The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-03-12

u. Ntlt'billt anu the 1Eecubln 81 tuI tliN
Resolved CD That committee OF
three be appointed by the Mayor 10 act
with a committee of the Chamber OF
Commerce in extending to them
courtesies and Inequalities while here.
The Mayor appointed the following
committee: Drewry, Mcdonald and
Parish
Alderman Pegram offered resolution
that the Street Commissioner be directed
to look after the proper draining Of the
Tucker meadow. on Saunders street. a,
its present conditions were a menace tC
the health of the people in that vicinity
Referred to street committee with pow
er to act.
Alderman Drewry stated that there
was complaint that culvert on III. Sea-
board Air Line at Peace street did not
properly carry off the water. The rail
road company had been dire :scd quite
awhile ago to enlarge this culvert and
that they had asked to be allowed to
put in grating, which they claimed would
remedy the trouble. The Board had cor
scented to their experiment. and it had
proven inefficient He therefore moved
that the company he directed to put in a
larger culvert at once.
Alderman Riddle thought the culvert
was large enough and would carry off
all the water if the grating was removed
He though they ought to give the rail
road another chance.
Street Commissioner Blake thought tho
taking away of the grating would re-
move the trouble-the flooding Of the
neighborhood properly.
Alderman Mcdonald thought if the
city did not require the railroad u put
in Il larger culvcrt at once. the property
owners might have some claim to bring
suit against the city III case of damage
from this cause
1t was also .'tatec that this culvcrt
had proven inadequate to carr off the
water when it WAS entirely free FROM
grating.
The motion of Alderman Dr.'sfy pre-
vailed. and the clerk was dir ,ctcd 10 in
struct the railroad to enlarge the tuivert
at once.
The consideration Gf the reports of the
engineers on -he new routes for tho pipe
of the water company il IN" Vicinity of
the Caraleigh Phosphate works was tax
en- up.
ing of Prof. Ridick, Col. A. w. Shaffer
and City Street Commissioner and Sur
veyor W.. Blake. appointed the night
previous, could not agree on the best
route. This committee was engaged all
day yesterday going over the ground
and making the surveys. Col. Shaffer
contended that the route north of the
phosphate mills was the better route.
while the other two members of the
committee thought the route on the
south side of the creek, modification
of the route proposed by the water COM
pany was the more satisfactory and
safer AS there could be no unanimous
agreement on either route. two reports
were submitted-a majority report by
Messrs. Riddick and Blake and a mi
nority report by Col. Shaffer.
MAJORITY ENGINEERS REPORT.
The following majority report was
submitted:
To the Honorable Board of Aldermen of
the City of Raleigh:
Sirs: We, the undersigned committee
appointed at your meeting of March 10,
1899, to survey and recommend the
proper route for the proposed change i'll
The pipe line of the Raleigh Mater Com
pany. beg leave to report as follows:
1t was evident from the most super
fetal observation that there are only two
routes--the one running
north of the phosphate mills. the other
turning to the right. crossing Walnut
Creek and passing the mills on the OPP
posite side of the creek. returning to the
Il IL .nt
The first is the line proposed by Col.
Shaffer at your former meeting: the lat
ter is the one proposed by the Water
Company. with some material changes.
The committee finds "a that the line
proposed by COL A. w. Shaffer
passes within about ten feet of a large
pile of refuse pyrites, this pile of pyrites
being in low place, SO that the rain
water when contaminated cannot run off
but must percolate into the ground. This
the committee thinks would make the
water still subject to contamination by
the acid.
%. That at about 800 feet from the
beginning, this line would pass under
the main from the Asylum sewer, and
there is no certainty to what extent the
ground on either side Of this drain has
been contaminated by the sewerage. We
were informed by parties working in the
mills that the said drain had been fire.
Iuently known to overflow its banks and
settle on the low ground for some dis
lance ON either side.
(3). That at twelve hundred and sixty
feet from beginning this line enters the
old clay pit of the Caraleigh brick-yard,
and runs through this pit for about six
hundred feet, the bottom of said pit be-
ing almost covered with stagnant water.
The pipe line would run through this
pit about on the level of the bottom or
a slight distance below. Further, the
learns that two years ago the
Caraleigh phosphate mills turned into
this clay pit many tons of sulphuric acid
III cleaning out their tanks. The commit
tee, therefore, fears that if the pipe line
should run across this pit, the water
flowing therein might be contaminated
not only by stagnant water around 1T;
but almost certainly by the sulphuric
acid. In fact there seems to be about
the same danger here as with the pipe
III its present position.
H. That after leaving the clay pit
the pipe would run across the low
grounds for distance of about fourteen