Los Angeles daily herald., 1890-02-10
MONDAY, FEBKOAnY 10, 1890.
How TO Dispose of Storm " ater.
The mast winter. with ita unusual del

MONDAY. FERRDAAY 10, 1880.
How to Dispose of Storm =" ater.
The past winter, with it's unusual del
uge of rain, raises in serious form the
question how to take care of storm-wster
in this city. The fact that such down
pours are unusua, is no answer to this
question. Even if such winter is to be
encountered only once in ten years, the
havoc wrought this winter suggests the
Importance of preparing for its recur-
renee. Storm-water drains will not do,
for the largest dreamed of by the en-
gineers would cut no figure in the carry
ing off of such foods as went down many
of our streets. 1t would be the essence
of madness to attempt to handle such
streams by collecting them rapidly into
one current and running them under
ground. The true theory in handling
storm water is to keep it from collecting
in one channel as much as possible until
it reaches some natural conduit to the
sea and to keep it above ground except
ing in rare cases where this
is impossible. Before the city
was built here the storm-water found
it's way to the river bed by hook or by
crook. The river bed or by way of Bal
Iona creek are the natural outfalls for
this storm-water, and it is by these it
should still go to the sea. The question
is to get it to these natural channels
40 as to allow it's doing the minimum of
damage to property, and to do this at the
minimum expense in the construction of
q system. Since the city has been built
up the only available way for the water
is in the streets, whether by storm drains
under ground, or by the surface of the
streets. If it is true that the storm water
should be kept above ground excepting
in exceptional cases, then it must flow in
the streets. But it is to get it out of the
streets the cry is raised by those
who wish to dispose of the tor.
rents by running them away un-
der ground. The streets as they
are made are not good conduits for this
water; but why not change the manner
of making streets. These thoroughfares
are still copied after country roads as
they were made century ago. In the
construction of highways our great
grandfsthers found that by crowning in
the middle the water ran off to the sides
to the betterment of the road.
We are great creatures of habit, and
there is little originality in the human
mind, SO when we came to make city
streets we patterned them after the roads,
30 as to direct the water towards our
doors and cellars as much as possible.
II the streets of Los Angeles were paved
30 as to make depression in the center
and rise at the curbs, all the storm
water of the recent rains might easily
have been run to the river or out to the
Ballona Geek. There is positively
no reason why they should not
be 30 constructed. The sidewalks should
be made high enough at all points to
turn the water back to the center of the
streets. There is no reason why the
sidewalks should be the same height
above the streets at all points. The ele-
walton should vary so as to run the water
away from the house.
Any one who will sit down and with
unbiased mind think of this, and will
follow the streets in his minds eye, will
see how we'll this plan would work. The
city should be so paved as to turn the
water from the streets running north and
south into those running east and west,
and 80 carry it to the river as fast as
possible. In that part of the city lying
along Figueroa and Washington streets
the water should be collected into these
and parallel streets SO as to run off to the
Ballona creek.
With such change in the contour of
the streets, and with we'll paved thor.
oughfares, there would result the very
minimum of discomfort and damage tc
the city and the people. There are only
q few obvious principles that enter into
the plan. Raise the streets at the side
walks and depress them in the ceuter.
Garry the water as rapidly as possible
towards the natural channels to the sea,
and in as many streams as possible, sc
as to prevent the formation of strong
currents. Resort to underground con.
duits only where absolutely necessary to
carry the water as short distance as
possible over any intervening ridge of
ground, and use the natural outlets to
the sea, and as many of them as exist.
1t is true this plan does not include the
care of the Los Angeles cable system, but
the engine houses of that system
are very faultily placed. They are at
low levels, and the engines are below
ground. They ought to be on elevated
sites and on the surface. The city can
not well be expected to remedy the mis-
take made in this matter.
The plan outlined does not necessitate
the repaving of any street now paved.
Treat the streets not paved in this man
ner as fast as they are paved, and treat
the streets already improved by the new
method when they come to be repaved.
WE FULLY appreciate the dilemma in
which Mayor Hazard was placed when
he was required to either veto or sign the
Retrenchmsnt Ordinance. If he had
vetoed it the Council would have ahifted