Los Angeles daily herald., 1890-02-02
SUSTAINED.
Superintendent RobinsOn's
Action During the Storm.
HE PROTECTS HIS PROPERTY,
A Case Which Attracted Considerable
Attention in the Police Court
Yesterday.


Police Court was packed with spectators
to witness the proceedings in the street
obstruction cases preferred against the
Agricultural Park and Gable Railroad
companies by the Superintendent of
Streets. When the case of Superinte nd
ent Hawkes. was called for trial his at
torney, Hon. Stephen M. White, re-
ouested the court to take up the case
against Superintendent j. G. Robinson
and Engineer w. A. Seymour first, and
as the city attorney offered no objection
thereto it was 30 ordered. The first wit
ness called for the prosecution was Ed
Hayes, who testified that he hsdworked for
the Los Angeles Cable Railway Company
for the past four months. but quit work
on Friday morning last. He had moi
seen anyone working at Seventh and
Hope street on Saturday, January 9th,
but had prior to that date.
j. M. Howe said he saw gang of men
at that place on Saturday last, bat as he
was on Car at the time he did not have
time to take more than cursory glance
at them as he passed and did not know
what they we're doing or who they
were.
Frank J. McHugh saw gang of men
on that date on the corner of Seventh
and Moore streets. They were digging 9
trench for the purpose of laying pipe.
Q. Ellis saw two gangs of men there on
the date in question. One was digging q
ditch for the Los Angeles Lighting Com
pany, and one was laying down sacks
diagonally across Seventh street on the
east side of Hope, about o'clock in the
afternoon. He did not know who they
were or what was in the sacks it might
have been bullion for all he knew. Did
not know either of the defendants, and
never saw Colonel Robinson before in
his life that he was aware of.
5. Mcclure, foreman of the track of the
Los Angeles Cable Company, testified
that he saw number of men laving
sacks across Seventh street at Hope. He
was in charge of them and acting under
the directions of Superintendent Robin
son. The sacks were laid two deep and
from curb to curb. On cross-examina-
tion the witness stated that the sacks
were laid there for the purpose of keep.
ing the storm water out of the Grand
avenue power-house. A stream of water
three feet deep was running down there
from Reservoir No. 4, which had been
tapped to prevent it from bursting. At
the close of his testimony the prosecu.
ton rested it's case.
Captain G. G. Knox took the stand for
the defense, and after testifying that he
knew Reservoir No. and its natural
outlets, ETC., explained to the court on
map OF the city the diversion of the nat
ural water course, and the locality of the
alleged obstruction. He stated that he
had been employed by the company in
~ October last to examine the water course,
and in company with Mr.. Eisen he had
gone over the ground.
Theodore A. Essen testified that he
was the architect employed by the COM
pany in the designing and erection of all
their power-houses. That he was per-
sonally familiar with the dangerous con.
dition in which the power.houses, espe.
cially that at the corner of Grand avenue
and Seventh street, were placed during
the whole of the late heavy storms, and
that Notwithstanding all efforts made,
night and day, by the company, under
Superintendent Robinson's personal
supervision, the foundations of the build
ing facing Grand avenue. were swept
away and the whole building flooded to
an extremely dangerous extent, the fur
naces being under water and all the en-
gines submerged. The building was
only saved by the assistance of the fire
brigade, which, for many hours, rendered
urgent service in pumping the water out
of the basement, thus saving the founda-
tions of the building from being under
mined.
Chief Strohm, of the fire brigade, testi
fed to having responded TO Superintend-
ent Robinson's call to assist him to save
life and property by turning out the fire
department and steamers to pump out
the Grand-avenue and Seventh-street
power-houses. That when he arrived he
found the whole of the machinery and
boilers under water, and the floods still
pouring in to dangerous extent. That
he, with the department, on each occa-
sion. labored many hours to pump out
the water and thus save the building
from collapsing.
H. q. Osborne, editor of the Evening
EGpress, and who is also a resident on
Hope street, testified that he was fre-
quently at the power house on Grand ave-
nue. during the great strorms and floods,
and could speak of the perilods condi-
ton which they consider the power-house
was in owing to the enormous volumes
of water, which, Notwithstanding all the
efforts of Superintendent Robinson and
his staff, poured over the streets and
sidewalks into the foundations of the
building. He approved of the efforts be-
ing made to save the property, and de-
ecribed the affixing of sand bags.
DIR. J. @. Zshn had lived on Flower
street for the past ten years. Was never
troubled with water till the last two
years where they let the water out of the
reservoir. There was no wash lntil late
in the afternoon, when the water came
down all of sudden in big waves, burst
ing open the brick conduit on Flower
street and then crossing Flower street
and following the base Of the hill to Hope
street.. All damage was due to letting
the water out of the reservoir.
w. A. Seymour and Superintendent j.
@. Robinson testified in detail to all that
was done under their instructions in re-
spect to the matter, and the damage sus-
tanned by the company by reason OF the
floods.
E. H. Dalton, the city water overseer,
testified that on Saturday last reservoir
No. A had filed up in spite of the opening
of the gates, and that before it over
flowed there must have been at least
fifteen feet of water over the outlet, thus.
giving the water pretty good pressure.
Mayor I'll. L. Hazard testified that the
natural course of the water from RoSer-