The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-08-12
IT'S A BOTCH JOB.
Worst Fears About Fifth Ward
Sewer Realized.
Little Attention Is Paid to
Specifications.
THE REPORT is READY
Many Important Disclosures
Made by City Engineer.
Contractors and Former En-
gineer May Be Sued.
THE REPORT is READY

council this evening by the committee
on sewers tending to show that the
Fifth ward sewer over which charges
of misconstruction have been hanging
for almost eight months, was i'll con-
structed from beginning to end and
that the plans and specifications were
in no wise observed.
The committee met this afternoon at
2 o'clock and received the report of
the city engineer. The committee Will
act upon the findings made by the city
engineer, John Rodgers, who has been
working for the past six weeks under
the instructions of the committee. The
work could only be done at Intervals
due to the large amount of other work
which kept the city engineers force
occupied. AS a consequence Of the re-
port received this afternoon the COM
mittee on sewers will bring in its rec
concentrations to the council for ac-
ton.
1t is stated by Mayor Green that
probably legal action will be author
ICED and instituted by the council i'm
mediately looking to the recovery on
the bond of the sewer contractors, NJ.
w. Gilmore and CT. w. Brooks. and of
James McCabe. former city engineer.
1.-The city will probably bring suit
against the contractors on the grounds
that they failed to observe the specifi-
cations" said the mayor. Action can
also be brought against McCabe TO re-
1.-The report indicates that the sewer
was raised on an average of about
three feet. have been trying to get a
report on this for some time and have
urged and ! am satisfied we have real
~ got a report that is worth while and
not whitewash like that other. That
out of town man played his hand too
strong"
Faulty Catch Basins.
1t is shown that thirty-three catch
basins on the sewer do not conform to
the specifications and by reason of
this the sewer is liable at any time to
be clogged up with mud. The guards
which were put into keep the mud
from getting down into the sewer
were to be constructed 26A inches
from the surface instead of which
they vary all the way from to Is
inches. The mud has not enough room |
in this brief space and is forced into |
the sewer.
The manholes It is stated were con-
structed with one course of brick at
the bottom and should have had two !
courses of brick.
1.-The sewer has been misconstruct-
ed IN every way" said the mayor.
1T does not conform to the plans
and specifications in any particular !
and that part of the sewer on Hunt |
ington avenue near Polk street Is rails
ed straight up in the air without any
accountable reason. It will cost sew
era1 hundred dollars to reconstruct !
this and make it possible to use ac-
cording to the report of the en-
gineer"
On an average it is found that the
sewer was raised three feet above the
level az planned. this is due to the
mistake that was made in planning
the sewer three feet lowe rthan sewer
district IA in which it was to drain,
IS the claim that has been advanced |
But certain raises have been made
that can not be accounted for in this
manner. 1t has been charged that the
changes were made to benefit the con-
tractor since the sewer contract was
not let by the yardage excavated buc
by the whole job. To raise the sewer
afterward would not cost the sewer
contractor so much and leave a larg-
er amount of profit than If based on
the first plan.
''Think of paying $500 in excess of
the estimate for this sewer" said the
mayor in disguest
At but one point in the whole of the
sewer district of the Fifth ward sewer
does the resurvey conducted by the
present city engineer. John Rodgers. |
show that the sewer was constructed
below the level as planned. In all 9TH
er cases the new plat of the survey
shows that the sewer was constructed |
from few inches to nine feet above
the planned elevation and upon which |
the engineers estimate as to the cost
of the sewer was based. In some in
stances this is explained by the pres
ence of rock which was discovered in |
not known at the time the estimate
was prepared, but the plat which will
furnish part of the evidence on which
the sewer committee will base its find
ings shows that this does not afford
the explanation for 95 per cent of the
raise which was made.
In the main sewer on Huntington
avenue at Western avenue the plat
shows a raise of the sewer as construct
ed over that planned OF nine feet at
Polk street raise of SO feet but at
this point rock is shown to exist run
ming TO the alley west of Topeka ave-
nue., at Tyler street a raise of two feet
Is shown and at Topeka avenue a raise
OF tour feet. A variation in the old
and new contour lines in this territory
SHOWS variation of from one to two
rect ana half above of the new con-
tour readings over the old at Western
avenue and of three feet above at Ty-
Ter street IN other respects the contour .
line both old and new are close togeth-
Ell. The whole sewer in this particular
territory was raised
Inc main sewer on Eighteenth street :
according to the plat prepared shows n | 8
raise OF the sewer varying at Harrison s
street from one foot, to one foot and
four-tenths at Van Buren, street one
and 1our-tenths foot at Kansas avenue !
and one and one-haIf feet AT OuipcI- |
street. The main sewer lust ves+ of tbe |
Santa Fe railroad tracks shows a raise Z
of one and a half feeN at Quincy street, '
TO two feet at Euclid avenue. The neI,, | t
contour line in this stretch of e1T-a |
feet and another of three and a half |
feet below the old contour line |
The new plat shows the existence of :
rock at Euclid avenue. According to G
the plans as first prepared it is claim
ed by those investigating that the Fifth
ward sewer was three feet lower AZ
the point where It was drain into sewer ,
district IA than sewer district IA. This /