St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-12-06
IT NEEDS INVESTIGATION.
The North Minneapolis Sewer Exten-
sian Said to Be Sinking.
WHAT A REPORTER SAW.
Fault in Both Shape and Construction
the Cause---Some Interesting
Revelations.

At the meeting Of the city council to-mor
row afternoon, Aid. Kerr will call for all in
vestigation of the character Of the work done
on the extension of the North Minneapolis
sewer tunnel A GLOBE reporter who heard
of the contemplated move asked the alder
man the cause of his proposed action.
Come with me to the sewer, and see for
YOURSELF" was the alderman's reply.
The reporter went, and although not
sewer tunnel expert. saw enough to convince
him that there should be all investigation.
The work on the sewer began at the corner
of Eighth avenue north and Fifth street
something like year ago, and extends Ill
two directions, down Fifth street to con-
meet with the sewer tunnel at Fourth avenue
and out Eighth avenue to Lyndale, and DUR
ing August Of last year, it will be remem-
bered, there was cave-in on Fifth street be-
tween Seventh and Eighth avenues. and the
committee on investigation decided, at the
time, that it was due to the fact that
the ever was not high enough in proportion
to its width. 1t would seem that g lesson
had been taught, but the some fatal policy
has been pursued apparently. the width
being feet 6 inches, and the height 6 feet
10 inches, whereas according to the opinion
of experts the breadth should at least equal
the height The result is apparent even 10
novice. The brick of the arch, or roof, was
found by the reporter to be nearly fiat, SO
as TO leave no purchase or power OF
resistance to pressure from above. 1t should
lie at an angle so as to give space at he top
Of q half inch to be filed with cement, SO
that the greater the pressure the greater the
strength of the arch. To avoid caving in it
has been necessary to brace the sewer for a
distance of at least 800 feet on Fifth street,
running from the intersection of Eighth
avenue, and for three blocks on Eighth ave-
nue. In spite of this. cracks in the arch are
plainly discernible. and unmistakable signs
of settling are noticeable.
1t is also apparent that in this soft soil the
walls should rest upon 1ootings OF stone,
but this precautiOn has been neglected, al
though stone footings are now being put in
on Fifth street near Sixth avenue.
AS all indication that the nrch is surely
settling is shown by the fact that piece OF
scantling, which the foreman says he placed
loosely as a brace against the arch. now
forces the brick up a half inch ont OF line,
and is sprung at the bottom, sign that is
taken as showing sinking of three inches.
The fault is said to lie mainly with the
shape of the tunnel, although its construc-
ton is faulty in places. .'As general thing"
said sewer expert who accompanied the
reporter upon his subterranean tour, n
sewer tunnel should be shaped like an egg
half circle at the top, but they seem so have
laid the egg OH its side, so the tunnel is
wider than it is high.
G. X. Sherburne the superintendent, was
instructed some time ago to plank the bottom
Of the sewer on Fifth street and place the
footings of the walls on plank, but he neg
lected to do so, and the result is said to he
settling of some three inches near Seventh
avenue.
The fact that it has been found necessary
to brace the tunnel is sufficient evidence of
flaw in its construction. When the tim
bers rot out, as they are sure to do within
couple of years, they must be replaced, or
the sewer will cave i'll. A striking COM
mentary upon sewer building as conducted
by Engineer Rinkcr. surely.
As the reporter was coming away he no
ticed that the sheeting was being buried, as
the excavation for the sewer is filed i'll on
Fifth street, and asked if that was usual.
Not generally replied the exert sarcas:
tically. but lumber is SO cheap here and
money SO plenty that it is hardly worth the
while to save few hundreds or thousands of
dollars by drawing the timbers.''