Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-10-13
CHINA SLOUGH.

unsl2htiy appearance OF Snina siouSo, u
Suffer Lake. has at last become SO patent
and self-appealing for Abatement that the
people and authorities, as by general consent,
have taken the matter into earnest consldera-
ton. to see what can and must be done to
remedy the long-existing evil, and remove the
standing danger and menace to the public
health The place has been so frequently and
long condemned by the Board Of Health as
a most dangerous nuisance, and without re-
ceiving attention in the line Of correcting
the matter, because of the extent of the
undertaking involved, that the cessation OF
the Board of Health from further efforts,
under encouragement from want of results
from previous recommendations, has aroused
those who are acquainted with the condition
of affairs, until now, as if by a spontaneous
and united action movement IS entered
upon by the people and authorities to take
such steps as shall bring a speedy remedy.
The cooperation of the property owners along
the north side of / street, which Is all I'M
portant in connection with any effort IN this
direction, is not only freely offered, but the
most expensive plans so far as they are con.
cerned, are accepted and earnestly advocated
by them. The Central Pacific Railroad Com
pany who own most of the premises covered
by the lake, is also in hearty accord, and
will not only do its share, as is stated
by those who have conversed with the
leading officers, but will cooperate
by sharing in the large expenses
necessary, and at the same time donate
and deed to the city the grounds
occupied by the lake when completed With
this united and earnest cooperation upon
the part of all concerned as regards health,
owners of the premises and those who must
sanction the outlay, it would seem that we
might almost consider, in accordance with
the maxim in equity, that what should be
done may be considered as already executed.
| Yet in this case nothing will accomplish the
| long-needed and radical change III the situa-
ton but prompt and persistent action
/ and forward movement until the work Is COM
| pleted.
With the recent filling done by the Rail
road Company, and that now being made by
Mr. Fairchilds, all that portion west of Third
street is disposed Of. In treating with the
east side, the object to be attained, in
order to overcome the filthy and unhealthy
condition of the lake, is to remove its bank
sufficient distance from the rear of the Chi
nese quarters so that they cannot empty and
dispose OF all their vegetable and animal
refuse and filth into the water. Although
there is an ordinance against their Going
this. the water In most cases comes up to or
stands under their domiciles, and it has proved
dinance and the edge of the adjoining por-
ton of the lake is kept putrid and sickening
from the continual practice Of using the lake
as garbage receptacle.
The improvements proposed to effectually
overcome this difficulty and make the lake
pure, are to fill in and make a new street
north of | street, in the rear CT all these
buildings, and raise Third street to the grade
from l street to the depot. This with sand
nd al no lal ciH of ha
embellishments, would transform the present
disgusting condition into a margin of clear
and pure water. To form this new street
the plan is to take the twenty-foot alley run
ming east and west half a block north Of |
street. which would exist but for the lake,
and widen it into street. 1t is proposed to
make this street so feet in width, and to ac-
complish this, in addition to the usual width
of the alley, 20 feet, the property owners on
the north side of | street, between Third and
Fifth streets, have unanimously offered to
give 10 feet for the street from the back end
of their lots, making 60 feet, and the Rail
road Company will give 20 feet on the north
side of the alley, or as much as desired
Forty feet would be taken from the south
side of The alley however, as it is regarded
the better course to form the street in this
manner and save that much filling between
| and the new street. This Is the outline of
what is regarded as necessary to be done to
overcome the existing evil, but the difficulty
has heretofore been that it would be too
great an expense for the city to undertake, |
but the necessity for action has come to be |
regarded as so great that the response from
all sides seems adequate to the exigency. |
Messrs. Mesick, Foote, O'Neil and others, |
who own the entire property between |
Third and Fifth on the north side of l street, |
are among the foremost to carry out the |
necessary improvements, and promise that as
soon as the work is inaugurated they Will fill |
in between l and the new street up to the |
grade. Dir. Mesick also visited Governor |
Stanford, who offered, for the Railroad Com
pany, most literally to join with the city and
property-owners, even stating that, If the city |
would construct the new street between
Third and Fifth streets and the intersections |
with Fourth and Fifth streets, the company |
would take care of Third street and |
west of Fifth, on the new street. In addi-
ton to this, the railroad company, who own |
the lake. has submitted papers and drawings |
to the Board of Trustees III accordance with |
the plan proposed and in case the same |
should be carried out, rendering deed of the |
lake, in form therein mapped out, to the city. |
Thus by the city now building the new street |
between Third and Fifth, in accordance with |
these liberal offers from the railroad COM |
pany and the property owners, the entire |
work can be promptly accomplished, and the |
present seethiug, disease-breeding cesspool, be |
transformed into a pure lake. The lake, as
proposed on the plot submitted, and thus |
offered to the city, would have the Third |
street bank for its west limit, which would |
be $50 feet in extent. At point $50 feet |
north of the new street, on Third street, the |
north line is to run northwesterly 100 feet, |
when it strikes the south line of the q street
extension /; thence to run 165 feet along the
south line of {, street; thence 160 feet due
Il Al. H.. E Ill -,
G. and III, from whence could be described
The fourth part of circle to the east line of
Fourth street, ON the north side of the newly
constructed street on the south of the lake, |
said fourth part Of circle having radius of
400 feet with the central point near the north
line of the lake. From the north side of
Fourth to Third street the boundary to be
along the north side Of the new street.
This gives large area of water for
pleasure or ornamental purposes of which the
city would then have ownership and control.
The owners of the property ON the north of
street state that they would also improve the
appearance of things in that locality by
erecting a new row Of buildings along the
south side of the proposed street.. fronting on
the lake, which would entirely hide from the
travelling public the present unsightly rear
view Of that part Of Chinatown, which must
produce vivid and most mplimentary
/ impression upon the minds Of people arriv-
/ ing or leaving the city.
/ With these propositions and plans before
/ it, the Board of City Trustees, at its regular
! meeting last Monday, instructed the City
/ Surveyor TO make a survey of the proposed |
street and submit to the Board report, with |
an estimate Of tie number of cubic yards of |
ma ierial required to construct it. The |
survey was being made yesterday, and the |
report will be completed and ready for the !
| Board at its meeting next Monday.
From the soundings made ON the proposed |
line of street it is found that the water is |
about feet deep at the Third street end, |
and running deeper eastward until Fourth |
street is reached, where there is depth of |
Ii feet. From Fourth street to what is
called an island, a little west of Fifth street,
it gradually shoals to about foot in depth. |
The average depth of the water between
Third and Fifth streets, where the city
| would construct the street, is from to 10
feet. The present surface of the water is
about Is feet below the l street
grade, rendering the necessary filling to
build and raise the proposed street to the reg
ular grade, about y feet perpendicular. With
this hight and so feet width at the top, it is
estimated that with the side slopes the width
of the fill on the bottom of the lake would
extend to about 100 feet at the deepest point.
The details of the proposed Improvements