The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1883-02-25
THE RECENT RAIN.
Interview with CITY Engineer JoI


An Interview With Ciiy. Engineer johnson.
81 have. seen.it rain great deal harder
than II did on Friday Mt noon, ut ono time.
about ls74,--it rNined one night so hard
that the water ran down Elm street, In
front OF Il. T.. Cowan's and J. 5. WitNer's
stores, three feet deep, and was deep
enough to run into the street cars on the
Main street track in front of the HERALD
building, and on Elm street, In front of the
Phoenix planihgmll, was, deep enough
to swim u horse. | also think that one day
at noon, last June, IL rained for an hour
much harder than 1t did ON Friday. These
| rams are phenomenal, and occur generally
Uuuut once or twice u year, and happen in
| tho western states as well MS In Texas, In
pullding drainage sewers IN large cities like
! ST. Louis, Chicago, Philadelphia, New
! York, London and Paris, II is not the prac-
/ tice 10 provide for such tremendous storm
rains in subterranenn channels, but to allow
the bulk of 1t TO pass of in the streets.
| II any property was oyCllowed yesterday
| it was because the owner elected to build In
Il low situation, or because some one had
obstruC'od tho natural How of the water
thus dlUming II up, and damaging his
neighO =, making him liable for n lawsuit
in tn, VII courts. Tho city has never been
ina Il ,ncial condition to in0ugurato IL
compe,t system of street improve.
menl aud drainage, and do not know of
any cay In the United States OF the
age OF d ,llas that has done rs much. To
undertake such system with the assessed
valuation OF all real and personal property
In the city ut 81 100000, would require an
annual tax of per cent for four years ut
least, and drive away many seeking Invest
ments here, The building OF drainage sew.
ers will be done under the district plan
whenever the city charter Is so amended as
70 allow "a tax on all
property benefited by each sewer.
To control such u volume of water as ran
around the PhUnix planing.mill would ro.
Quire sewer six feet in diameter, costing
about S. per lineal foot, and would he
about 900 feet long, from Pacific Avenue
to the fourth ward race, on Wood street.
But TO diminish this. volume of water, |
, would suggest ditch commencing on the
east side OF the Houston n Texas Central
railroad 1890 feet north of Ross
avenue, on the limo Of Hail street and
running south 10 deg. east down said
, Hall street to Nussbaumer's branch, a total
distance of 5000 feet. This ditch could be
made four feet wide by four feet deep, and
would carry all the water falling northeast
OF this line on an area OF u square mile,
9 which now Is thrown down by the Phmnix
y mill, and would reduce tho volume OF water
% per cent, at that point Another smaller
gutter could be built down Good street
IRON the Houston & Texas Central railroad
to elm street, thence east to Nuss
banners branch, and this would
divert large amount OF
y water from the fhmnix mill. But when
u the city undertakes to do all this and to 70
y pair the fourth ward race to its junction
nab al ,N.Nr ~ al.
= should be justly assessed upon all propeit,
u benefited, aud will tall lightly upon each
y property'owner To diminish the flow o.
U water toward Main street, at the market
y house, would suggest sewer
" along Masten street, from Brya,
q street to the Dallas branch
J, aud this would divert large proportion o
. the water now running through Sycamor,
y street sewer, To provide for the watel
' west oi sycamore street and north OF Pa
enc avenue, have recommended u sowel
d Mong the line OF Magnolia street, fron
y Emma street TO Caruth street, thence cas-
a into Dallas branch, These sewers woui,
II also be district sewers, and paid Tor Nv
d special Tax on all property ben, fitted. Bu
Twill take Time to do all thus work an,
III then, those who choose to build In low
nat grounds must possess their souls will
patience, and offer up prayers to Jupitc
u | lluvias 10 give us a rest from such rain
10 storms us we saw on Friday, and those VIII
all were damaged by neishbors building acros
" the natural flow of the water must seek ~
~ dress at law aud consult their attorneys.
N The coming summer | hone 4
!, see large portion Of Elm AN,
IA Main streets paved between Mar
n ket aud Sycamore streets, and this will NJ
ar lieve us of those unsigh,ly and abominabl
n mud.holes now SO common on those streets
= and II the city would set aside as a sptciu
now. collected In back license, and taxes nj
all horses, wagons, buyeies, etc. mi
8 would provide enough TO pave all intersrc,
NJ ,ng streets, like Austin, Lamar, poydres
d Martin, Murphy, etc. N"'