The sun., 1897-08-18
OBSTACLES COILS MEETS.
FIFTH ATESUE BIG PIPE LdfING
A HAND ROW 10 HOE

city have been printing recently series OF at
taoks upon the Commissioner OF Public Works,
Charles H.. p. Coils, based on the delays
rhIch have occurred In finishing the work
a, ;sVing new big water mains In Fifth ave-
nue from Eishticth street TO Fourth street. and
the opening OF streets in many other parts of
the city for the putting In OF sewers and other
needcd public works. 1t has been asserted in
these attacks that tho delay was caused pur-
posely so that the work could be kept in hand
until this fall in order that the coming election
might be affected through the employment of
large number Of men ut that time.
The Herald says that in prosecuting this
work and that OF ropaving the streets there arc
NOW more than forty.three streets torn up and
more or less mpassable, and that the merchants
and residents on these streets are being put to
unnecessary Inconvenience.
A lot Of merchants have been stirred up to
,snd A protest to Mayor Strong upon this sub
,sot and in reply to them Commissioner Coils
sent q vigorous letter to Mayor Strong on
Aug. 49, In this letter he does not deny that
nlarse part OF Fifth avenue 10 impossible and
that other parts are torn up and partly filled
with piles OF earth, rock, and paving blocks. but
he protests that the fault does not lie with his ad
ministration. but is a legacy from the faults of
former administrations Of his department
Deputy Commissioner Wilds threw q now
lirht yesterday upon these attacks. "It seems
70 mo to be spite work, " he said. mot long ago,
when the work Of asphalting Thirty-sixth street
was in progress. the department got letter
from the Herald protesting against this work
being continued along that part Of the street In
front Of the Herald building Gen, Coils wrote
az ras shas he %ere es %ns 10
leave that part Of the street untouched,
Il was then beyond his power to do 90, as
thov had bean ordered In the
and Q contract let for the work. Soon afterward
another eommupieaaop was received asking
within four days, and giving as a reason that the
Herald had to use the street constantly for
Of the work replied, saying that the work should
certainly be finished within tho time requested.
sSS saS dsS ds The tpouss With The Hsreid ssems
70 be that 1t discovered that 1t has not got tho
pull which Il thought It had" d;"
the delay on the Fifth avenue work he said;
I'VE arc laying two large water mains from
ought to have been done ten years ago, and
would not now be in hand but for your personal
sar. 10 issue SoHds obedence To-
an earnest appeal to you m m.de by the Board OF
Ire Underwriters, and and upon my statement s that h
to %nS SnSss %'os
fG fss aathority M was obtained in May. 1895. The
plans were at once prepared. and, aftsr adver.
uAcment, the contract was AWARDED by mo on
Sy the Comptroer on s ON Aus ao 1886. TRe T Contract
was executed Aug. "a, 1895. and tho contractor
he did. In the mean time had assumed the
responsibility Of directing him TO make advance
contrasts for his pipes. which saved at least
when we commenced work there was no
map or any data in existence showing the loca-
,on OF gas main, and other conduits in the
street and the cross streets, nor any evidence on
lie snywhere advising US where We would hnd
ministrations has compelled US to Krope in the
dark. and gave US no opportunity TO prepare In
tult is that the work has been frequently de.
layed until we could procure castings to con.
@ TSn1 and ohe. so or
has to he handled with the greatest care lest
explosions should disturb the network Of pipes
sdsoa sas sSs' es
condition existing that there were thirty blocks
ssH %Ssrs there @ we're no sewers and that in fact
large hotels with a capacity of 1000 guests
pss ss esde FOR s hre
my y ,so to lay 1se a,er
without first constructing an adequate sys-
tenn, tenn Of drainage for This great avenue
cept all the odium which attaches to it; but
have done my duty. The public health de-
body must assume the responsibility. and am
not afraid to do 1t.
NO w0rK mas ever been done with moro care
than that now in progress on Fifth avenue; All
pipes are being overhaul ed and recaulked, and
new ones are replacing those which are OF doubt
watched By myself. my engineers and inspoe-
tors. and 10 as good a specimen Of workmanship
have determined that when this fine avenue is
repaved with smooth and noiseless pavement
So xS 10 be fee
"Iknow that the storekeepers on the avenue
hAaR Nnff fR ANNr 1tRaW fNRon ptnno
and appreciate the patience with which some
Of them have endured IL. but bog to assure
sPseded as rapidly as pos possible. consistent WITH
ths highest order OF workmanship"
hS s s he b psr is Rs aSs sG%y e fst &
partment in the matter Of making and keeping
records Of the sub surface structures that have
far back In the history Of the department that It
would 6s e difieut. perhaps TO fix any personal
Of he older streets in this city which con- CON.
sS i9f and SSs
Public Works Work Department. Such q state "a OF OF
Railroad put in Its cable conduit after the work
t,.I,S Got down to Sixth street, and the most ex.
make price In building that part OF the road
except upon tho basis OF charging the company
pront; 1t was impossible to find out from any
records what pipes or other obstacles might be
encountered between Sixth street and the Post
ohice, and this short stretch Of road cost
much TO construct as did the whole section from
sixth street to 120th street.
The owners of the Broadway railroad found
e1actly tho same difficulties when that road
ADOPTED cable traction, and Mr.. William Bar
GAY Parsons. chief engineer of the Rapid Transit
railroad Commission, has spent tens Of thou
sands OF dollars In finding out Just what there
was beneath tho streets on the various routes
which that commission has proposed to build Its
unasrground road through.
When the first Rapid Transit Commission was
~ existence 1t proceeded TO lay out a route up
nioaoway under the erroneous impression
gained from Official sources that there were few
OF NC sewers there. 1t was proposed under the
iapld transit scheme Of 695 to build pipe gal
Er lsries through Broadway from Park Place to
Lhirty' fourth street. and these would have
INVADED a great number Of sidewalk vaults
along that route. MIR. Parsons found that
aeeiS eeeeiS was not only no public record
nAny cases there was no record Of their exist
% ence Since Gen. Coils has been in Office appll-
cations for permits to build such vaults have to
oe accompanied by a map with all the dimen-
Eons entered on 1t. A clause hns also been In
setted In tho licenses which makes them revo-
vault BDaCe NAV ha al for any nuhliN vnrk