Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1899-07-29
Chance TO. Acquire Valuable In
formation About Asphalt,
Mr.. POTTER's OPEN LETTER
Niitten to the street Committee of the
Council. "A Wise Decision, Possibili-
ties in the Sewer Situation
Outlined Iutersstipgly.

Tee uL lIlc SOuICll lllul tliol .bouS
should go on It tour of investigations to
some of the principal cities in the east
before laying any pavement in this
city.
Whatever sort Of Il trip it may be
| necessary for the committee or 1, sub
committee to take, there is no doubt
that Norfolk is now furnishing New
port News with an object lesson which
may be studied chcaply and with much
profit.
Norfolk is now putting down in her
| pretty suburb Of Client thousands of
yards of sheet asphalt. The work is
| being done upon the ground by the
most improved and approved methods
and under Il proper municipal super
vision. The conditions existing in Il
raw state in Client are very similar to
| those existing here.
Any member Of the Council desiring
| to secure Information relative to sheet,
| asphalt and the manner of laying it
can do SO at small expense anu loss Of
| time by taking Il trip over to Norfolk.
10 stand by ana look on is an education
in the matter itself. but any Informal
! ton not to be obtained at u glance or
| can be gotten either from the COM
panyS representatives or the city'S or
| both
In connection with the paving qu.-s-
ton, Mr.. Alexander Potter, consulting
engineer on the sewer system and APP
| pllclnt for Il similar position on the
| paving work has forwarded to the
Daily Press what he dcsignutcs
An Open Letter to the Street Comnlit-
| tee" This letter contains Il good deal
of information that is valuable. Much
of it is news to the general public.
The letter is as follows:
Gcntlcmen:-It was with pleasure
l read in the Daily Press that you had
postponed action upon the employment
! of the proposed paving work
1 might as we'll be frank in stating
that l found Il strong sentiment against
| me, the only grounds expressed being
that had earned my money on the
sewers too easily. To those Who oppose
| NE on this ground l will say that it
would be we'll to wait until / am
! through with my labors before render
| ing a decision that l have not earned
| the fees | have received and whether
| in this instance at least the fee of II
| consulting engineer was not Il good in
| vcstment. Your postponcncnt would
| strongly Indicate that you are willing
to suspend judgment till then ana for
! this thank you most cordially.
The hard part of my work is still to
come Since the inception of the work
| have done my utmost to assist The
| contractor and thus prevent his throw
| ing UP the work which would have cost
the city tens of thousands of dol
lars, although at the time l was practi-
cally ccnsured- When the contractor
| finally laird down and the Trust Com
n Ic ~ \,
the able backing of the Sewer Commit
| tee and your Commonwealth Attorney
| we brought order out of chaos. and
then and not till then did the
Trust Company take hold. Since they
have been in charge we have certainly
granted them every favor, rendering
them every assistance and dealt with
them as literally as was consistent
with my obligations to the city as its
engineer and they have had no cause
! for complaint.
UP to this time it has been compare
lively pleasant sailing for ourselves
and the Trust Company whose cxccu-
| tive on the ground has so far at all
times obcycd the instructions and d!-
rcctions of myself and engineers Will
inEly.
| The time for serious disputes and diff
ference Of opinion. however, has not
arrived. AS is well known l have
agreed TO turn over to the city a sewer
system complete. perfect in it's work
ing, free from all sand and deposits,
and also free from defective workman
ship and material. That there is dcfcc-
tive work. that settlements have oc-
Cured in various parts of the system.
that many sewers are lalf-fiIled or
| cOnDIptpIv cd
has never been gainsaid by myself nor
by the contractor nor by the bondsmen
and it is also known to many citiz..ns
TO have prevented these things from
| happening would have cost the con
tractor muc2, more than to remedy Them
now.
We will insist upon the Delaware
Trust Company turning over the sewers
| IN perfectly satisfactory condition
and free from Accommodations Of sand
/ anu all deposits and true to grade, and
| line.
Inc question of what constitutes n
compliance with the contract as to pcr-
feet work may U trust not however,
occasion serious difference of opinion
| between the Company's representative
| and your engineer.
| 10 nave expressed a preference for
the Delaware Trust Companys repre-
sentative at this juncture would and
should be Interpreted as a lack ,of con
fldence in me whch% to say the least.
would have been unfortunate in view
| OIL the grave responsibilities still rest
ing upon me as a servant of the CITY
IN connection with the satisfactory
completion of the sewers.
Any just and necessary requirement
that might insist upon to secure per-