Los Angeles herald., 1906-10-07
BEGIN PUMPKINS
SEWER THIS WEEK
BOARD TO EXPERIMENT ON
0UTFALL
Air Lifting Apparatus viii Pc In
STALLED in Tunnel Section and conz
tractors Are Awaiting Result
With Interest

For tho first time since Stansbury &
Powell abandoned their contract and
withdrew their men from the con-
structlon Of the outfall sewer last June
pumping operations will be resumed
this week in the tunnel section. This
will be at the instruction Of the board
OF public works and Homer Hamlin,
city engineer, will be In charge.
The point OF operations is at almost
the middle OF section 3, situated in the
fngleside Highlands and where STAINS
busy & Powell quit work because, as
they assert pumping is not practical
and the construction of tunnel
through the quicksands at the depth
provided by the specifications is al
most impossible.
installation of an air lift pump be-
gan Yesterday. AS soon as it is in posi-
fion three shifts of men will be set to
work and the pumping will be contin-
ued night and day. Stansbury g. Pow
ell were recommended by the board to
procure this kind of a pump. This was
after they had reported that pumping
with the machines they were using
was impractical because the quick
sand stopped UP the suction valve
Await Result Eagerly
The experiment that the city is
about to conduct is awaited with the
greatest of interest by the board and
by the citys engineers. Despite the
fact that the tunnel has been practical
ly abandoned for three months and
that no work has been done during
the interim, the report of the engineers
is that the water has not banked up
and everything is in first-class condi-
tion. The flow of water through the
tunnel at the present time Isl said 10
be approximately twenty inches.
If 1t is found that the pumping has
no effect upon the conditions and that
the water level cannot be reduced so
as to drive a tunnel through the quick
sands, Mr.. Hamlin refuses to say what
will be the alternative. other engi-
neers assert however, that a failure
of the experiment which is to be con-
Quoted will mean that the big bore
must be constructed by means Of
shields.
The work which is to be undertaken
will be of the greatest assistance to-
the contractors who are preparing to
bid on the contract to complete the
project. Bids for this will be opened
BY the board of public works during
the second week in November.
From legal standpoint the situa-
ton is one of peace and quiet. w. B.
Mathews. city attorney, and his assis-
their oars. If the attorneys for the
contracting firm are at work they
have yet to come into the open. Those
watching the case feel sure that a
long legal battle is imminent. This
may begin within the next few months
If the board of public works awards
the contract to some other firm.
For Contractors Benefit
A. A. Hubbard, member of the board,
in discussing the situation yesterday
said: Our placing of a pump in the
tunnel and the beginning of work
next weel. lis as much for the benefit
Of contractors who may desire to bid
on the protest as our own. We are
not asking any contractor to go this
blind. We desire to ascertain all the
conditions ourselves and we wish pos
sible bidders to do likewise
Two wells have already been sunk
along the line of the conduit. This
is to find the different stratifications
Of soil and of what extent is the water
bearing strata. The appropriation of
$500 made by the council is being used
10 defray the expense of these expert
Ioents. Mr.. Hamlin is non-committal
on the results of his investigations
thus far.