car-grades again he would do ex-
| actly what he had already done. He
| did not think that any one could detect
! with the eye a difference of three inches
| between the outside tracks OF the old
| company and the inner rails Of the Trac-
| ton Company.
! 1T is my opinion from looking at
those tracks" said Mr.. Rountree, that
they are on level II | am wrong
shall feel that have not done my fun
duty IN that did not measure them"
"It is not a question Of opinion" in
| terr1pted Colonel Cutshaw. you can
measure them" He added that he had
mans there which would give the differ
| ences.
MR.. COwARDIN'S STATEMENT.
At this iuncture. while Colonel Cutshaw
/ was unroling his maps. Mr.. Jones sus-
| gested that Mr. 5. +. Cowardin, superin-
/ tendent of construction Of the Traction
/ Company. be heard touching the drop Oh
/ the rails Mr.. COwardn said he ha1
measured all these tracks, and II was the
| idea OF his company to have regular ran
of half inch from the inside TO the out
| side rails. and that this was practically
| the extent of the fall all the length OF
| Broad street. There was then difference
| of from 3-4 of an inch to IL Inches be-
| tween the outer rails Of the Traction
! Company and the inner rails OF the klch-
mond Railway and Electric Company and
of 3-s TO Ia inches between tho tracks
/ of the old company. Mr.. Cowardin was
cross-auestioned by Messrs. Rountree ana
| King. and said that he did not think the
| Richmond Railway and Electric company
had carried out TO the letter the instruc-
tions of the Engineer. He spoke OF the
rut or hump at the corner OF Second ana
/ Broad streets. He said he did not think
| # was possible to have remedied this
| trouble throughout the whole length OF
! the street. There could have been no
| way out OF the difficulty at Second street.
| The witness remarked that had the paving
and tracks been laid with better con-
| forrnity TO the street the situation would
have been helped somewhat.
IJNsIGHTLY, BUT NOT DANGEROUS.
When Mr.. Cowardin concluded the COM
mittee called upon Colonel Cutshaw 10
| resume his statement. He agreed pracu-
cally with what Mr.. Cowardin had said,
| save as 10 a criticism Of the paving done
| by the old company. Being questioned by
| Mr.. Jones. the Engineer said that while
the hump at Second street was unsightiy
! and was not a comfortable place Tor
bicycllsts TO ride over. ii was best that
| could be done under the circumstances.
| Mr.. Jones wanted TO know If the I'm
gineer did not regard the place as dan
| eerous 10 one Of the city's stop-cock
boxes Colonel Cutshaw said he did not
| think IL was. and went on 10 show where-
in it was not. The Engineer then answer
ed a number OF questions regarding the
| different elevations OF the tracks on
| t,-ooI ctraat buf practically all the mat