New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1916-11-25
SELECTMAN HALTS
PAVING WRECkERS
ReVokeS Permit to Telephone Go.
Because OF CareleSSneSS
SECOND TRENCH REQUIRED
haborers Dig Up Amiesite to Find
That Gas Main Is in Their. WAY
Town Official Observation-Disclosures to
Permit Work 20 Continue.

Exhibiting gross carelessness, the
Southern New England Telephone
company or representative of the
contracting firm of Francis T. Lev
today aroused the ire of First Select
man Johnson to such an extent that
some difficulty may now be encoun-
tered before a second permit to dig
up the streets for the purpose Of lay
ing conduits for wires radiatirg from
the local exchange is granted. Ig-
norance Of the location of mains
under the pavement on Central Square
resulted In the contractors digging a
trench on the north side of the street
the workmen striking the pipe of the
Bristol Gas company after they had
torn up the pavement for a consider
able distance, and had penetrated sew
eral feet into the soil
After discovering the error the
companys representatives got into
communication with Selectman John
son and asked to be allowed to dig
another ditch about ten feet south
Of the first trench. Mr.. Johnson was
indignant over the carelessness dis
played by the men in charge and he
refused to issue a second permit. He
sioner may be willing to overlook the
error but he is doubtful if the board
of selectmen will be satisfied to look
on without complaint while a corpora
ton rips up the pavement at will,
seemingly taking no pains to see that
unnecessary damage to the street is
not caused.
The Telephone company explained
to the se1ectmen a few days ago that
1t proposed to put its wires in a larger
cable than is now in use and it would
be necessary to have the container re-
moved from poles and placed under
ground. They asked for permission to
dig a trench from the exchange on
West Main street to a point near the
corner of East Main and Whiting
streets. Although not anxious to havea
the macadam or pavement disturbed,
the board was willing to make the
change possible and the permit was
granted.
Contractor Ley brought a force of
men here this morning to begin the
work and by 10 o'clock a trench sew
eral feet long had been dug through
the amiesite on Central Square. After
the pavement had been badly dam
aged the laborers discovered that the
gas main was in its way and it would
be necessary to dig a second trench.
Selectman Johnson called a halt on
the work and explained that a second
permit would be withheld until the
board could discuss the situation.
Personally he would oppose granting
the application. He thought the COM
pany showed an absolute lack of ap-
probation for the favor shown it when
it failed to investigate the location of
pipes or otherwise avoid doing un-
necessary damage.
The contractors men were at loss
to know what course to follow up to
noon and they spent some time try
ing to locate the highway commission
er and representatives Of the Tele-
phone company in the hope that the
tangle might be Strengthened out
Marine May Serve
Failure of other constables to COM
ply with the request Of the selectmen
for Submitting bids for patrol work
NAV result in continuing Officer
Philip Marine as the night policeman,
the selectman having tentatively
decided to make no change in the ar
now existing
But two of the regularly elected
Marine and David sent in
bids and the one submitted by the
latter was subsequently withdrawn
Officer Marino has been patrolling the
street since conditions became such
that the presence of policeman at
the center seemed essential to order
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