San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-08-29
CiJ Topics: Sasts
A SEWER CONTENTION.

Yesterday morning the sewer COM
mittee met for the purpose of consid-
ering the defective outfail sewer work.
reported to the city engineer One of
the firm of Katz, Crandall & Katz was
present with an attorney.
The mayor had just returned from n
personal inspection Of the disputed
sewer, driving to the outfan sewer and
back between the hours of and 10
a. m, he wanted TO personally inspect
the work in order to be posted. The
committee had read to them the re-
port of Consulting Engineer W. c. Pc
tiers, giving a detailed report of the in
spection of the work from which it
was shown that the Outfall brick sew
err was cracked for over 1000 feet.
| MI. Peters suggests a remedy for the
trouble. The correspondence had be-
tween the city engineer and the con-
tractors was read and the contrac-
tors were given time TO reply TO the
report of Consulting Engineer Peters.
Mayor Callaghan maintains the posi-
ton that the city contracted FOR per-
feet sewer and that no patched up Job
goes. Ii would be well if he could
maintain his position, but the acts of
the preceding administration will be
used by the contractors to prevent the
city from claiming anything more than
it has. TO fully appreciate the stu
alton let the public look at the pres
ent condition of the outfall sewers
that cost one hundred thousand dol
lars, or about that-for over 1000 feet
the brick work Is cracked; the specifi-
cations We're not complied with, re-
curing the use of gravel thoroughly
tamped-the earth has shrunk away
from the sewers-Such is the present
condition. Now look at the condition
reported to the meeting-the last
meeting-of the Elmendorf admins
tration city council, February 18th,
1897, at which meeting all this work
was approved upon report made by
Mr.. Gray, or rather by his substitute,
George Ii. Leland: This report says:
The contractors for this part of the
sewerage system have performed their
part of the work in thoroughly
creditable manner both to the city
and to themselves"
The council by unanimous vote APP
payment of the bill except five per
cent retained for repairs during six
months after acceptance of the work.
Supplemental to this report was the
report of Mr. Pancoast, city engineer:
1t is good for the taxpayers to read
this certificate of Samuel NJ. Gray's
.report: Il hereby present final esti-
mate for the outfall sewer and would
recommend that the work be accept
ed. | have made a careful eXamina-
ton of all the work and have been
unable to find any defects. In my
opinion the work in detail and as a
whole has been well done. l have
found the contractors, KatZ, Crandall
& Katz, always ready and willing to
receive any suggestions and orders and
a desire ON their part to do that which
was asked of them" OF course so
perfect a performance could not but
meet approval, and yet the work is
found to be wofully deficient, in fact
almost fatally deficient, so much so
that Mayor Callaghan would like to
require them to do 1t over again. But
can he do so? The hasty action of
the city council of the last admins
tration is approving work that had to
pass Immediately out of their hands
is indefensible. In fact the admins
tratlon was out Of Office when they APP
proved the outfall sewer work. The
proceedings of the city council, of
February 18th a week after the city
election remain without signature and
approval today.
Mayor Callaghan has demanded
that the sewers shall be a complete
piece of work, will he be able to en-
force his demand. The outfal sewers
were constructed under the inspection
of the engineers observation-disclosures
tors were on hand at every inch of the
work-the engineer was on hand-the
city was party to every foot OF con-
struction and could have stopped
work at any time if not in accord
ance with specifications. The city,
through its engineer reported the work
perfect. Mayor Callaghan may take
a worthy effort to protect the city but
it is doubtful if he can undo the work
of his predecessors.