The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-05-28
MUNICIPAL MATTERS.
A CITY HALL SENSATION.
One Hundred ana Fifty Thousand Dol
lars InvOlved-RlinOr City Topics.


II the discovery which is said to have beer
made at the City Hall be true, it will e
towards showing q queer condition of affairs
in connection with the Gaines case in it's rela
tions to the city of Orleans. 1t will also q
towards showing that the planest things OF
this sublunary sphere are very freauently
the least SO, and that city officials cannot bt
too careful when giving their attention to the
affairs of the municipality.
| 1t will be remembered that a few years bach
there was a very convenient draining machine
erected and operated at the intersection OF
Orleans street and the Bayou st. John
Through litigation Instituted by the Caron
delet Canal Company the machine fell into
disuse, the Canal Company Directing to the
emptying Of the sewage waters from the
Orleans Canal into the Bayou ST. John. This
was bad enough for the city, and at no little
expense the drainage OF the Second District
had to be made through another outlet.
Thereafter came the decision in the Gaines
case, mulcting the city in something like
ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND DOL
LARS
for the use of the ground upon which the
drainage machine had been erected by the
city. or something to that effective do not
all events, the ground was claimed as part of
the Daniel Clark estate, and the city had to
pay Mrs Gaines the neat little sum referred to
1t would now seem that careful eyamina-
ton OF the original plans OF the Clark prop
erty and correction of the survey lines
show that the grounds on which the draining
machine stood never formed part of the tract
claimed by the energetic little woman as her
fathers property.
The question will be now asked what will
the city
DO ABOUT IT?
The impression prevails at the CITY Hall
that the matter being res judicutn the CITY is
without recourse and will have to brook its
loss OF $4,000 adjudged against it. We are
however, informed that such need not Decee-
saril y be the case; but. ON the contrary, if it
can be made plain that the decision was rem
dered against the city. based on an incorrect-
" made plan, 1t can say to Mrs. Gaines, "You
nave obtained Judgment in error and the
amount must return into the city treasury
What Is most singular is that taking the
plan alluded to as correct, it was so plain
that the property was comprised within the |
operations OF the Judgment given in favor of
mrs. Galnes, that her rights were conceded
without effort The mishap iii mishap there
Isl is therefore due only to the neglect of the |
officials at the time to make certain of the |
of the plan, correctness now
said to be disputed.
FLUSHING THE CANALS.
:, Mayor Pilsbury has requested Surveyor
y Hemecourt to cause the sluices leading |
rom the Carondelet navigation canals into |
the sewage canals on Claiborne, Broad and |
taivez streets to be opened for the purpose
d flushing those canals as frequently as may
De necessary with the pure waters of the
AXE 1t is proposed also to put the keys of
The sluices In the possession of the Babcock |
;,orps thereby relieving the city officials from
the duty and expense OF attending to them, |
and affording the fire department. when
needed, a full supply of water along the line
81 the canals.
THE WATERWORKS.
The work OF cleaning out reservoir No. of
lhe city waterworks was completed on Satur-
lay INVOLVING the removal Of probably no
'ewer than 10000 cubic yards Of alluvion de- |
posted therein within the past two years. This |
was done at cost of 800 by contract. The |
work on the otheIfreservor began yesterday, |
and 1t Will probably cost little more to clean
t out the deposit being somewhat greater
When these reservoirs were cleaned the last
line fby the city the job cost the corporation
10000