The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1898-07-23
NIX. ZEZZ REQUESTS Il RE-
ZRA

IL IhS AoouS VI july IN ~
zette published the report of Mr.. c..
A. Gaines, of New Orleans, who
had been employed as an expert to
examine and report on the condi-
ton of machinery in the Waterworks
and Electric Light Plant. The re-
Violations Of Mr.. Gaines were SO
sensational that The Gazette could
not withhold few commentary re-
marks thereon, and to these Mr..
Zell has evidently taken exception,
as appears from the following letter
received few days since, and re
produced verbatm:
New ORLEANS July 10Th 1898
II. Mouton. Es4r.
Proprietor The Lafayette Gazette.
Lafayette. La.
Dear Sir.
request that you publish in your next
issue statement retracting from the state
ment made about the Water and Lighting
Plant, in which you have lnisead the public
that am crininaily liable as the Eng neer
for the Town of Lafayette for any assumed
defects that may be claimed in the plant
After consulting council request that you
seperate me from any quarrel that tn: town
of Lafayette may have with the Consolidated
Engineering Co.
Hoping to have your immediate reply
am yours truly.
RoBEsr r. zELL.
Mr.. Zcll is without doubt unduly
sensitive in this matter for in the
article in question no allusion dl-
rec thy or indirectly is made to him.
We fail to find any statement that
demands modification or retractiOn
and therefore do not propose that
anything now said shall be con-
stru ID as an apology or explanation
of the position assumed in reference
to this contention. Rather would
we repeat the statement to which
Mr.. Zell evidently takes umbrage
and which reads as follows: "The
report sets forth most dcplorable
condition Of affairs and the facts if
substantiated disclose> not only dis
honest practice but criminal culpa-
bility in the construction of the
plant beyond parallel" Can any
one tell us wherein Mr.. Zell is held
':criminally liablc"? The Gazette
does not undertake to say who is
responsible for the reported Condi
ton Of the plant, and for ought we
known, it may be the contracting
company or some employee of
the company, or the Council, or it
may be that the manufacturing
company which supplied the boilers
i u Of
nal culpability," or it may be that
Mr.. Gaines has made a mistake and
the whole matter may at last re-
solve itself into a veritable mares
nest.
Mr. Zell recommended the &C
ceptance of the plant expressing his
entire satisfa ctiOn as to the machin-
cry in particular, and now comes
Mr.. Gaines who states that the
boilers, ETC., are in chad and
dangerous condition" and should be
s'torn OUT The Gazette knows
little or nothing of the standing of
either Of the two men in his pro-
fcssion as mechanical engineer and
has absolutely no knowledge Of
machinery and therefore does not
undertake to pronounce hasty judg
ment in the matter. The courts
have been appealed to and in ad-
vance Of the decision of that tribu-
nal no opinion is expressed fixing
the terminal cu1pability" on any
however, all the circumstances in
connection with the report not only
of Mr.. Gaines but others competent
to judge, there certainly is reason
to believe that |'somcthing is rotten
in Denmark"
Let the judicial investigation pro-
coed fairly and impartially to fix
this '*criminal culpability" and in
the meantime let everybody keep