New-York tribune., 1903-05-24
FORCED ". E. CURTIS OUT
WzS LOWS APPOINTED.
Merchants Association Caused His
TithdrasroI from Its Directorate.


drastic with reference 70 the charges made by
.b. association some time ago against the COM
mission
The somewhat strained relations between the
gszor and the Merchants Association became
rrrarent soon after he appointed William z.
-,,rtis az Aqueduct Commissioner 70 succeed
Maurice J. Power. The facts were not made
-5,rlir til yesterday. Mr. Curtis was a director
Of the association AS soon he appoint
.5 Auueduct Commissioner he was requested
nv the Merchants Association 10 resign from
its directorate
when George l. Duval. one Of the directors
q. the association. who has taken leading part
an the agitation Of alleged abuses in the jerome
Park Reservoir work. was seen yesterday and
asked about the forced withdrawal Of Mr.. Cur
It's he said:
II an unwritten law OF the Merchants As
sociatiou that none Of Its directors shall occupy
be free from any considerations that would affect
l1 asfT@Ic-7e tlst Sz971iS n4e-fare % VIII +Pei-
Independent action. Mr.. Curtis had been director
ana should have been aware of this-one Of the
fundamental. though unwritten laws OF the or
gsnlZatlon
and North. the engineers who at the request of
the association made report on the condition
OF work there Mr. Duval said:
SAYS MAYOR WAS MIsLED
The report Of Messrs. Bogart and North was the
outcome OF visit made last Saturday TO Croton
rass as being made that would sustain the pledges
OF the Aqueduct Commission for the early compile
Al Jerome Park the conditions were pretty much
as foSno LheEn year asoo~Ith an l1sglT!ca1 4 I !e
shifts that il was promised would result from
The eight hour clause in the contract. which cost
the city z bonus OF over s45oco0 paid to the cor
tractor.
The Mayor. in answering the charges Of the
Merchants associate against the AeEeouct CON-
leone PARK Reservoir would be completed on
August ! next We knew at the time that the
work could be finished al that time The changes
aaS BY ne PTsSet + englngeT @ al - ef6e fa orFI
plans. and involve the destruction and rebuilding
of work that had already been completed
4 large section CT hight wall against rock
formation or the line Of SedgW,ick-ave. was re.
greater security and TO make the inclosure i'm
RST1ee IN thte tfaTse and on sateT5ay found
gang Of men fniEg he ditch or The outsioe Of ia a
fo- n!-d5line The rateT was streaming through
the wa,i On the Inside and II IS absurd 10 calm
that wall that viii rot keep mud oct Tih keep
water in - -. 49,, ,p,,...,,-
81 bs t6n9e fS5Ie or he sth Inst It IS 5Re
;rt 2olc nc rt9f ee'ia Mason fo- the core
1ra and ernbanknnent systern projected around the
tie pet project Of the present chiSf engineer ever
since he succeeded TO the posltion tn,re anG ga
Commission Croes sweet & Smith. in 1901 who
n core wall and erabanEu1ent already const-,lced
Nc epproved q the work done ny MessEs oe 5af
p apparently II the hope o. more friendly OF
tracor some six thousand Hnea feet Of profita bic
nasoTTE 70 s ,tfs la co-nnunitv under
f-7~asrent danger OF q water famine for an in
definite term OF years
NOTHING But EXCUSES FOR FIVE YEARS.
Let Us suppose that q reasonable Doubt exists as
20 the raE5itv OF the work as protected 9 ana
so-new6at D.ogTesseo, gre syc,snce s ~ " HiIi as an
e-girep~ r-oves the fncapacitE OF MeSSrs teiey
~~f1p r0-Gz
= 'q RSs when n T5i s1,cCeeded three and half
years ago and why has it been left undecloeo III
Is 4 that the people OF New-York are so FOND Of Of
they wish 70 provide life employment for them II
& eve g & 4 GTeP ?. o. our ag5 ooastute6 @ authoTties
and that awful cornplac cency Of the power behind
, {4 Sfs EARS Ie cfty Of NeW-York has been spend
ing money to procure an an no+ins but ex-
clses for delay has been offered In return ,-o.o-
nm Is 2a 4lS the Jerome PARK Reservoir obtained
II their contracs II c[oec 70 49, the v-orlE
labor troubles an5 upon conqluon ma ma ne Iss@
pledge OF the Aqueduct Commission ylz.: :l Groton
I'm - actually in1Poeno ss+io1 in IN readiness on
August ! 1913: east seetion Ausnst s -,e5ees 80 az
though any ore familiar WIZ VIII, ths s;TTe pl -
% - g-ss evident to myself and Mr. De Berard a
year ago and still more evident on tne oCcas5on - -
= s-e +a- Ne did not underestimate the possioll-
ties invited two eI:f'en. I-of- s-i make
T-ot 70 rs on the several conditions referred to
i Is stated in The Tribune article OF Ie IN
orrion 1hat threeinch concreIe nTllHg l9i 80
~oo-7g Of the reservoir IS insurrcleIlJ, dLc
s6vocste 2 change at additional COST OF S-Lt'u
:, furnish an eIgtne6 nis ~ ,Pg hg craveH upon this
r,0-+ and read as follows from his repIE: ,-.
Is not fact. stated that the -
rozj6ee for four inches Of concrete lining tor Is
-ese-yoir Z provfdes for four inches On rock di-
Cor from ten inches else* VI.
ample protection unless the concrelt = o. - -a
.rsTsz-d corllpara tfveiy. as the rlpnie II - =
-afrirF walls in which event II VIII De useless '
rn5-teT vyhat thickness II may be ...,,
unoe5sIo u.+ rnt,jdee r for eithe- three or four
inches OF concrete lining. but on ne EARN 1'
ZION il calls for from six 10 ten incnes. ~. -+e
.-+e--,sy+Ior ~ Sfessrs Burr, Freeman and f5erf
VS. - the iretance Of The Aqueduct CoIllIIllssoH
incorrect the fact being that tne p 49, -
Tye~i-r commission was delegated by the AdsoI
----S go she charges of the Merchants AsSocld-
-ion agssrst the Aoueduct Commission IN so "A
4hev affected engineering changes 81 JeIoIne J. r. a
~ta-,s e 49, Merchants Association against tIte
ao5educ+ Commission based IN faT InoIs s1s
ro-tart degree. however. on quesuo" %
amply sustained by evidence
NEW COMMISSION NEEDED
Aaorr three weeks ago a sensational accounI Was
foundation Of the Croton OaiII.
To The casual reader this publication gave a NeIy
Exaggerated and unvaTranted impression oI -
conditions at Cornell site. ne lacts a.
re,--e J-.e rrov.ded a basin for the reservoir
thee in hills rising I5o feet above the ieFe OF e
stream leaving II for the city 70 coIlstruc .oo ft
frorn hgIT .o nil Under the plans OF Mr. tIeIey:
this structure was protected OF or sst and a
SOLD masonry dam for upward OF ~ ZEE am ~, q
co-e wall and ernbsnknent for aoont t0V Iteos .ha
point where the projected core wall Joineo 'he