Los Angeles herald., 1891-02-04
THE RIVER BED.
Mr.. HANSEN AND THE MAYOR Rec
oMMEND IT BE cHANoED.
The Terminsl Railroad All Right in what
4 AsksTh River Bed Made Up in
4the Wrong Place.
The following correspondence explain.
itself;
january ~, 1891.

="
DEAR EIR: / desire to submit to your
superior judgment and experience the
propriety Of approving the accompany
ing ordinance providing change in the
line Of the official bed OF the Los An
geIes river at the eastern approaches to
the Mac1-0treet bridge. &
PleaseS report to me in writing your
judgment de to whether it would in
-creaae the danger OF overflow during
freAflets 1T that point, and whether the
ConcessioH asked for In said ordinance
can be granted with safety to the terri
TORY lying adjacent to the river bank.
am respectfully yours, q.
HENRY 7. HAZARD, Mayor.
Los ANGELES, Feb. 1, 1891.
Honcrahic Henry r Hazard, Mayor Of Los A n
DEAR SIN / received your favor Of
the 9th inst. In which YOU direct me
to examine the proposed change in the
line Of the right Of way to the Los An
geles Terminal railway company for the
construction Of leVee and railway upon
the easterly side Of the river Los AN
geles, as described in section 2 of the
ordinance passed by the city council,
Jan. Fl, 1891, and to report on the pro-
priety Of change in the line of the Off
cial bed Of the Los Angeles river at the
eastern approach OF the Macy-street
bridge, and whether it would increase the
danger of overflow during freshets at
that point, and whether the concession
asked for in said ordinance can be
granted with safety to the territory ad-
.jacent to the river banks. In compli-
ance with these your directions exam
ined the locality at the eastern end OF
the Macy-street bridge and the map of
the bedof the Los Angeles river of date
Jan. 9th, 1868, by Adolphus Waldemar.
now on file IN the city clerks Office and
marked Los Angeles city may No. %,
and also the ordinance of date March 2,
1887, changing and establishing the Off
clai bed OF Los Angeles river and the
map.
Lind that the official river bed estab-
Ished in 1858 covered the ground OF the
natural river bed at and near Macy
street, leaving the ledge Of rocks and
zanja to the east and outside Of the off,
clal bed. That the ordinance Of
bed upon the ground sranned
its eastern end about so feet over the
ledge Of rocks, leaving the actual water
way only $50 feet wide. That the pro-
posed line OF levee and railway at and
near the east end OF the covered bridge.
as described in ordinance of date Janu-
ary 81. 1891, runs over the ledge Of rocks
which forms the natural bank Of the
river, and although the strip for the
levee and railway runs over the
twenty six eastern feet Of the
Official river bed, and cuts of
twenty-six feet OF the bridge. it is en-
tirely outside Of the water way, az it ex-
lists at the present time; and II the rail-
rond is bui1t upon said strip, and rock IL
can il noiway diminish the present. va
ter way.
The water way Of the river Los Anre-
les should be ct no place less than 800.
feet in width. In order to accomplish
this all the obstructione in the present
river bed, including the aforesaid ledge
Of rocks and xanja No. 2, have to be ex-
cavated and removed, or the river bed
has to be changed westerly so feet. Con-
Sidering the excavation Of the rocks not
advisable, am Of the opinion that the
official river bed should be changed to
its old place, as established in 1858: that
is to say, so feet westerly OF its present
location; that the levee and railroad on
the west side of the river at Macy street
should be moved 80 feet westerly, to
conform to the proposed change. That
the concession asked for by the Los An
geles Terminal railroad company, as de-
scribed in ordidance Of January'2l, 1891,
as it in no way interferes with the pres
ent water way, may be granted without
increasing the danger of overflow during
sfreshets.
Annexed hereto is map showing the
topography at and near the Macy-street
bridge. Respectfully yours,
GEoRaE HANSEN.
TO the Honorable Council Of the City Of Los
Angeles:
submit herewith correspondence re-
garding the franchise granted the Los
Angeles Terminal railroad company,
showing the necessity Of some action on
behalf Of the city to re-establish the old
Official bed of the Los Angeles river,
which located the same where the river
bed properly il, and not on the solid
rock embankmett, where the last sur
vey by Mr.. Eaton located it, and which
never was and never will be 4 part OF
thefiver bed. believe the suggestion
made by Mr.. Hansen timely, and it
should be carried out IL possible, and i
think it possible, for the reason that
when the ofIlcial river bed was Aoated
fifty feet east 81 its proper locations so
AZ to leave the western portion OF the
river bed open to the acquisition of
private parties by including q ledge Of
rocks as part of the river bed, the per-
sons now. claiming the river bed must
have had notice of the fact that the
river. bed could not have been legally
contracted in this manner. and
therefore the acquisition by them Of
80 much of the river bed as was
shown by the old maps and the
river bed itself must have been appEo-
printed with actual and constructive
notice Of the rights Of the city itls that
behalf, and I don think that tlsI acts
of the city engineer in thus changing
the bed Of the river could legally diFesf
the city Of its right TO have an oBstruc-
tions removed from the river bed I: IL We
for one moment admit that the city en-
gineer can foat the river bed out 81 its
1Gial and natural channel to guit him
self BY including q ledge OF rocks, placed
there by nature 70 prevent the ericroach-
meKt Of the river as part sof the river
bed, the dangerous position We occupy
must be manifestiy apparent, and con-
ceive II to be our duty to take some ac-
tion to remedy the injury chat sub
mission to this condition Of things may
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