The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-02-06
ALL WH7EV ASHBD.
Hoboken Couneilmen Inyesti-
gate Mayor Fagan's Charges
Against the Ferry Street
Sewer.

. - NNtR Ast4A a 81 -
through Ferry street, Hoboken. to in
vestigate certain charges Of Contractor
SaVanagh relative to the piling and re-
paving, which Mayor Pagan vetoed, was
neld Yesterday afternoon in the Council
namoers, City Hall. An the Councilmen
were present. City Surveyor Mccain
and Mr.. Smith, of TIvy & Smith, the en-
gineers OF the sewer; Contractor Cavan-
agh, Corporation Attorney Minturn and
ex-Judge AbeeI Smith, who appeared
FOR MIR. C~aSanagh. were also present.
Mayor Pagan was not on hand owing
to his absehce from the city. SHE is spend
ing q few days at Portland, Maine.
Councilman Qffermann, who acted as
chairman, directed Clerk McDermott to
read the Mayors Communication in
which His Honor vetoed the claims in
question. The communication was fully
published In "The Jersey City News at
the time 1t was first received.
During the entire proceedings yester-
day afternoon nothing of a sensational
nature occurred and. the whole affair was
very tame. Those in the lobby who ex-
pected to see some fun between the mem
bers of the Sewer Committee and their
colleagues in the Council were greatly
disappointed.
The time was taken up chiefly by
Messrs. Mccain and Smith in explaining
how the extra repaving came to be done,
the mysterious disappearance of the old
ccbblestones and the difference in cost
Of the piling on their respective sections.
half Of the work and Messrs. ivy &
Smith the other haff.
M n explaining about the r%epayying Mr..
showing low it had taken ~ more BLOCKS baiocss
to repave the street than was first sup
posed it would on account of the space
Of the North. Hudson County Railway
company which was upon the street.
MT. Mccain also reminded. the commit
street did not belongsto the city, but was
Jne pr1gate properly Of. TIE Delaware,
l haek basa Iaia and 81 M ybss TaI1rd Raailr cnmas hay
street was never legally slssu opened pene rsi i
T Tas r sad ha Gri Bsea Repf E it re 9f ths b. ra ahs
pany paved the street they used a poor
be used in repaving if the city wanted
q good job Of it. The Delaware. Lacka-
soon as Contractor Cavanagh took them
up the company cafted them off.
Considering the extreme low figure at
which the sewer was built, Mr.. Mccain
said that the committee did not hesi-
tate to tell the contractor to go ahead
and use the new blocks. Mr.. Capelli in
terrupted the engfneersto say that he was
a member of the Sewer Committee and
never ordered any repaving.
Mf. Mccain replied that he referred
only to the chairman.
This brought ar explanation. from the
chairman. Mr.. Snyder, to the effect that
the old cobblestones would not do around
the sluice gates and he. ordered the Bel
gian blocks after consulting with Mr..
Fox. Mr.. Fox said he had no idea there
was going to be SO many of them or he
would not have given his consent.
The original contract calls for 100
yards Of new paving but .Cavanagh did
Mr.. Mccain said that the new paving
was a necessity and hat if 1t wasn't
done at this. time 1t would only nave to
be done inTthe neal future. To a aues-
ton asked by ex-Judge Smith as regards
the construction of the sewer, Mr.. Nc
Cam said that in all his thirty odd
years experience he had never seen a
better one, and that Contractor Cavan-
excellent manner in which he had built
it.
After a lengthy discussion of over an
hour. which resulted in. the vindication.
of Contractor Cavanagh, the question
of repaving was dropped and the ques-
ton of piling taken up.
Mr.. McCann said that the Mayors
statement regarding the piling was in
correct. The spiling was finally decided
to be all right and the dam at Garden
street was satisfactorily explained.
Mayor a chance to explain his side of
the matter