Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-04
TROUBLE OVER AWARD
STATEMENT THAT IT DOES NOT
AGREE WITH EVIDENCE.
Matter Discussed by District officials
With Result That Jury Trial
Will Be Ordered.

Trouble is ahead over the award made by
Thomas w. Smith. Joseph B. Bailey and
joan F. Cook, commissioners, in their re-
port filed in the District Supreme Court.
July 81, in condemnins land for the new
outfall sewer.
The commission allowed SIG, 3O3 90 as the
value Of land taken by the government for
the outfall sewer and land affected by that
outlet of the citys waste, and a major
portion of that amount was awarded to
George j. Steufferle ($1O939.sO) and to AL
fred T. Grimes (s1947.5O) for damages
to their land by reason of sewage being de-
posted upon their land by the action of the
tides.
These awards are Numerically opposed
to the evidence which was submitted to the
Commissioners, and l cannot understand
how such conclusion was reached" says
A. Leftwich Sinclair, special counsel of the
District of Columbia, in his recommended
ton in forwarding the papers to the Dis
trict Commissioners.
Il have the honor to report that the
damages which will result to said lands
by reason of the depositing upon
said land by the action, force and flow of
the tides and waters of the Potomac, of
the sewage - are speculative" saws
Superintendent of Sewers D. E. McComb
who is recognized as expert In such
matters.
Capt. Morrow's Comment.
Il move that this paper be returned to
the corporation counsel with the statement
that the Commissioners of the District of
Columbia are dissatisfied with the report of
the commission appointed by the court to
appraise the land and right of way to be
condemned for this sewer" This is the Off
cial finding of Capt. Jay J. Morrow, acting
Engineer Commissioner, and 1t was approx
ed today by Commissioner Mcfarland.
The awards made by the commission were
as follows:
Alfred T. Grimes, $7OO for part of lot /
Bellevue $267 for 20-foot right of way
through part of the same lot; $500 for an
asparagus bed which will have to be de-
stroyed, and $1,947.50 for other damage to
his property.
George ]. seufrerle, 24o for 2O-foot
right of way; $625 for damages to 625 acres
of land. and $10,939.s0 for other damages to
mis- land.
Henrietta Brent Heiskell, s16O for 30
foot right of way
John N. Young and Henrietta E. Ewing,
$2as Tor a twenty-foot right of way; S22s.SO
Ior rights of way through other property;
$40 for improvements on the land
Isador I: Young. $217.2o for rights of way
through his property
United States Realty COMPANY 800 GO for
rights of way through its land.
This report was analysed by Mr.. Sinclair
ana Wnen asked concerning 1t today he said
that he found the ''other damages award
ed to Messrs Grimes and Seufferle to be
based entirely upon the problematical wash
Ing of sewage upon their land This is
In my Judgment contrary to every particle
or expert testimony adduced before the
commission" continued Mr.. Sinclair be
cause all of the experts agreed that the
sewage would be SO diluted and churned
into fine particles, that nothing of an
offensive nature could be washed upon the
land, and one remember said that water
nearest the land would be likely to be
purest. More than this. the commission OF
experts, appointed by President Harrison to
look over the ground when the outfau
sewer was first thought of, reported that
land adjoining the outlet would not be
damaged"
Mr.. McComb's Statement