The San Francisco call., 1896-09-26
Colonel Suter Succeeds in Caus
ing All Work to Be
Stopped.
HE HAS CONVINCED LAMONT,
Further Operations to Cease Until
Additional Action by Congress
Is Taken.

WASHINGTON. D. c., Sept. 25.-At
last the raging Oakland tidal canal con-
troversy has been settled and DIR. John L.
Mclean, the valiant Board of Health Off
Ger of Alameda, has been vanquished.
The Secretary of War has decided not to
undertake this work until the Oakland
harbor and tidal canal controversy has
been settled. Not only is DR.. Mclean de-
feated, for the time being at least, but
Colonel Mendel (retired), who rendered
such efficient service on the Pacific Coast
and who was very popular engineering
officer, has been humiliated, and Colonel
Charles r. Suter, the new engineer, has
been complimented by having his recon-
mendations adopted by Chief of Engineers
Craighill and Secretary Lamont
All of the San Francisco, Oakland and
Alameda CALL readers are familiar with
the Oakland harbor improvement contro-
versy. A part of the general project was
the construction of canal to connect San
Leandro Bay with the estuary and thus
drain and purify the city of Alameda by
carrying off at high tide its stagnant
water.
Under the provisions of Colonel Mendel
excavations for the canal were made at
both ends and many thousands of dollars
expended. Then came Colonel Suter, who
declared that it was not within the prov
nee of general government to undertake
sanitary improvements beneficial to the
city of Alameda and who recommended
the abandonment of the canal.
Upon his return to Washington several
weeks ago Chief of Engineers Craighill
took the matter up for consideration. He
concluded that Colonel Suter was right,
and that the Federal Government should
not undertake sanitary improvements for
any municipality. Colonel Craighill so
expressed himself to THE CALL correspon-
dent to-day, and at the same time ex-
hibited a copy of letter which he had
sent Secretary Lamont in reference to this
controversy. The letter is dated Septem-
ber 10. After quoting the river and har-
Dor provisions of the last session of Con-
gress, which appropriated $50, 900 and au-
thorized an aggregate and ultimate ex-
penditure of $666, 900 additional under the
continuous contract plan, General Craig
hill refers to Colonel Suter's report on the
Oakland harbor project and says:
"The amount required to complete the
project as given in the report of 1895 and
based upon estimates made years ago is
$741.000. A careful revision of the esti-
mates, made recently by Colonel Charles
r. Suter, fixes the amount required to
complete the original project at 81, ,062, ,S10
The limit of cost for completion, namely,
| $685. 600, fixed by Congress, necessitates the
omission of some portion of the work con-
templated in the original project. The
channel to connect the harbor with San
Leandro Bay has been partly excavated at
both ends, leaving an uncompleted por-
ton in the middle. To complete the ex-
cavation, build necessary bridges and con-
struct dam and tide gates in connection
with the channel $4,000 is required.
| Colonel Suter is of the opinion that this
portion of the work is most important to
the commercial interests of the harbor,
and that the facts and reasons which in
duced its adoption originally were errone-
| Gus; that there is not engineering or COM
merciaI necessity for prosecuting it further.
This position is indorsed by various com
mercial bodies of Oakland, but is opposed
by Alameda.
"In view of the difference of opinion ii
is suggested that action looking to the let
ting of contracts for the completion of the
work be postponed until the questions al
issue can be settled, or until further Con-
gressional action is secured"
The Secretary of War has approved Gen
eral Craighill's recommendations, and 6
letter to that effect has been forwarded tc
Colonel Suter at San Francisco.
|