The age-herald., 1901-11-23
Police and Sanitation Commit tee Investigating Complaint
 About Loose Work
ALDERMAN HEIDT TALKS
Says That Contractors and Plumbers Are Both to Blame-Seetions of Sewers to Be Taken Up
 and Inspected.

Alderman Heidt of the City Council police and sanitation committee Is deter mined that sanitary sewers in this city shall be properly laid and with the CO., operation of other members of this com mittee he expects within few days to have sections of six or seven sewers un- earthed for the purpose of ascertaining if they were put down according to the rules and regulations of the Board of Aldermen.
 The city ordinance covering the ques- tion of laying sewer pipes requires that all joints shall be cemented together to prevent leakage. MT. Heidt says this law has been frequently violated and his committee now proposes to see that it is carried out.
 The matter was brought to the atten- tion of the Board of Aldermen at the last meeting when MT. Heidt complained that a sewer being laid at that time along Beech street near Arlington avenue was not cemented and that he believed many leakages would occur.
 He Watched the Work.
 T live in that section of the city," said Alderman Heidt yesterday, "and took occasion to watch the laying of the big sewer which Is about 400 feet long, l noticed that the workmen were not putting cement underneath the joints and l spoke to the man in charge about it. He did not give me a satisfactory answer and l brought the matter before the City Council at the next meeting. The city engineer was requested to look into the matter and he reported to the Mayor that the sewer was properly laid. I in sisted that it was not and intended to have the contractor arrested for violat- ing sanitary law of the city but he had certificate from the city engineer which said the work was all right.
 'I then told the man who was doing the work that If he didn't mind he might lose his job. I advised him to dig beneath the sewer and see If cement had been laid there. He did so and found the joint open and leaking and not an ounce of cement had been placed there. Street Commissioner McCartin then examined the sewer and nearly every joint was | leaking. Consequently the sewer was taken up within a few days and ce- mented the entire distance.
 Sewers Leaking Badly.
 "The sanitary sewers are leaking in nearly every part of the city," continued Alderman Heidt, "and 1t is a deplorable state of affairs. While digging the ditch | for a storm sewer along Highland ave- | nue between Beech street and Sycamore street several of these connecting san- itary sewers were encountered and three | of them that 1 saw were leaking. "I am of the opinion, however," ex- plained Mir. Heidt, that the regular city | contractors are not so much to blame 1 for these poorly constructed sewers as | are the plumbers who build the connect ing pipes from the residences to the main sewer"
 What would be the result if these sewers contained leaks?" was asked A Menace to Health.
 Tt would cause a very unhealthy con- | dition in every neighborhood where ex- | cavations were made for any cause. The | foul odors and germs arising from these | leaking sewers are, I believe, the cause | of much sickness"
 l At the last meeting of the City Coun- | cil Alderman Heidt reported that the Beech street sewer had been properly