The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-12-06
DIRECTOR CALLS IT A JOB
MR. TROUP'S ABATEMENT ABOUT
 THE WILLOW STREET BRIDGE.

THE WILLOW STREET BRIDGE,
 Mado Under Oath Before tho Special Committes Last Night-He Says That
 the Blame Rests With City Enutnocr KelIy-Contractor Braxvs Heard J,n.t
 Night = Conflicting Estimates Res called.
 The Willow street bridge investiga- tion was continued last evening by
 the special committee Of the common
 council appointed to look into the mat
 ter and ascertain why the bridge was
 not completed for the amount appro-
 priated to be expended in its erection,
 that sum having been appropriated in accordance with estimates made by the city engineer All the witnesses who appeared last night were sworn, as
 those have been who have appeared at previous sessions. The first witness called was Contractor Frank Brazos, who had the contract for the filling work at the approaches to the bridge.
 He said that his contract did not spec fly that he was to receive extra pay if any of the dirt filling slid away, and he was obliged to put in more If the filling was done in the came way that the previous filling had been done he thought that it would take at least $12,- 900 to finish the work. He had not kept track of the number of loads that went into the filling nor had the city, to his knowledge. He said that he began work on the bridge about the 1st of May last and that he worked under the supervision of City Engineer Kelly, So far as he went, he worked in accord ance with the specifications of his con- tract. He said that one-half or two thirds of the work had been performed since July 1 and that Mr. Kelly had been present from one to a dozen times daily. He did not recolect that MT. Kelly had instructed him as to any particular place where the dirt should be dumped at the bridge He said that forty loads of dirt carted to the bridge had not been used there, but had been sold. He said that for every load sold he had dumped three loads at the bridge. Twenty-Five of the loads sold, he said, had been sold to the New Ha- ven Water company. From his exper- fence he would say that there was noth- ing impracticable about attempting to make a good job of the filling at the bridge. He said that he still claimed between $1,S00 and $2,00O from the city for filling, some of which had been done on account of the slide which occurred at the bridge. Since he had stopped work there he had formed a rough idea that about one-third of the filling work had been done and that his bill for that was about $6,OO0.
 Cart drivers who had been employ- ed by MT. Brazos in carting filling ma terial to the bridge were next called as witnesses. They told of carting dirt elsewhere on days when they were carting to the bridge. John Kerwin said that he had taken some to va cant lot near the corner of Elm and State streets. He said that sand was taken there while dirt was used at the bridge He said that MT. Brazos brother had directed him, if he was ask ed by anyone where he was taking the sand, to say that he was carting 1t to Commerce street. In reply to ques-
 
 take some sand to Commerce street.
 George A. Higgins, another driver, said that he had carted dirt from the excavation for the new building at the corner of Church and Crow streets to the Willow street bridge while he had taken the sand to the new building be- ing erected for the Y. w. c. A. and to the new law school building.
 Director Troup of the department of public works was next sworn as wit less, he having requested that he be al- owed to testify. Mr. Troup said that lis attention had first been called to he Willow street bridge when alder nen from wards in that section of the ,ity had requested him to have the bridge completed and opened for traffic That was the first he knew anything lbout the bridge and he at once began o make inquiries. City Engineer Kelly lad told him in negative way that he bridge could be completed within he appropriations and laid the blame or the delay in the work on Contratcr 3razos, because the latter had not put m sufficient number of teams. MT. 3razos had not disputed that charge. The work proceeded. MT. Kelly approv- ng the bills. When the Derby avenue ridge was completed MT. Kelly wanted he balance of the appropriation for hat bridge-abput $500-transferred to he Willow street bridge account. Thsn ater MT. Kelly had desired to have a 'alance left from building the Chapel treet bridge so transferred. Then, MT. 'roup said, he thought 1t time for him 0 look into the matter and see how nuch more money was needed for the Willow street bridge. He went to the ridge, looked it over and was surprised t what he saw. He called the mayors ttention to the matter and the mayor, fter going to the bridge and seeing he state of affairs there, ordered work topped at once. After the work was topped MT. Troup began to hear queer tories about the bridge, about the borrow pits' and the sand being sold 3 private parties and the dirt being aken to the bridge.
 MT. Troup said that when Mir. Kelly 'ent with the mayor to look at the ridge he said that about $S,000 would nish the work, but had later told MT. roup that s8,000 would be needed. Su- Dillon of the Water com any had told him that he had pur-