New-York tribune., 1921-01-01
Ocean Seepage
lis lsUllderrninii,1o
Y
|NewCourtllouse
W|er Flowing Into Cellar
at Rate cf 4,O00.O 900 Cal
Ions a Day as Pumps
Stop for Lack of Funds
v alls Must Be Stronger
Architect Says Otherwise
City Faces Perennial Cost
for keeping Flood Back

An examination yesterday of condi-
tions in thc foundation Of the new
county courthouse, which allows water
to fill the sub-cellar, showed that the
Atlantic Ocean was secping into the
excavation at the rate Of 8 ZOO 600 or
100000 gallons q day. An analysis Of
The water showed that it was salt, and
the engineers concluded that it came
IN by seepage by way Of the ocean
front
The contra actors keep four big pumps
going all day and all night, with two
pumps in reserve. It costs 5000 day
10 do the pumping. Rogers {. Hag-
Gcrty, contractors for the foundation
work, suspended operations yesterday,
WITH the exception of the pumpirg and
dismissed their labor forces.
ihc failure of the Board Of Estimate
at Its last meeting 10 appropriate
money TO reinforce the concrete floor
Of the basement and to provide for the
structural steel and plumbIng to be III
stalled along With the Foundation floor
and walls, caused the contractors to
suspend work indefinitely.
Pumps Going Constantly
1t was learned that the Pogcrs &
haggcity engineers began work on es-
inmates Of the daily expense to which
the delay will put the contractors, and
unless the city roimburses the con-
rractors upon request . suit VIII be
started to rcco}e- ~nages The con-
tractors nave necessary 70
keep 'helr Pumg constantly to
prevent The food G ve. from crunt-
ing through the tnip ce. noor for
which their contract -
1t was said n the c'ic .ow-
ell, architect for the ..oe. YES
terday that unless the Boa. -, Fsti-
mate authorizes the reinforcing Of the
concrete, 50 as t. make the basement
pressure Resisting bowl, after the
courthouse is completed The city will
nave to maintain a costly pumping sys-
rem as long rs the building exists to
remove the seepage from the ocean.
When the Board Of Estimate began
It's stigation Of city contracts scv-
eral wees ago, il cancelled The plumb
lng contract ana the contract for struc-
tural steel The foundation contract
specifications Worc such that it was
necessary that the plumbing in the
basement be laid in the concrete floor
as The work progressed. Having no
provision now for the installation of
the plumbing, it WAS said no more
work can be done on the loor
likewise, the foundation walls speci-
ned are OF such thin construction that
hey would be unable to support them
selves against the pressure Of the SUI
rounding earth. and tNey were to have
been braced and supported by the in
staIlation OF the structural steel up to
the first floor.
The steel contract having been can
celcd, however, the contractors now
contend they cannot erect the walls be-
cause they would fail i'll immediately.
he foundation contract could not be
Cancelled because work had begun
The contractors ANA the architect
now take the position that the city
must 1urnish the steel. plumbing and
hicner floor sooner or later, and the
delay caused by the chickering's in the
Board OF Estimate merely is adding to
the burden Of the taxpayers.