The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-08-25

the sewerage committee 10 advertise TOT Dius
for the building of a sewer from the Fox
river to the hydraulic basin, distance Of
eighty three rods Bids were advertised for,
and the contract was let to ID. N, Shippey, of
this city, who at once began making e1tava'
tons.
Before the letting of this contract the
plans and specifications were examined by
several gentlemen whose property would
naturally come within the draining district
Of the proposed sewer, and, to their amaze
mert. they discovered that the specifications
called for an excavation over nine feet in
depth to point little beyond La Sale st..
and then the parties who had drawn up the
plans, perhaps with the idea that the sewer
might at some distant day be needed as Q log
shute to convey Embarked timber from the
basin to the Fox river, caused them to call
for q direct upgrade slant, at the rate Of
nearly two feet to the block, taking into con-
sideration the natural fall of the land, until
at the canal the depth Of the excavation was
to be Just two feet below the surface Of the
water. This would make the depth Of the
excavation q little less than eight feet oppo-
site Zimmerman's store, just six feet nine
inches at Clinton st., and five feet four inches
at the hay market, at Fulton st.
The sewer pipe used in this sewer is to
be two feet in diameter--a pipe capable Of
discharging not less than 5000 gallons OF
water per minute, capacity sufficient to
carry off the combined sewage Of the entire
city, together with that Of q couple Of outside
towns, If necessary. With the sewer pipe
occupying two feet Of the excavation, one.hali
at least of the height Of this pipe must be
counted as against the depth Of the sewer. az
connections could not be made with safety
below the center Of the pipe. Thus at Gin
ton street the depth Of the pipe below the
surface 10 reduced to five feet nine inches
and at Fulton street to something over four
feet, affcrding no sewerage service whsteveI
to that portion Of the street west Of thinner
mans store. Thus the city would be com.
PEELED, through some ones stupidity, to pay
for sewer nearly one.half of which would
be utterly useless for any other purpose thar
the carrying away Of surface water, which
It would be better to have carried away IN
the open cutters Of the streets. Not only
would this affect private citizens, but the
city, also, il It should build city hall or
its property at the corner Of Madison and
Fulton streets, the cellar OF which would b.
wholly deprived Of sewer facilities.
This matter was brought up before the last
council meeting and referred to the sewerage
committee. with power to act. As yet thi,
committee has made no agreement with th'
contractor, who, they claim, demands ,
greater price for the additional work thar
they feel authorized to agree upon. Tit
sum and substance Of the matter is, that MIR
Shippey has the city foul and can demand
whatever price he desires. If his price il
an e1horbitant one, the city must "do tn
walking and pay it, for if the sewer is com
pleted according to the plans and specifica
lions, it IS manifest that the city will stan'
in the light Of imposing upon itself, by pay
ing for public work the major part of whicl
will be practically useless. But there
small danger of this, as the interested resi-
dents Of the lower end of the street and tn
streets adjoining may apply for an injunction
to stop the project unless it is deepened to
proper level.
LATER.
A meeting Of the council was called las
evening, as the sewerage committee did no
desire to take any additional responsibility.
in the matter. II resulted in the council
authorizing the committee to offer Mr.. Ship
psy $500 to correct the blunder. 1t was
tie vote, the may or deciding. 1t looks littl
like highway robbery to charge this amour
for excavating less then two feet OF rock fror
Mr.. Nmmerman's store to Fulton ST., whe
the total cost Of the entire excavation wa
constructed at 1884, but then the shoe is o
the other foot and as Shippey has been los
sing money on his contract it is splendi
chance to get even-if he will lake the $6ot
Had the work been included in the mrs
estimate it would have cost not more ina
! $3.50 extra at the utmost; but now ShiPpe
has the key to the situation and will dane
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