Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1906-03-29
PIPEIOBNfROMSRREET
1t Was Presumed 10 Have Been
Put Down Without Author
ity From The City.
TWO Men UNDER ARREST
Charged by Street Commits
sloner With Digging Up a
Street Without Permission
From the Authorities.

Shortly after uoru today a squad Of
policemen and employees OF the Water
and Street ana sewer Departments
about 30 men, ali toli, swooped down
on some other men, at the place where
the cut OIL Of the r., b. 81 W. rail
road crosses Fourth street, and the
Water and Street and Sewer Depaft-
ment men, under police protection,
began to tear up pipe, from the bed Of
Fourth street, which had evidently
been laid by the msn they iounu
there, and by direction Of Street Com
missioner Frank W. rierson, W. q.
Smith and Lorenz Ruff, foreman over
the men who are supposed to have
lard the pipe, we're placed under arrest
charged with .diaRing up q oity street
without authority.
The pipe, which was about foot IN
diameter, had the appearance Of being
water pipe. BY 2 O'Clock two sections
mad been taken out and IL was then
believed that there we're four more
sections in the street.
When the officers and city employees
arrived on the scene they found the
other mer eating lunon, but after the
noon hour they began to I'LL IN a
treaoh leading from Fourth street
toward the ChriatianA River, where
similar pipe had evidently been laid.
Street Commissioners PiersOn learned
this morning that the pipe had been
laid in Fourth street and be brought
the matter 10 the attention Of the
Street aud Sewer Department, as a
result OF which there was hurried
conference of commissioners and
officials of the Street and Sewer and
Water Departments, at the Water De-
paftR Rent Office, aud, Without much
controversy, II was decided to orcer
the pipe taken up, as there was no
record of the Street and Sewer Depart
ment having given authority to place
any pipe 10 the CITY streets. Two
wagon loads of Water Department
men we're hurried of 60 the scene and
Chief Of Police Black was oommuni-
Gated with, az a result of which be
soon had wagon load Of fiicers on the
way. In the wagon we're Chief Black,
Capt. Evans, Seret. Howgate aud
Patrolmen buFchinal, Barr and Nc
Bride.
The arrest Of Smith aud Ruff va'
made suon after the party arrived, bui
they we're permitted to direct the worl
on what spfeared 10 be the railrcac
property, a. long 40 they we're there
Tor the police decided to wait for thi
appearances Of somebody higher IL
authority than the ioremen.
Street Commissioner Pierson told
reporter Of Every Evening that b.
did not know who was responsible 10
laying the pipe, but that made n
difference, for he considered that the
we're not acting within ihsir rights d
placing pipe across city street with
out authority from the Street an
Sewer Department., and be had q
knowledge OF any such authority hay
ing been given. ale presumed tnat th
other pipe laying was on the rBilroa
compauy's right of Way, and he had n
intention Of interfering with tha
work.
Recently the Delaware Water Co
asked the Street and Sewer Depart
ment for permission to lay pipe aorof
city streets along the cutoff of the Z,
B. & W. railroad, TO pipe the wat,
from Bufort Lake to the new reserved
at Shellpct, but the Water DepaItmeE
objected to the request being granite
and the Stleet and Sewer DepaTtmer
has as yet taken no action inthe matte
When Harry Emmons, one of th
iucornorators Of the Delaware Waite
Co., was hppFised by a reporter
Every i1veuine Of what was tnkin
s place at Fourth street and the raj
road he said his company had NJ
authorized the laying Of any pipe aero
city streets, SO fhr.as be knew, and
. could not give any information as
who Sas Responsible for the lay ing
the piPe1 4 LEa-IlF1 e e,t q
The city authorities we're Also
the dark in regard to the matter. A
3 they knew was that the pipe had bee
laid.
At about 2 o'clock this Afternoon
Superintendent L. !. Fletcher ar
Assistant Superintendent Villa
SteckIes, who are said to be ccnneot'
y with the American Pipe Manufactu
ing Co., arrived on the scene aud ga
themselves up to the authorities, al
tue two men who bad been sTrest'
p we're released. Ii is said that no pc
= NIT for the work could be shown.