Los Angeles herald., 1891-03-23
THE SEWERS.
What the Committee Will Report
Today.

What the COmmlttee Will Report
Today.
The council recently appointed COM
mittee to investigate the new sewers.
Those on the committee are City Engin-
eer J. H. Dockweiler, Street Superin-
tendent Hutchinson, A. McNally and
William Mclean. These gentlemen have
made their examination of the sewers,
and report has been prepared, which
all the members, excepting Mr.. Dock
weller, have signed. 1t will be pre-
sented to the council today, and runs as
follows:
To the Honorable Council, City of Los Angeles,
and the Council Sewer Committee:
GENrLEMEN-We, the undersigned,
would respectfully make the following
report on the condition we find the
brick-work, cement-work and workman
ship on the brick sewers that are already
built and finished. and also that which
is at present under construction under
the supervision OF the present city en-
gineer..
After entering the first manhole.
which is situated on Sixth street, at or
near the river bed, and also below the
level of the same, we find some leaks in
the sewer along the spring of the arch
for distance of thirty or forty feet
back from the manhole. This same
leakage can be stopped with good ce-
ment mortar, which will make this por-
ton of the sewer in equal keeping with
the balance of the sewer. AS soon as
the excessive moisture from the outside
passes away, the repairing can be done
at trifling expense to the contractors,
which they have already signifed their
willingness to do. This is the only leak
found in our entire inspection of the
work, with the exception OF what water
enters at the dead end of the sewer fac
ing the river, which is no detriment to
the sew er or to the workmanship of the
same. In testing the cement joints ol
the sewer. and also the cemented sur
face of the same with a steel chisel,
we find that the joints are composed Of
good, strong cement mortar, and also
| the cemented surface of the
sewer, which is cemented from
the bottom up and over the spring
of the arch on each side of the sewer, to
be also composed of good, strong cement
mortar, with a smooth surface. Both
the brickwork and cemented surface OF
the came withstands the test of tine
steel chisel to entire satisfaction. The
same work having good, sound, solid
ring from contact with the end of the
chisel, which denoted good sound, hon.
est material and workmanship.
We find the platforms of the sewer
chambers. which we were told called
for six and one-half inches of concrete,
to be on an average of three or four
inches thick, and for all practical pur-
poses are as good as if foot thick.
Our attention was next directed to a
curved section of the sewer, of which it
was said "The brick was falling from
the arch of the sewer" We have found
that portion of one brick had been ex-
tracted from the arch of the sewer with
a chisel or some similar tool, while the
cement joints were yet green, as chisel
mark is yet to be seen where it then en-
tered the cement mortar, which is now
Sc and is extremely hard. We would
fur,hnr say that at the present time tn G
adjoining brick to the one already ex-
tracted cannot be removed from its pres
ent position unless pulverized with a
hammer OF chisel, which shows the alb
surdity of the assertion or rumor.
Our next attention was called to that
portion of the sewer on Washington
street, now under construction. We
watched the process of laying the brick
and examined the brick and also the
cement mortar being used in the con-
struction of the same. We unhesi
tatingly say that the work is being done
in, a good and workmanlike manner, and
the material used in the construction O.
the same being the best of their respec.
| tive kinds.
In conclusion, would say that in start
ing on our tour of inspection in the
morning, there was strong con-
viction in our minds that there was very
inferior workmanship and rotten ma
terials used in the construction of the
sewers, if the reports of some individ
uals that have led the public to believe
| that the materials used in the construc
| ton of these sewers was of inferior quail
| ity, and also that the work was not
properly done, were to be relied upon
and that we without fear or favor woulC
have to so state this supposed bad state
of affairs in our report; we now unhesi-
tatingly and fearlessly make this report
that taking the brick sewers as whole
both those which are now finished anc
those now under construction, as exam
ined and tested by us, are found to be
in first-class condition, and the bricl
and cement used in the construction O.
the same to be of good quality.
There are portions of the walls O.
some of the chambers which require
to be pointed up with cement mortar
and which the contractors agree to do te
the entire satisfaction of the city en-