The herald., 1895-04-09

You can readily detect the good nature
an complitnce of the city engineer in
certifying tos mething he knows moth
ing about only in Il general way. and that
by this method he is likely to certify to
serious de ects. NY experience has been
that as rule contractors and inspectors
are not qualified to do engineering work
that requires Il great degree OF accuracy
and perfect appliances, and it is not eX
pected tnat tney should be.
Inc results they arrive at are nearly al
ways rough approximations, which in
l sewer construction is a very serious mat
ter even if the measurements are taken
accurately. Reference points are often
disturbed by the setting of the trench
and from numerous other causes and few
contractors or inspectors ara fam iliar
with the methods of detecting such dis
crepancies and even if they are, it requires
painstaking and time to rectify them,
and time is very Important element of
a contract. If the price happens to be
very close TO what the work can be prop
crly done for the temptation becomes
great to ignore variations, for unless these
discrepancies are very great, as | have
explained, it is impossible 10 detect them
after the completion of the work. These
Irregularities of grade will cause the
heavy and foul particles to collect at these
points and there decompese and generate
sewer gas.
Our sewers will become succession OF
cesspoolS with vents through the man
holes at the surface of our thoroughfares
If our sewers are properly constructed to
regulate the velocity of the flow of sew
age they will carry all deleterious matter
into the outfall before the chemical ac-
tion necessary for the generation of sewer
gas takes place to any serious extent; but
if they are not properly constructed in
stead OF being on of the bealthiest cities
in the world Los Angeles will become
subject to epidemics.
| consider this question of such serious
importance that | call the attention of
your body to these existing facts SO that
you may understand my motive when |
state that | can no longer. certify to the
accuracy of the construction of our sew
ers unless | have n properly qualified en-
,gineer on the ground to give the grades
during the construction. | shall issue no
more grade sheets to contractors for sewer
work.
On street and 81 ,cwalk work shall con-
tinue to issue the grade sheets as in the
past as this work is above ground and
any errors can rea lily be detected; or if
too slight to be detected, are of no i'm
portance.
In connection with this subject | de-
sire to call the attention of your body to
the fact that the engineering fees for this
class of work are pad by the property
owners. ana the money deposited with
the street superintendent. The pre-
sumpt on is that in work OF such i'm
portance they des re it idone ght,
and to do it right will require the method
| suggest. As this entails some additional
expense. and as the money does not come
out OF the city funds, but is paiu by
the property owners who are willing to
bear the additional expense to be assessed
that the work is properly constructed
the extra expense amounting to but few
cents ad itional per lot in a la ge sewer
district, | would suggest that the council,
realizing, as t must, the urgency OF the
request would allow me an additional
number OF engineers, not 10 exceed one
for every sewer under construction or
herafter under the Nrooman act or by pri-
vate contract. Thai you may further
realize the importance of tins i'll my
estimation, would respectfully state that
grades of ever district No. 3. just con-
structed, as | find the defects too numer-
Gus and OF too serious nature to over
look. an | have so notified the street
su ,erlntendPnt, who Informs me that he
Will not consider its acceptance unit the
{ ty engineer is sat SIZED. as to its al gn-
ment and construction to its proper
gra lie.
This ties up and delays the sewerage OF
on of our most important d strcts, that
coulu have beentavoded il a qualified en-
gineer had been in charge of the con-
struction. Referred TO. the lcwer COM