The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-02-18
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YIADUCT QUARREL.
Inspector 0'Brien's Age and
Experience Cause a
Serious Clash.
coRcoRAN VERSUS KAISER
me Inspectors Record Shows Up
Weil-Backed BY Dickinson
and Property Owners.

VuASAH
Ihere is a grave misunderstanding be-
tween the members of the Street and
water Board and some of the property
owners who are liable tc assessment for
the construction of the .viaduct in Thir-
teenth street. One month ago when Peter
osBrien was first appointed inspector
'Fhe News exclusively told Of the OBJ
]ections of the property owners to
Brien, against whom no personal feel
ing is entertained. Because of his youth
anc lack of practical experience in SUI
peryising a work of such extent the OBJ
Jectors maintain he should not be re-
tanned. The trouble has been growing ever
since and has sun such an aspect
now that the Commissioners are charged
with bad faith. 1t is also charged that
already piling has been improperly done
and piles smaller than those specified
have been used.
The property owners, after the con-
tracts for the work had been awarded.
met and decided to request the Street
and Water Commissioners to appoint in
spectors to look after the piling. mason
and iron work. They did not want to
spare Expense; they wanted good WORK
and were willing to pay for it. For the
lnspectorships they agreed on Joseph
Baughart, an expert on piles; Patrick
Kenny. a boss mason, and Robert
Schultz, an iron man.
1t is not customary to lave three in
spectors on one improvement, but it was
agreed by the Commissioners that as one
class of work was finished the Inspector
should be removed and another appointed
to supervise the work t..en being done.
everything went smoothly, A. J. Cor
coran says. until certain men who have
opposed the Improvement bobbed up with
a candidate mi boosted, MI. Corcorap
alleges, that they would secure his an
pointment. That man was O'Brien. His
appointment was opposed by Mr.. Cor
coran and others, but it appears that
City Treasurer Dickinson wanted O'Brien
named and he was named.
NOW Mr.. Corcoran charges that O,Rrien
was appointed by Commissioner Kaiser
mlsrepresenting a letter sent him by John
Casey. The letter merely introduced
OBrien. but it is alleged that kaiser
represented to his colleagues that Mr..
Casey wanted O'Brien appointed. AS
soon as the opposition to O'Brien showed
ltself on the surface. Judge Kenny and
Captain John F. Kelly, who had a great
deal to do with his appointment, with a
dozen property owners, appeared before
the Street and Water Board and made
an appeal to have him retained, repre-
sentlng that it was the wish of nearly
every property owner liable to assess
nlent. The following day a petition in
Sirens favor. bearing the names Of
nliheey fb property owners was filed
everything done by the p1nfracforS an
the work has been cioseiy watched, anu
athdayits are now on tile charging that
tne pies used are much smaller tnari
specified. Il is contended that the piles
saould be l2-inches in diameter when cut
Chief Engineer Ruggles declares that the
specifications call for piles thai are u
lncnes at the butt delivered on the ground.
he 4 declares that it is impossible TO have
in driving. few Of the piles driven
aas T. a 1s ab0as fort Des aSIsh ihn sa b ags doe 5So
demned BY fnspector o'Brien. Da con-
Yesterday Counsellor w. H. Speer, rep
Casey and other protestants, appeared be-
fore the Street and Water Board and
o'Brien.
"We will show you tha we are in ear
nest" he said with emphasis. we are
We want justice and will have il. We
nave shown you that the Specifications
have already been departed from, and
you admit the truth Of our charges by
moved. Why did not your inspector see
dnat even the first part OF the work was
The Commissioners did not reply to Mr..
After the meeting Commissioner Ka.ser
said:-""Those people want the earth. The
men they selected for inspectors are
Working every day, and I presum they
wanted us to appoint men who would
be at the work two or three hours a
day; We are as anxious to have the
misrepresent anything to the members
of this Board. / merely showed the
petitions signed by a majority CT the
people liable to assessment, asking for
coran wants to fight every inch Of the
Improvement he may. People represent
ing $500 GOO worth, Of property in that
Stoves eno 8 i fns el5y f Ms wiz 9'B 5onnse + blm he
If he il capable he viii stay. am
sorry this trouble has arisen, but feel
positive it will adjust ITSELF
in No. $40 twelfth Street III h IS tw laT1re
three years old and single He attended
PubIs school No. q and later High
mechanical department of Cooper Union,
For four years he was employed by the
Atlas Iron Construction Company. He
Tas R until recently ! atGyg, employed and by Charles
contractor of Brooklyn. He drafted the
plans for the iron work Of the Fourth
Regiment Armory. this city; Ninth Regi-
New York, American Tract Society
building Of New York and the Salvation
Army building IN New York.
IVE NEWS IrEMS