The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-25
SHEER WASTE OF MONEY
THE PRESENT WORK ON POGUE'S
RUN WILL OFFER NO RELIEF.
Arches Under Union Station should he
EnIarged-Even Jeup Can See
the Campaign Waste.

Last spring. when Mayor Taggart decided
to stop all proceedings for making sewer
out of Pogue's run at a cost of 100000 or
more, for political reasons City Engineer
Jeup gave considerable attention to trans
forming it into an open drain He gave the
subject a good deal of thought, and found
on investigation that the main reason
Pogue's run overfowed in the northeast
part OF town was because there was not
sufficient outlet. He found that the capac-
ity of the channel was reduced nearly one
third where it passes under the Union Sta
ton. Down to that point Pogues run is
simply an open ditch, perhaps forty feet
wide and ten to twelve feet in depth. Along
part of it's course stonemasonry keeps the
banks from caving and confines the water
to a certain course. Under the Union Sta
ton the run passes through two arches
The run passes under the depot from the
east. and the arched masonry makes
a curved turn to the south. Below the
depot the channel widens out again, but it
is reduced in size by three stone arches I'M
der the roadway of South street and the old
railroad frog works. On down towards its
outlet the run is crossed by innumerable
bridges The piers supporting them are of
wood and obstruct the flow of water to a
very great extent when freshets come.
The greatest obstruction however, is the
arched passageway under the Union Sta
ton When a freshet comes the run is
filled to it's banks in a very short time. and
as but tWo-thirds of the water can pass
through the arches in a short time, it be-
gins backing up and gets over the banks
flooding cellars and doing great damage
over large section of the city.
When the city engineer made a survey of
the little stream he readily saw that the
only way to remedy the difficulty was TO re-
move Instructions and increase the capac-
ity Of the outlet He said that the stone
arches ought to be removed, the channel
walled up to it's natural width and covered
over as other portions are He also de-
clared that the arches under South street
and the frog works should be removed and
straight walls put up. Until this was done
the engineer expressed the opinion that
there could be no relief from high water.
1t was estimated that these improvements
would cost $4,000 to $4,000. 1t looks rea-
sonable to suppose that the engineer had
the right theory, and that if the outlet had
been increased to the capacity of the regu-
lar channel there would be no more back
ing up. The run and the arches are not un-
IKE a Iun0el, WlQc DIT the intake ana small
at the outlet
RAILROADS OUGHT TO PAY.
1t is not known why the logical plan of
widening the outlet was not carried out,
but there are hints that the Union Rail-
way Company would not bear any part of
the expense of removing the arches and
substituting straight walls. At any rate,
nothing in that direction is being done. The
S. 1000 appropriated last September has been
exhausted in useless work at the source of |
the run, and the new fund of $4,000 is al |
ready being heavily drawn on. Some mas
onry work has been done near New Jersey !
street, which residents of the section say |
should have been paid for by the railroad |
companies In addition a large force of |
men is at work digging and hauling dirt |
out of the channel up toward the source of |
the stream instead of the outlet There is
a reason for this. If the men had been put |
to work on the lower end of the run, where |
the work ought to have commenced, the !
moral effect on voters would have been |
lost. They see a large force at work, and |
suppose that great things are being done |
to afford relief from overtiows, when, as a
matter of fact, if there is any reason in the |
arguments made several months ago by
City Engineer Jeup all the money that is
being expended is as good as thrown away.
When the first freShet occurs the water
will back up from those arches under the
depot and immense damage will be done, as
in the past. Even If it had been found inn
Union Station and frog works the men that
are now at work in the Eighth and other
doubtful wards ought to have been sent to
the south part of town to clear out the rub
bish and drifts of sand and debris of all
kinds. If this were done some relief would
be afforded. From South street on down
the channel is badly choked, and there is
where the work should be done. But, then
no votes would be made by that sensible
method The southern wards are supposed
to be safely Democratic, and citizens along
Pogues run south and west of the Union
Station seldom suffer from overt1ows, as
the channel is generally sufficiently wide to
carry off all the water that can come
through the stone arches. Just now, how
ever, it is doubtful whether the channel is
of sufficient capacity for even that pur-
pose as it is badly choked and INSTRUCTED.
Any person who is interested in this sub
ject can investigate for himself. An hour
or two spent below the Union Station will
convince any one, especially if he compares
the lower end of the run with that portion
Immediately east of the depot. The run is
uncovered at Pennsylvania street
In this connection there is work for the
Board of Health. In many places there are
little pockets in Pogues run that are full
Of stagnant water. The odor and mos
quitoes from them annoy people living near
very much.