The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1901-03-05

ARE FILED
BY Commissioners In
Bridge Case.
BLAME 1T ON SURVEYOR
Claim They Entered Into the
Contract In Good Faith--Wat-
son, Tilden and Others
Make Affidavit.


Monday morning, Attorneys Taylor &
Stewart and Wann e Bow filed half
dozen affidavits in the Canal Fulton
bridge case. The burden Of all these
affidavits is that the commissioners
were led into the letting of the contract
through ignorance, as they claim that
they relied on the plans of Surveyor
Hoover, and that they were defective.
The commissioners themselves filed
an affidavit, in which it is set forth that
the Canal Fulton bridge had been con-
demned and the necessity for new one
was apparent. They employed County
Surveyor John S. Hoover to prepare
plans and specifications, which he did
These plans contemplated an outlay OF
less than $4,000 and relying on this
they went forward and let the contract
to John T. Watson in good faith.
1t was afterwards discovered that the
plans were not adequate and after the
bridge was partly up it was found so
the commissioners state, that If COM
pleted as begun one end would be six
feet above the grade of the street and
the other three feet too high.
The old bridge was then torn down,
and to stop then would be impossible,
and the citizens of Canal Fulton and ad-
joining land owners were threatening
to enjoin the commissioners if they at
tempted to build as high as contem-
plated, so it became imperative that the
plans be revised and that the bridge
be completed for the benefit of the pub
lie. Guy Tilden was accordingly en-
ployed to revise the plans, which he did,
and the structure was completed.
Numerous other matters of detail are
set forth by the commissioners in their
affidavit, which Is voluminous docu.
ment.
Contractor Thomas II. Watson, in an
affidavit, sets forth that he entered into
contract for the construction of the
bridge in good faith, and he goes on to
set forth the alleged defects in the orr
ginal plans as recited by the commits
sioners.
Architect Guy Tilden, of Canton, in
an affidavit, states that he was EN-.
ployed by the commissioners to revise
the plans for the bridge, and that hi
I louliu lhC uClCSlo " CAloJ do Sldttu Dy
the commissioners. A drawing Of the
plan of the bridge is made part of the
affidavit of the architect.
| Architect D. c. Borton, of Massillon
states in an affidavit, that vitrifieC
brick, which was used in the arches
when laid in Portland cement
will exceed in cost s5.S1 perch
which was the contract price Watson
received for the work He also deemed
the extra thrust necessary. He meas
ured the work done and found that there
was practically the same amount of mas
onry in the bridge as claimed by The
contractor.
Peter Hahn. stone contractor of Can
ton, who was foreman for Watson, say.
in an affidavit that Hoover was present
when the abutments were commenced
and made no objections to where they
were started from, and that it wal
within few inches of the place indi
Gated by the surveyor.
Alphus McCadden, mayor of Cana
Fulton, makes affidavit as to the in
jury the building of the bridge on tn,
original plans would have worked t
the streets and property abutting on thu
street near the bridge.