The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-09-12
FIFTH AVENUE MADE OVER.
aEN. COLLIs'S HERCULEAN TASK
WILL SOON BE DOME

Now that the work Of laying the new water
mains in Fifth avenue IL drawing near compile
don II 10 time that the people who have been
abuse on the head OF Commissioner
AZ Public Works Charles II. 7. Coils: should ro-
Iapse into silence and lister to reason. Fifth
,yenu,, In u few weeks, 10 going to DO q greater
and better Fifth avenue than 1t evor has been,
and the man to whom tho credit for the meta
morphosis will belong has boon about the
vorst.abused official in the city. A list Of he
motives to which the delay in finishing the
work has been attributed by tho hasty would
ali a book. 1t would take another volume to
record the foolish statements made about Gen.
Coils and a third and fourth to contain all the
suggestions for the rapid completion OF the
work that have poured into the Mayors office,
into the offices Of newspapers, and into the Of.
Gee OF Gen. Coils himself.
Gen. Coils has refused TO stop the clamor by
hurrying the work, when he knew that haste
could result in nothing but defects in the water
main ~ stem and his explanations Of the delay
Rave not only been satisfactory to the Mayor,
but also to many Fifth avenue property own
ers, who were formerly in the front ranks Of
the kickers but have been made to see that Gen.
Coils Is right.
Gen. Colliss explanation Of the long time
consumed in the work, show that instead Of
its being delayed. it has really been carried on
with great rspidity. In conversation with Q
suS reporter yesterday he went over the ground
thoroughly. The chief difficulty seems to have
been the lack OF system in the Department OF
Public Works in years past about making and
keeping recorrs OF the sub-surfaco structures
that have been put into our streets
The responsibility for this neglect cannot b
fixed on anybody in particular. because the
fault begins so far back In the history Of the do
partment that it cannot DO traced. There are
miles and miles Of old streets. containing sew
.A ga pipes, water pipes, faults, and sub
ciAl record in the department; There. was an
Illustration Of this sorry condition OF affairs
when the Third Avenue .1 railroad dUs put IN 4. cable
and q leading contractor declined to go on with
the work except for q guaranteed 10 per cent.
profit His demand was made because OF the
lack Of records 20 show what obstacles might
Be encountered between sixth street and the
Post ONCE. The wisdom OF the contractor was
shown when the company found that this small
piece Of road cost as much as the entire stretch
hom l2sth street to Sixth street.
obstacles, and Engineer Parsons Of the Rapid
Transit Commission, has already spent many
thousand dollars finding out just what was be-
since Gen Coils has been in office applica-
tons for permits TO build vaults have to be &C
co%panisd b. maps showing s all The dimensions aos,
a. all A clause has also been Inserted in tho
licenses which makes them revokeble in whole
needed for any pubic work. N' AN
There 10 . law which requires the Steam Com.
pany to NE a map or It's steam pipes IN me
Department Of Pubic Works. but up TO last
May It was . dead letter. AT that Time Gen.
harp pointed Ssns 'os stick tIe and IsiA the o%psns were T'tf fur.
nishcd. They arc incomplete even NV, how
ever. as they do not show in what part Of tho
All Of these difficulties were found to exist in
Fifth avenue and they opened the eyes Of
Gen ehs.o co nsn to f The ne sss bsI0 Of H eo9nip sas sub .nS
win be elaborated as works are completed
The head Of each bureau will 30 held responsi-
works which come under his bureau. Thus
the Superintendent OF Lamps and Gas must
know where TO locate gas pipes. the engineer
Of these, the Water Purveyor must know
whore to nnd all mains, and so on throug bout
By outsiders can be- laid only on department
permits. and as plans have to aR.
plications nowadays the Chief Engineer VIII
ground works Of the various streets or the city.
To begin such q work as the laying OF two
Wiz aS entire ~ Tsss5 ON Of rma ar as TO
the substructure Of that great thoroughfaro
was no joke. But the work had to be done.
was commenced said Gen. Coils yesterday,
the lower part Of the city was in danger of 9
wSftsr famine z unless P5GTTIs m sa GnS oo Ter ns
gallons Of water daily below Fourteenth street
This necessitated the laying Of two large wator
work which should have been done ten years
tanned in MAY, 1898. and the contractor began
suped the respon :ibility Of directing him TO
make advance contracts for his pipes, which
Now, i want to slate that the unjust criti.
cisms which have been made Of this work have
failed TO worry me in the least, knowing as I
nothing Of What they Saved about. have
gone steadily ahead, doing the best could for
will speak for itself. There 10 no necessity for
me 70 defend myself, and | don't intend TO do It.
A the same time / have no objection to telling
OF the obstacles which have confronted US since
We began our work.
AT that time there were no maps or any
data In existence showing the location Of gas
mains and other conduits, In the street and the
Cross streets, nor any evidence on file anywhere
ADVISING Us where We would ind rock. This
vas Tie result Of The negligence Of previous
gTope around in the dark, unable to make any
advance preparations for the obstacles which
was frequently delayed until we could pro-
cure castings 70 conduct gas mains and other
Rllpes above or below or around our new mains;
Ihe rock excavation has had 70 DO handled
With the greatest care. lest explosions should
disturb the network OF pipes.
In addition, rs wrote to the Mayor q short
ume ago, ! found the extraordinary condition
2Listing that there were thirty blocks between
Waverley place and Fifty-third street where
there were no sewers, and that, In fact, large
hotels with q capacity Of 1000 guests were do
pendent upon twolve-inch terra Gotta pipes in
nde streets. To have allowed my engineers
70 lay these water mains and TO rcpave the
street with asphalt without Arst constructing
an adequate system OF drainage for this great
avenue would have been a crime. OF course
y deia!ed things, but 1t was necessary and
qon care what delays are nocessitated. When
think the public health demands certain i'm
provetnents ! am going ahead to make them
while can. ! amsonly doing my duty, and II
there Is a certain amount OF odium attached u
the performance OF 1t, guess / can stand II.
somebody must assume the responsibility, and
am not afraid TO be the ono to do II.
NO work has ever been done with more care
Than that now In progress In Filth avenue.
Know that many people have been incOD veni
enced and that many have shown great pa
uence, but tho work IL being finished now al
rapidly AS possible.
A to the present condition Of the work, Il
10 most encouraging. The work at the south
end OF the avenue has been done much fastel
lhan was expected. The D 200 are all laid
from Fourth street TO Twenty-Lhlrd street. and
from Ninth street to Twenty-lhird street the
road is being asphalted and will probably b.
nnished within two weeks. Then the public
VIII have an opportunity OF seeing the outcom,
q he Inconvenience they have suffered
Nortn OF Twenty-first street large quantities Of
rock have had TO bc excayated and every pipe
70 mo avenue, water and gas. has had to b,
smiled for the Dlaiua 1bia invnlvad ranluuh