The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-07
COUNCIL HEARD ENGINEERS.
MEssnS. THOMAS AND SUGDEN
TOLD OF DEFECTS ~ DRAINAGE.


Had Been CaTeIessIy Treated and
Allowed to Fiji With Brick, hut
Supervising Engineer Chapman
said lie Had Seen the distractions
RemOved-Mr. sugden Claimed
Contractors Did Not Follow speci-
fcatIonS in Laying Sub-SOiI Drains
Which Resulted in Man Holes and
Sewers Filling With Water
Over two hours Of last nights Council
meeting were devoted to a hearing OF the
charges Of defective house drainage work,
preferred last August by Engineers Craig,
Thomas and sugden. Voluminous papers
were read, and searching questions were
asked, but the investigation wound up in
an eccentric manner. No action was TAX
en-, and it will probably be difficult to de-
eide what action to take, other than to
receive the testimony as information. The
board will then take such action as it
deems proper.
Engineers Thomas and Sugden read
their statements, which showed they had
given considerable attention to progress
of the drainage work. That by Mr.. Sug-
den was particularly explicit, and besides
showing that he had given much time to
investigating and proving the points he
made against the contractors who did last
years work he pointed out what he
| claimed to be violations Of the contract
! and Specifications. His main point was
that the contractors had not followed the
| specification in putting down sub-soil
! drains where necessary, thereby allowing
! Underground water TO seep into the sew
ers. He claimed sand had been washed
| into the pipes on this account, and that
| they were. therefore, rendered useless
| until cleaned.
| Mr.. Thomas also read voluminous pa
! per, in which he claimed first that care
| less and improper methods had been m
| ployed in laying pipe, and second, the care
| less manner of treating the storm water
sewers. As to the last he spoke himself,
| and said he would leave the other charge
| for Mr.. Sugden. The main point raised by
| Mr.. Thomas was that bricks had fallen
| into the storm sewers, owing to careless
| way of treating them after they had been
completed. and also on account of ineom-
| petent inspectors. At the last he gave way.
though and admitted that "as a good citi-
zen. ne should have preferred the com
| plant TO the chairman of the drainage
| committee"
When Mayor Meldrim called the house
drainage investigation it was after 20
o'clock Besides Engineers Thomas and
! Sugden, Supervising Engineer Chapman,
| with several Of his assistants, and Con-
tractor Bradt, were also on hand. An eX-
| tract from The communication, on which
the investigation was based, is as follows:
eve would respectfully state that from
! our observation of the work as 1t was
| conducted last winter, we do not consider
that the city is getting the best class OF
work We have observed pipe being laid
| with joints not cemented half round. We
| have also noticed the careless manner in
which the storm water sewers have been
| treated; we have noticed sub-son water
bursting through the joints in the brick
sewer, although the specification distinct
" calls for sub-soil drains to be laid when
water was encountered So far as we can
learn, this was never done. From care
lessness in giving the lines, one section
of the brick sewer on Randolph street
has a sharp bend in it. The work done
last winter has never been tested, nor has
it been examined since it was laid.
THE tests called for by the specifica-
ton do not guarantee a tight sewer. We
would respectfully petition your honorable
body, as the city has already paid for the
plans of the proposed system of house
drainage, that new arrangements be made
for superintending the work, and that oul
services be engaged for that purpose"
After Mr.. Thomas read his paper which
was first he was cross-ques toned by AL
derman Owens, chairman of the drainagt
committee and Alderman Davis. Tie was
also asked several questions by Supervis
ing Engineer Chapman, touching his act
ual knowledge of the assertions that brick
had fallen into and been allowed to remain
in the brick sewer in Perry street lane
and East Broad street. He was quit,
positive he had seen negroes carelessly
. knocking the bricks from their places il
the sewer, thereby leaving holes. He wai
also pretty sure these brick had not beer
taken out, stating he had been told to this
effect by Former Contractor John Rourke
This was offset however, as MIR. Chap
man asked as to the particular places
where the bricks had been seen in thu
sewer. and then said he had seen then
taken out.
Mr. Sugdens paper dealt at length will
defects he thought were caused by tn
contractors not following the specifica
tons He stated he had taken a trip t
many of the manholes, particularly thos
at Zubly and Poplar, and Zubly and 81
Gaul streets where the elevation is low
. and found two and one-half feet of waite
standing in them. There was also larg
, amount of sand, he said, which could b
seen washing down in the water. He foun
= | NUMBER OF otnef mannoleS IN the sam
conditions, while those on higher ground
were dry. He then read in the specin
= cations where it was provided that sub
soil drains should be put down whereve
needed. These drains consist of sma
pipe about a foot long, which are lai
about half inch apart below the sewer
and are for the purpose of carrying OF
water which would otherwise percolate in
: to the sewer In view of the number o
rnanholes Mr.. Sugden found partially file
with water. and the fact the sub-soI
. drains have not been laid in any quarter
: it seemed he had a well-founded crit
cism. He cited a number of other In
stances in which he claimed the specifica
lions had been ignored, and also wher
he believed incompetent inspectors ha.
been employed.
IL was late when the hearing was con
cluded, and Council adjourned withou
taking any action. The adjournment wa
subject to, the Mayors call
TnTRn