FUN IN THE CLEVELAND COUNCIL.

FUN IN THE CLEVELAND COUNCIL.

THE board of councilmen of Cleveland have been having a very lively time recently, and, at their session on the evening of December 13, came very near having a row between members and outsiders. The chief disturbing element was the report of the committee appointed to inspect three new water-works reservoirs. One of the members of the council, it appears, owned a stone quarry, and was disappointed in not obtaining as large a contract as he desired for furnishing stone to the reservoirs, and he insisted that his successful competitors for the contract had not used the proper quality of stone in the work; and that as a consequence the reservoirs leaked. An inspection was ordered which necessitated the drawing out of 30,000,000 of gallons of water from the high service reservoir to enable the committee to make an inspection. The drawing off of the water resulted in pretty much destroying the reservoir, for the interior stone facing of the clay walls “cracked, crumbled, bulged, slipped and went to general wreck.” The question now arises whether this wrecking of the reservoir was due to bad work on the part of the contractors, or to the sudden removal of the pressure of water against the wall, and the collapse of the ice covering the water to the depth of about an eighth of an inch. The contractors, of course, claim that the sudden removal of the pressure and the breaking down of the ice in the reservoir caused the destruction of the walls, while the disgruntled councilmancontractor claims that it was defective work. The committee of the council has been unable to decide this mooted question and suggested that experts be called upon to give their testimony. The councilman-contractor anticipating such a report, provided himself with three ivory whistles, and when the committee reported to the council he jumped to his feet, denounced them roundly, and presented each one with a whistle. When another councilman began talking on the subject, somebody blew a piercing blast upon one of the whistles, whereupon the speaker proposed to “ smash the nose of the whistler.” One of the favorite amusements of the members during the evening was pelting the president with paper wads. It will be interesting to keep watch of this dispute at Cleveland to see how it terminates.

THE board of councilmen of Cleveland have been having a very lively time recently, and, at their session on the evening of December 13, came very near having a row between members and outsiders. The chief disturbing element was the report of the committee appointed to inspect three new water-works reservoirs. One of the members of the council, it appears, owned a stone quarry, and was disappointed in not obtaining as large a contract as he desired for furnishing stone to the reservoirs, and he insisted that his successful competitors for the contract had not used the proper quality of stone in the work; and that as a consequence the reservoirs leaked. An inspection was ordered which necessitated the drawing out of 30,000,000 of gallons of water from the high service reservoir to enable the committee to make an inspection. The drawing off of the water resulted in pretty much destroying the reservoir, for the interior stone facing of the clay walls “cracked, crumbled, bulged, slipped and went to general wreck.” The question now arises whether this wrecking of the reservoir was due to bad work on the part of the contractors, or to the sudden removal of the pressure of water against the wall, and the collapse of the ice covering the water to the depth of about an eighth of an inch. The contractors, of course, claim that the sudden removal of the pressure and the breaking down of the ice in the reservoir caused the destruction of the walls, while the disgruntled councilmancontractor claims that it was defective work. The committee of the council has been unable to decide this mooted question and suggested that experts be called upon to give their testimony. The councilman-contractor anticipating such a report, provided himself with three ivory whistles, and when the committee reported to the council he jumped to his feet, denounced them roundly, and presented each one with a whistle. When another councilman began talking on the subject, somebody blew a piercing blast upon one of the whistles, whereupon the speaker proposed to “ smash the nose of the whistler.” One of the favorite amusements of the members during the evening was pelting the president with paper wads. It will be interesting to keep watch of this dispute at Cleveland to see how it terminates.