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60
ALLEGED INTERFERENCE WITH GAS COMPANY'S
MAINS IN MARSHALL STREET.
The Vestry became involved during the year in what
promised to be serious litigation with the Gas Light
and Coke Company with respect to the liability of the
Vestry to provide, under certain circumstances, a permanent
support to the Company's gas mains in Marshall
Street. The circumstances which leil to the differences
between the Vestry and the Company were these:—
In November last, the Vestry, as the Sewer Authority,
commenced the re-construction of a short length of sewer
in Marshall Street, and proceeded uninterruptedly with the
work until the beginning of January. The sewer in question
was about 25 feet deop, and immediately in the line
of, and also abutting upon, the cutting made for the construction
of the sewer, were several gas and water mains.
The mains exposed when making the trench were properly
slung up and every precaution taken by the Vestry to
prevent their sinkage or fracture during the carrying out
of the works, it being the Vestry's intention to fill in the
trench with the excavated soil properly rammed in the
usual way.
The Gas Company, however, were not satisfied with the
proposed method of completing the work, and wrote to the
Vestry's Surveyor asking him to build suitable brick piers
from the top of the new sewer to their mains, in order to
prevent disturbance to the mains after the ground was
filled in. This request was not acceded to, and accordingly,
in January last, the Company's Solicitors gave formal
notice that unless the Vestry were prepared to carry out
the work in such a way as to prevent subsequent injury to