The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-09-22
A WEDGE IN THE TRUNK.
AN ATTEMPT TO DAMAGE THE
DUNDEE DRAINAGS CANAL.

Engineer Blandford Brings the Mat
ter to the Attention Of the County
Commissioners and an Investiga-
ton Ordered-A Malicious Plan to
Impair the Drainage Work OF the
County.
County Engineer Blandford presented a
rather sensational report to the county COM
missioners yesterday, which shows that
some eYil-disposed person tried TO undo the
sanitary work which the county has been
doing on the lands adjacent 20 Dundee
canal, taking advantage of the rainy spell
TO put the malicious design into execution,
The report reads as follows: "A rumor
has been started and circulated as fact
that the outlet trunk at Dundee canal
had ''blown." At first l paid
but little attention to the rumor believing
it to emanate from persons who were sore
over the action of the commissioners or Of
myself. But as this story has been so in
dustriouslY circulated that It Is believed by
persons who do not know about the work,
l deem IL necessary In justice to the COM
missioners and myself TO mention the matter
In this report.
DUG UNDER THE BANK.
~ state emphaticaIly that the trunk Is not
blown There Is not nor has not been any
thing serious the matter with it. But res
greet to inform you that there has been a
malicious attempt to inJ lure it, Last week
l made a personal examination OF every
part OF the trunk. Below low water level
on the upper side l found that In several
places the sheet piling had been pried out
and ten rough wedges OF irregular sizes and
about one inch in thickness had been driven
In between them and the trunk 30 as to
prevent the gates from closing. l also
found two nails, one on the upper and the
other on the lower side, driven under the
corners of the gates for the same purpose.
An extraneous spring had caused some time
ago the floor of the eastern compartment Of
the f1ood-way, which had been driven up
too tight, to buckle and burst out, which
necessitated its replacing. In doing this,
one plank was laid so as to extend an inch
beyond the muzzle thereby preventing the
gate from closing.
A WELL PLANNED JOB.
"All these places are below low water and
could not be detected by the eye, conse-
| quently when a head of water was on
slight swirl would be formed by it passing
down through the apparatus caused by
| these distractions Notwithstanding this,
| a head Of from three to five fest, according to
the stage OF water, would be formed at every
1 tide. Only p6rson familiar with the trunk
| or its construction could have done the
mischief at its bottom; but this is not all
| four pfanks Of the ceiling of one Of the
| compartments we're found pried of and
| gone. Their length would have prevented
| them from passing through the gates with
cit human aid. Up to the present no trace
| IL them has been found
| A WEDGE BEHIND THE PILING.
| ION the morning Of Sept. 9 a wedge Of
about eight inches in length was found
down behind one Of the piles on the lower
side on level with the floor OF the bridge,
| and 30 placed as to catch the arm or hanger
| Of one of the gates and prevent it from clos
| Ing. The whole pressure of the tide on the
shutter With leverage Of 81 feet was thus
brought to bear against the arm, which
| caused it to crack and would have split it
| had tt not have been strengthened by the
iron strap which bound it. These obstacles
have all been removed aud the necessary
repairs are being made. The wedges and
nails have been preserved for inspection"
The report caused considerable surprise,
| and the commissioners win have the matter
thoroughly investigated and use every
means to ferret out The parties guilty Of the
interference with the canal.
Engineer Blandford reports that the heavy
rains of the past few days have not dam
aged the county's sanitary work at any
point. While the rain has gorged all the
| canals and creeks the banks have withstood
the pressure and no break has occurred.