The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-02-08
No Matter What is the
Difficulty.

large number of petitions for compen-
sation for injuries to person and prop
erty All the members Of the COM
mittee were present, together with a
large plumber of friends of petitioners.
W. E. Hall, 9S Woodland street, ask
ed to have the sum Of S27.4s refunded
the same having been paid through an
error in taxes for the years 1867. 1t
appeared upon investigation that Mr.
Hall had not complied with the strict
letter of the law by sling a schedule
OF his property, and that two parcels
of land had been Joined by the assess
ors.
Mrs Anna Kolstrem asked for com
pensation for injuries to person re-
ceived by fall in front of the Edge
worth school on the evening of Oct. 18
last. The accident was caused. it was
aIleged, by stakes placed in the side
walk, by the street department Mrs.
holstrom at the time was walking rap
ioly 10 catch car, and owing to the
lhclefnency OF the weather did not per-
c t the stakes. Mrs. Kolstrom claims
mat the spot was not gual ded by lam
celVed severe sprain of the left hand.
one was treated at the city hospital,
ana thought the city should award her
500 damages. - --ei
Land taken by the widening of Mill
street was the cause of a petition for
compensation of Nancy G. Emerson.
me city took 6712 feet and the city
awarded her about s125 1t was claim
e t' tnat the taking Of this strip border
ing on the street would necessitate the
cutting of side streets through the Dro-
perty in order to make ii availab
A strip 80 feet in width was taken bv
the city. ~
Fatrlck Finneran appeared before the
committee in claim eor damages to a
vegetable garden, caused by the over
now OF the sewer on Cambridge street
Last years entire crop was DESTROYED
ehtalllng loss Of over $1,000. Mr.. Fin
heran claimed that in past years he had
marketed over 400 bushels of onions in
tables 80
December last. Mary r Stoclwa1l
slipped and fell on Pleasant street near
NeWpury, owing to an alleged defect
IN the sidewalk, and sustained severe
injuries. for which she claimed she
$780, - Lie sum Vi
L. j. Bassett, who resides at 15A
austin street, presented a unique claim
TOT compensation for land taken by the
city and for abatement of taxes by the
making public of Davis street. He
GAINED to have purchased to the CEN
tire of what was formerly a private yay
and that the making public of the
street had been a detriment to him. as
ne mad lost the land formerly mr.
CHASED. He claimed this was valuable
10 MN Tor making bonfires and for
other uses. He thought the land in tbe
middle Of the street the most valuable
ana thought fifty cents a foot a fair
damage
Minnie j. Fogerty claimed damages
Iof loss sustained by a runaway and
wreck caused by a steam roller at work
on Pleasant street. near Abbott streat
Her husband was driving the team AT
the time, and turned from Abbott street
INTO Pleasant almost on the roller. A
suit is now pending in the superior
court, against which a demurrer has
been filed by the city solicitor. In q
similar case last year, Notwithstanding
that there was at that time a question
as to the city's liability, John F. Dan
lels was awarded $6S damages for a
SIiiilar accident, and Lawyer Frank B
Hall thought that that case should
stand as precedent and be consid-
cred. 1t was commended by Fogerty that
the city had been negligent In not plac-
ing danger signals or giving warning
IN any way. Fogerty was willing tC
ask only actual damages, which
amounted to about 800
Ex-Councilman Hall also appeared
for Ellen f, Reynolds, 376 Cambridge
street, Richard Pollard, 10 Cambridge
place, Peter O'Laughlin, Cambridge
mace .Inhn To,,,
Mary e. Hennessey, Margaret Gill.
gan, James Kelley and John ]. Far.
nam, all residing on Cambridge streeI
ana Cambridge place, all of whom were
damaged by the overflow of the dan
at the sewage publication works al
Quinsigamond. 1t appeared from the
testimony of property owners that the
damage sustained was caused by ar
unusual accumulation in the dam al
the publication works, as the result Of
an unSual storm, and that the plank,
that were used to hold the accumula.
ton should have been knocked dowr
and the accumulation of sludge al
lowed to flow away. Instead of this
the planks were so constructed that il
was impossible to remove them in time
to escape the overflow, so solidly wert
| they spiked. The committee last veal
waived the question of the city's lega
| liabilities, anu III one case PAID VIII
| liam O'Connell $1,000
| 1t was shown that in every case the
cellars of the petitioners had been com.
pletely flooded to depth of from 2 to
feet, and that edibles and household
furniture had been ruined The severa
petitioners placed their damages al
| from 500 to $500. Alderman Huot die
not think that it necessarily followed
because a stove had been flooded or {
| refrigerator inundated that the proper
| ty was ruined He caused a smile wher
he asserted that little hot water ant
soap would put the refrigerators of thu
petitioners in good shape again. bu'
when one of them asked him if h,
would like to use the refrigerator.
| afterwards, he evaded the question.
| Rev. DR.. Daniel Merriman appeared
in behalf Of the directors and incorpor
ators of the Worcester Art Museum tC
ask for an abatement of sundry assess
ments levied for sidewalks and sewer.
and for metered gas in and about tn,
art museum building. He explained
that the building was given to the cit,
in trust by stephen Salisbury for tn,
benefit of all the people. Mr.. Salisbury
had given about two acres OF land anc
Sb0,OOO for an art museum, and had late
given $4,000 for the same purpose. anC
the people of the city at large hat
| given 100000, The building had COS
something more than was ANTICIPATED
and there is now an endowment fun(
of about $4,000. In a way, the museum
Is public institution. He was quite
certain that in the case of the Worces.
ter Polytechnic Institute. sidewalk ant
sewer assessments had been abated al
one time and another 1t is for the ele.
walton and enlightenment of the whole
| people. The institution is practically
free and the property is held in trust
FOR the benefit of the whole people.
LYMAN A. Div. also q mem her Of thr