The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-01-25
City Will Hire Expert to See
About Fifth Ward Sewer.
Ascertain the Faults in Its
Construction.
HEARS STRAIGHT TALK
Mr.. BIakeley Calls Attention to
Bad Features.
Asks Engineer McCabe Some
Pointed Questions.

The city will engage an expert civif
engineer to go over the Fifth ward
sewer. examine it thoroughly. and
then make "a report upon the cond1-
lions that he finds. The special in
vestigation committee of the council
authorized Councilman F. E. Nipps. to
engage an expert, and this will be
done Immediately. Correspondence IS
now being had to this end. The report
will be final. The conference between
the property owners protesting at the
misconstructson of the Fifth ward
sewer and the investigating commit
tee of the council resulted in one thing
last night and it was something vital.
1t explained away the evident diner
ence of the depths of flow lines of the
Fifth ward sewer and that into which
it emptied. 1t has been charged that
the mouth of the Fifth ward sewer
was IS inches lower than the sewer
into which it emptied.
The profile of the sewer shows this
and nothing had been offered in the
way of testimony to refute It,
Last night Councilman Jordan ask
ed directly of the city engineer. James
McCabe, why construction of that
charac ter was permitted to enter into
the Fifth ward sewer. McCabe said
that he was unaware that any mis-
takes of that character had been
made.
The interview waxed furious. Then
the profles were examined. Assistant
City Engineer King looked over the
profiles showing the elevation. and the
flow line and then said that he could
explain. The depth which was taken
for the mouth of the sewer and which
was given ON the profile appeared on
a dotted line short distance removed
from the line showing the mouth of
the sewer. The dotted line on exam
ination of the scale showed that 1t was
the depth fifty feet from the mouth
by actual distance. From this point
the ground dipped down perceptibly
for the fifty feet to the mouth and was
practically at the same depth as that
of the sewer into which it entered.
Mr.. Jordan stated that he was sat
isfied with the explanation and the
property owners stated that they I'M
derstood how the misunderstanding
had crept in.
The main criticisms which now re-
main to be investigated are that no
stone exists at the depth claimed on
Huntington avenue between Tyler and
Polk, and that If stone exists the Dor
ings made in advance to ascertain ex-
istence of rock were incompetent The
borings it is stated showed no rock
along places of the sewer which later
excavations uncovered.
Mr.. BlakeIey,s Pertinent Talk.
1--WE are not children, we are not
fools. You can'tstell sus anything like
that Mr.. McCabe. The sewer doesn't
do the work. said c. G. Blakeley, a
property owner in reply to an asser-
ton made by McCabe that the sewer
did the work for which it was intend
ed.
"Our cellars are filed with water
We are forced to put up with unsani- |
tary conditions. There are some nice
little homes built over in that part of |
town and the cellars are filled with |
water every time it rains Don't trifie |
with us. We are earnest about this, |
gentlemen continued Mr.. Blakeley.
THE way that sewer has been con- |
structed is a disgrace and a scandal on |
the name of the city. There must be |
something very peculiar in the way
these contracts are let by the city 1 |