The record-union., 1896-10-20
NO HYDRAULIC ENGINEER.
The Board Of Trustees Decides Not to
Employ One.
They Think They Are Taking Suf-
ficient Action to Protect the
Levee at the Pump.

A communication from the Chamber
of Commerce was read last night at
the meeting Of the Board OF Trustees,
embodying resolutions passed at the
last meeting of the chamber, as fol-
lows:
To the Honorable Board Of Trustees,
City of ramento-Gentlemen AT a
regular meeting of the Board OF D1-
rectors of the Sacramento Chamber of
Commerce held on the 16tn inst. the
following recommendation from the
Committee on Public Improvements
was unanimously adopted and ordered
transmitted to your honorable board:
Resolved, That the City Trustees be
requested to deny applications from
property holders for change Of grade of
sidewalks for less than one block, and
that all property holders be required
to conform to the official grade.
Resolved, That the City Trustees be
requested to employ a competent hy-
draulic engineer to pass upon the plans
for protecting the levee where the dis
charge pipes pass through it at the
new pumping station, so that suitable
protection may be had, if not already
provided for.
Resolved, That the City Trustees be
requested to declare the portions of
Tenth, Fifteenth, L and n streets ad-
joining Capitol Park public boule-
ward, and to adopt ordinances to gov
ern travel thereon, as other cities have
done in similar cases. Respectfully
yours, JOSEPH STEPHENS,
President.
j. O. Coleman, Secretary.
j. o. Coleman spoke in explanation of
the resolutions. The board wished to
discourage applications by property
owners for special favors in construct
ing their sidewalks and in favor of
keeping the grades as fixed by the Sur
veyor.
Leonard said that no permission had
been granted for making the raised
runways. The architects had simply
taken upon themselves the authority Of
constructing them. The board ought
certainly to take some action in the
matter.
The resolution relating to sidewalks
was referred to the Street Committee.
In regard to the resolution asking the
board to employ competent hydraulic
sewer outlet, Tozer said it ought to be
done. as if anything happened at that
point the city would be at the mercy Of
the river and millions Of property might
be destroyed.
Devine thought the proposed con-
crete wall around the pipes would be
sufficient.
Leonard called Davis to the chair, and
said he thought the work under way
would afford ample protection. He had
not much confidence in theoretical men.
and would rather consult a good prac-
tical man. He thought City Surveyor
Mulleny's plan would afford all the pro-
lection needed. and il was in line with
the plan submitted by Engineer New
berry. He thought if members would
examine the place they would be salts
fed.
Mr.. Coleman said that a dozen citi-
zens might go and examine the levee,
but they would not agree. II the board
employed a competent hydraulic en-
gineer to investigate, and anything hap
penad afterwards, it would be relieved
Of all responsibility. He thought that
the citizens would be better satisfied
if such action We're taken.
Superintendent of Streets Croly said
that for the past thirty years that point
in the levee had been considered weak,
and a very little hole, if started, would
ultimately destroy it. 1t should be pro-
tected by riprapping and making a
concrete wall. He believed that the
precautions taken are sufficient, but
the character of the material in that
part of the levee is Of a kind that may
give way and cause great damage.
Pennish favored getting the opinion Of
q competent hydraulic engineer to
make things safe.
Tozer moved that $3.50 be placed at
the command of the Chamber Of Com
rnerce that it may employ a compe-
tent engineer to examine the levee.
Leonard said the Chamber of Com
merce was getting, he thought, to be a
first Board Of Trustees to pass on mat
ters. and then come TO the Trustees and
advise it what to do. He was opposed
to turning over money to 1t.
Mr. Coleman said he wished to set the
chamber right. 1t had come respect
fully before the board and made some
suggestions They were carefully con-
ing made, and the chamber had not ar
roGated anything to itself, but spoke as
an aggregation Of business men who
were interested in the city's welfare.
Bentley defended the chamber. and
said that the citizens had for many
Jears been overconfident of it's levees,
and he believed that the matter should
be carefully investigated.
Tozer said that ne did not care
whether the chamber had charge Of the
money or not, but he wished it should be
allowed to select a satisfactory engineer
TO pass upon the levee.
motion Of Kent, that Tozer's mo-
ton be laid on the table was lost, and
the motion, modified so as to pay an
engineer selected by the Chamber of
Commerce was also lost.
1t was finally decided to instruct the
City Engineer to draw up plans for the
protection Of the levee and submit them
to the board next week.