Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-12-31

During the past year alone eighty-two new
additions and subdivisions have been ad
ded to its area containing 1880 lots, and
dedicating over forty-six miles of new
streets to the public use.
No one will deny that the site of St.
Paul has been costly one upon which to
build a city. 1t is emphatically "a city
set on an hill" in fact seven hills, and in
this respect it resembles Rome, the capital
city of the Christian world. Its hills have
had to be leveled down, its valleys filled
up, and its crooked ways made straight,
but notwithstanding all the vast outlay of
money and muscle required to accomplish
the task both have been we'll expended and
the capital city of Minnesota will for all
time to come retain its proud eminence
of being at once the most beautiful, the
most healthy, the most enterprising and
prosperous, and ultimately the greatest
and grandest city on the American contin-
ent. To substantiate the assertion the
GLOBE submits the following facts in detail
to candid and unpreiudiced public:
ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT.
The engineering department of the city
service came into existence under the act
of the legislature creating the board of
public works. in May, 1872. Prior to tina.
time all the city work relating to grading
streets, constructing sewers, laying side
walks ETC., was done under the supervision
of city surveyor, appointed by the coun-
Gil. In 1872 this system was changed and
the board of public works created, which
ever since has had immediate supervision
of all public city works under the orders
of the common council. The city engineer
from that date, together with his associates,
have been appointed by the board of pub
lie works. The first city engineer under
this new dispersation was D. L. Curtice,
who was succeeded by D. ". Wellman
who gave place to j. S. Sewal!, the latter
remaining in Office until March, 1881.
when the present city engineer, L. W.
Rundlett was elected. The present engi-
neer corps is as follows: City Engineer
L. ". Rundlett; Assistants, W. A. Somers,
Fl. Il. Fuller, and A. R. Starkey. Connect
ed with the Office aside from the foregoing
are thirteen drughtsInen, Jewelers., clerks
and rodmen. Somers and Fuller have
been connected with the Office ever since
and it is needless to say they are thoroughly
acquainted with the important and re-
sponsible duties they have to perform, and
in addition know every inch of ST. Paul
both above ground and below.
When the Office Of city engineer was
organized in 1872 there were no records of
any kind. Since that time over 500 origi-
Of bv
the city council. and double tina. number
of copies for Office use have been made,
together with nearly 800 maps of street
openings. Few persons, except those who
are daily or weekly brought in contact with
this branch of the city service, have even a
faint conception of the work required to
be done in this department. Every step
taken has to be carefully considered, and
the most precise measurement, calculations
and estimates made, as even a trif1ing er-
ror might entail enormous expense, and
possible litigation. 1t must be borne in
mind that st. Paul, with her 3l9 miles of
streets; with nearly double that many
miles OF sidewalks and crosswalks; her 1874
additions and subdivisions; her
miles of sewers; her annual street grad
ings and openings; her bridges, tunnels,
viaducts, ETC.. is no longer village but
city not only set Oh an hill' but on many
hills, thus requiring great expense oprop-
erly grade and sewer. Il would be inter
esting to trace back in detail! all the work
accomplished in the engineering line since
the city was first incorporated, but this
would fill volumes. In this annual review
| the GLOBE has endeavored to give not only
| the work accom- plished in this line during
the past year, the partial estimate for the
year 1888, but q condensed statement of
| work done in former years.
The following details will not be without
! interest:
SEWERAGE WORK DONE IN 1882.
| During the year 1882 there has been
| built 4.26 miles of sewerage, together with
116 manholes and III catch basins, being
1.65 miles more than was built during the
year 1881.
| There has also been granted 1856 sewer
permits, being sixty-three in excess OF
| 1881.
The total amount expended for sewer
age daring the year was $50, 1888.
The total cost of engineering was 3d.
\ O'@"o icing oOOu' ~ per CSAt. ou Cuc w.
tai amount expended
| The total cost of inspection was &C.,
65775, being about per cent. on the total
amount expended.
During the year 100000 bricks were
used in the construction of sewer.
| The following is detailed statement of
| the sewers contracted and the cost thereof
for the year 1882:
| Kittson's addition, sewerage in the ag-
gregate, cost $3l.490.
Exchange street from Eagle street to
| Sherman street, cost 81, 1893.
Pleasant avenue from Third street to
Sixth street, cost 81 ,4JO.
| Ramsey street from Forbes street to
| Pleasant avenue, cost S2,469.
| st. Peter street from Tenth street to Sum-
| NIT avenue, cost S2.445.
| Sibley street from Fourth street to
| Seventh street, cost 1888.
Fort street from McBoal street to Good
| rich street, cost 1885.
| Canada and Pearl streets, from Thir-
teenth to Temperance streets, cost S., 485.
Canada street from Spruce to Pearl, cost
S1.4sS.
Fifth ward sewers, aggregated cost
$35.39O.