Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1893-04-05
LIABLE TO INUNDATION,
Mayor Baskln Discusses The StTonS
Probabilities Of Spring Floods.
lie Urges the Adoption Of the rSsifm
Used by Esriy Administrations
and Gives Reasons Therefor.

and Gives Reasons Ahtfei"'
Mayor Baskin cent the following it
the members Of the City Council iae'
night "My attention having Deen
called 10 the fact that the filling up oil
n portion Of the Eighth West street
canal and tho unusual qua tyoisno"
I'm the mountains 80 late in tue season
render the low portion OF the Guy wv" w,
of the Jordan river In the vioin''y =,
said canal very liable to be overhoWeu
when the annual flood occurs al Wv
request Of property owners VINO ,, "Oa'a
be- great sufferers IL such uisa,''
SHOULD happen, recently Visl'ou 'uu
ground. Upon investigation ! iounu
that for the purpose Of preventing 'no
aoodin, Of the low grounds west oil the
liver. which In earlier days was the
cause Of much damage ana inooh'
voni,rce to tho inhabitants ana
owners Of land 10 that vicinity .he
following system was adopted by 'he
,a,,v administrations Of the city To-
wit, The erection Of levees on tho
hanks OF the jordan OF tuilvlon,
height 20 contain tho WA'ob VI
this river whom u ilses uvuN'
the level OF the surrounding
country, Rnt the eteo.,un
hcadgates nj the points where the wafer
of the above streams ~ VIE i"Ioy -
Mill Greek aud Emigration, now into
IN, Jordnn. which WIRE intenueu 10 oe
shut down when tue water OF TINS river
sbnuld rlsp nbOvc the level OF the huJa-
c.nt couutry, ~ ~ to cOubne the now
vv,1hin The lryees. The effect OF shut'
,,ry ,inwn these headgatca w0uln
ucc,ssatily prevent the II W OF theie
sid, str,nma into the iivcr unlll
l.v.l above the surrounding land whs
reached, and M before such Level coulu
n, tencn,d ths waters OF these streams
vould overflow their banks hnd n0Ou
IN, adjacent vicinity M efectualy o.
N m. river had not been confined, TO
meet thi. difficulty canals were con-
airucted TO the north (among which the
nn.t importAut was the Eighth West
sIre,t canall 10 carry OIL the water o.
these side streams when the heau aiet
i'm times OF high water were shut down.
Tho appliances thus provided wet.
comn.irnt for the accom- lishment OF
IN. desired end. In 1871 the Ciiy
(,nuncll authorized the iiilibg up, III
the face OF tho report OF the city
engineer against doing 10, Oi int
EIghth West street canal, from point
=, h.y,, il leaves Seventh'Weet street for
some distance. During the present
at the crossing OF one
M Inc int,rsectins streets, the ely hht
fllI.d M .his canal, and the owners OF |
Inc ndiacent blocks through which the |
a. m. uassea In It's course from Seventh |
W.st 10 Eighth West street have
.cransd n portion " the banks Into the
canal. Tbi- has destroyed the utility
N, mid canal and rendered useless the
avstem adopted TO meet the contingency |
Of nigh hDodt.
Al the present time the jordan Mt |
Tho white bridge In m high M II was |
nj any time last year, anu considering |
IN. I. ousIal amount ofsnow now In, the |
mountains 1 think that there IL im.
mi ami danger, when tbissnow begins
10 ,a,idly melt In the latter part OF
Mayer the first Of June, OF the low |
In uds east OF Jordan being overllowoi.
As sAid canal can without great
labor be- quickly opened ny, recon
mend that this lie u0no 10 proVlut
against the threatened damages.
From my inspection OF the ground
Il Seemed 10 mo probable that
the Roper street canal has
not suiiicien fall to permit lts
water TO DO catrl.d In Hume into lhe !
river above the danger line, anu that
perhaps the same may be tue OF the
next canal to the north, which dis
charges into the river.
n either OF those canals can be
,,nm,d so us " accomplish this end, II
,ynnid uippenee with oil necessity for
IN. caunls leading 10 the north, anu
~ mud be mn elitclunl protection ngain,t
hiyh floods. These canals oan IN thai
eyent be filed up, u the great im.
nroyement Of the health AMI comfort Of
In, community III the vicinity.
/ therefore recommend that the en-
ginser be directed TO make survey
snr tho purpose OF determining this
fact and repOTt at an early day.
alao call tue attention OF tho coun.
ali m the fact that steps should he
,aleu 10 guard against the danger
which will arise, In case OF high
ao,J' from the gravel and bouldtrs
Witch will be carried into and Ia.
syiiahly MI the lume at the mouth OF
C,tv creek, In fOImer days this ma.
,.r,,l was deposited on aud hauled
away from the fiat ground near the
a iii wurkR, hut the erection OF hald
Am. and the filling up Of this low
a,ound has rendered this mode im'
:, actlcable aud some other elective
mode must DO Devised. Respectfully
srbmittvd. ,, =. a.. .t,,.
d,gineer, whtermaster nnd superinten-
de III OF wAterwOfks.