Los Angeles herald., 1891-03-04
ROTTENNESS IN THE SEWERS, SURE
ENOUGH.

Gil made tour of inspection yesterday
overa portion of the central interceptor,
which drains East Los Angeles, crosses
the river at Sixth street and goes thence
to Washington street and Grand avenue.
The result OF their partial inspection
was such as to show that the city has
been outrageously swindled by the con-
tractors and deceived by the official in
spector, whose duty it was to see that
the work was done according to the
terms of the contracts.
Some five or six manholes and their
chambers were examined. The contract
called for concrete cement lining from
61a to s inches thick. They found in
each OF these manholes that the work
had been finished with concrete cement
only about one inch thick In various
places the upper brickwork had been
put in so loosely that bricks had fallen
out for the want of the necessary amount
of cement to hold them in place. The
quality of the brick, too, where ex-
amined, was found to be of the poorest
soft, rotten brick the contractor could
purchase. The sewer committee con-
fined themselves to an investigation of
the manholes and chambers; but some
of the party ventured to look slightly in
to the sewer part of the work, and they
found places where bricks here and
there had fallen down from the roof
This is confirmatory of the discoveries of
a reporter of the HERALD few days
ago, who entered sewer and found that
the upper brickwork was loose in places,
and that the water from above was
seeping through the wall. The cement
lining was mere wafer crust that fell
at the touch.
The same reporter and the city engin-
eer yesterday crept into the sewer at
the junction of Alameda and Eighth
streets and found that a portion of the
lower part of the sewer had either sag
ged down half foot, or had never been
built on an even line, so that quite a
water receptacle was found at that |
point. One of the councilmen said that |
before the election an inspector of the
work on the sewers, (there were only
line of them y upon being questioned
oy him upon the doubtful looking char
lcter of the work, told him that he
NEW enough to keep his mouth shut.
n other words, if he did his duty he
would lose his place.
We have repeatedly sounded the note
If alarm about the suspicious work in
hese sewers, and called attention, as
he work was progressing, to the fact
hat the bricks used were soft and
Inft, and that the cement in the
Mortar was much less in proper
ion to the sand than the contracts
allied for. But the council that
vas then in power paid no attention
whatever to the facts brought to their
lotice. That body acted throughout as
it were there not to protect the inter-
'sts of the city, but to see that it should
De outrageously swindled and with i'm
ounity.
The contractor for the sewer work ex-
amined yesterday is w. A. Doyle. He has
lad many extensive contracts along the
inc of the central interceptor, and is now
1t work upon an unfinished section on
Washington street. The defective work
,ound yesterday has been accepted and
paid for.
There is no doubt that the city has
been swindled right and left in the con-
struction of these sewers. There is evil
lence enough now available, both from
;he men who worked in the sewers, and
rom the INSPECTORS whose mouths were
Iealed by the power that placed them
here, to prove beyond doubt that
raud of the most fagitious character
.uns all through the brick sewer work.
It is evident there was ring behind
his extensive swindle-a ring of con-
;ractors and officials, with financial
packing, Nothing could be done to ex-
pose and break it up as long as the for
ner council existed. But the new
council is in position to make thorough
Investigation and to take steps to recoup
he city for fraudulent work, where it is
possible. Ii it will do this, it will de-
erve and receive the thanks of the
community.