Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-30
STARTS BRIDGE INQUIRY
0'Kesffs Puts Life Into Noribund Move
Conserving an Investigation.
DEMANDS THAT SOME ACTION Be TAKEN
Complains that Commissioner Have
Ignored County Engineer in Com
%structiOn and that Trouble
Has Resulted Therefrom.

Chairman o'Keefe and Members Con-
molly and Harte OF the bridge committee Of
the Board Of County Commissioner are de-
liberating over the investigation OF the
bridge built for the county at the poor farm.
Robert 2. brakes company, the Standard.
charged S14, 922. SO for the bridge and o'Keeffe
thinks the price was much too high, point
ing for argumen to one on the ElkhoTn con-
tanning twice as much iron and better, but
costing only 81, 800. He moved an investiga-
ton some time ago and Connolly seconded
the motion with a show of enthusiasm, saying
that he hoped such probing would finally
hush the incessant complaining and dark.
limiting, but the investigators have never
been chosen and yesterday O'Keeffe bearded
the members OF the committee into the
private room on the commissioners cham
Der and suggested that they get down to
business.
They talked until noon without getting
together" and then adjourned to try 1t
again later. It Is understood that
the other members OF the committee pro-
posed Scott King. John w. Towle and
Hugh Carpenter for Investigators, but that
o'Keeffe demurred. arguing that County
Engineer Edquist. City Engineer Rosewater
and Former County Engineer ]. E.. House
were the proper ones. 1t is surmised that
the fact that Mr.. Towle represents a
bridge company. and that all bridge COM
panies are more or less closely allied IN
interests. may have had something to do
with o'Keeffe's attitude.
County Engineer Ignored.
For the last four or nve years" oKeefe
said, the county engineer has been ignored
too much In this matter OF bridges aud
sewers. The commissioner have been TAX
ing the matter entirely In their own hands
and making contracts without estimating
with any considerable care. They COM
planned recently that some OF the sewers
were inadequate during the rains. Well, NO
wonder. The board members drive out in a
buggy to the place where a culvert should
be, sit in their seats and determine the re-
quirements at long range. Instead of having
careful figuring on the amount Of drainage
that properly reaches the place in time OF
rain, and from this determining the size OF
! the sewer, they stop the horses at the side
Of the road, glance over the country and
one OF them says two feet Another one
will say six feet and finally they'll
compromise on four feet. Perhaps tho
dimension should have been eight
feet. When the rains com the sewer
nhokes, its extremities have been neglected
and give way, and sewers are condemned.
When / was a member OF the board twelve
years ago / put in a nine-foot sewer on
the Center street road for Sl4 per foot.
and it's there yet. In perfect condition.
Build a sewer large enough TO begin with.
use a good cement and give its mouth oc-
c~asional attention and there will be no
trouble at all. But the board has been
doing its own planning. ignoring county
engineers to such extent that one Of them
quit and the result Is apparent now in the
damaged ducts. twenty OF which must have
immediate attention to save them"
The matter comes up before the board at
Wednesdays meeting. The commissioner
will 80 over the county again the last OF
this week.