St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-12-07
.RINKER IS REALLY RILED.
He Defends Himself in Language Very
Strong.
THE SEWER WORK ALL RICH
He Declares He Knows His Business
His Theory of a Con-
spiracy.

The GLOBE yesterday puDllSneu an
article based upon an investigation
made by one of its reporters, concern
ing the quality of the work performed
upon the North Minneapolis sewer,
which connects with the sewer tunnel
on Fifth street at the junction with
Fourth avenue north. Its general tenor
was to the effect that cracks were visi-
BILE in the arch of the sewer for 800 feet,
extending OH Fifth street from Eighth
avenue, and on Eighth avenue to Lyn-
dale avenue: and that the brick work,
because both of faulty construction
and the improper shape Of the
ing away to an extent that
has necessitated, or at least occasioned,
bracing with timberS. 1t was not prac-
ticable to see City Engineer Rinker
before the publication of the article,
which merely suggested the desirability
OF an inquiry, or an investigation. Yes
terday, however, a reporter was sent to
obtain from him any statement he
might desire to make in regard to the
sewer.
Mr.. Rinker appeared to be thoroughly
mad and DESTROYS of working off
quantity of bile from his system,
which, if retained, would doubt
less have neceSSitated another
vacation, However, he became CO.
herent at intervals, and between
invectives against the press in general
and the GLOBE in particular the reporter
was enabled to learn that Mr.. Rinker
unqualifedly denounced the statements
made in the article as false in every
particular, and as simply ''villainous."
He challenged anybody to produce
better piece of work than is shown in
the strip of sewer with which fault has
been found. Egg-shaped tunnels, he
said. are generally small and are used
where it is desired to have deep flow
and great velocity. This is segmental
sewer, however, and is constructed i'll
that manner because it will be neceS-
sary to tunnel under Bassett'S creek
several times. Mr.. Rinker said he
personally and carefully examined the
arch of the sewer in the morning yes
terday) and had failed to find a crack in
which a lead pencil could be stuck. He
isfactory, but of really superior quail
ity. The arch has rise of two feet three
inches for an eight-foot span, and he
knew of some fifty of the best-built
sewers in this country in which the rise
is not more one foot in ten. He quoted
bridge and tunnel statistics to show
that the rise was more than sufficient in
all precautiOn. Further than that, a set
Ting much greater than that alleged
should not occasion any misgivings.
AS for the failure to place plank I'M
der the footings, he said the plank had
not been laid because it was not needed.
Considering the cave-in on Fifth street,
near Seventh avenue, last year, he
claimed it was due to the bursting of
a water pipe. If council committee
on investigation had reported it was
due to the shape of the tunnel, the
committee didn't know what it was
talking about.
Mr.. Rinker said several more things
that were based upon the theory that
the GLOBE desired to antagoniZe him
and his department, which, being in
correct as well as not intimately aSSo-
ciated with the question of the proper
construction of the sewer, it is
not necessary to repeat. In brief,
Mr.. Rinker contradicts emphatically the
statements that the sewer is not prop
erly constructed in workmanlike
manner. The GLOBE has only given in
substance the claims that will be made
to secure an investigation and the
alleged defects that were pointed out to
its representative by an alderman and
an expert who accompanied him. 1t
has no bias in the matter and will much
prefer to learn that the sewer is properly
built, that thousands of do lars have
not been wasted, and that Mr.. Rinker
is fully acquitted of any possible charge
OF incOmpetency.